The Quiet Italian

Although a new cab is in development, Iveco has launched what it describes as the most efficient truck the market has ever seen. But have fuel-saving improvements negatively affected driveability?

- Will Shiers

When a truck manufacturer talks about fuel economy improvements, this normally means one thing – a lack of performance – so it was with this expectation that we embarked on our test drive of a Cursor 11-powered, 480hp Stralis XP.

A tweeted picture of the new truck at its launch garnered a few derogatory comments from drivers, best summed up by: “That’s the best looking EuroStar I’ve ever seen.”

Yes, it’s true, the latest Stralis does share the same basic cab structure as Iveco’s 1990s offerings, and no amount of black paint or fancy blue badges are going to disguise that fact (although an ageing cab hasn’t done Daf any harm). That said, rumour has it that a completely new cab is in development, but until it sees the light of day Iveco will have to continue refreshing the current version.

Italian Flair Required

To be honest the Stralis cab doesn’t offend us, but we reckon the interior could definitely be improved. We are told the curtains are thicker now, and that the digital display between the speedometer and rev counter has been redesigned (it’s certainly easier to read in bright sunlight), but as far as we can tell these are the only improvements made. The Italians are more than capable of designing stunning vehicle interiors, the latest Alfa Romeo cars being a case in point, and it’s a pity that the same flair hasn’t been injected into the Stralis. It’s perfectly competent of course, and does everything it should, but just feels a bit staid, boring and under whelming.