The new S-Way is hoped to be the model which will bring back the Iveco brand, after test driving the model, Tim Giles reckons it is bringing Iveco up to date. The next question is, will it save the brand
It has been a shaky last ten years for the Iveco organisation here in Australia. Coming off a long history in the Australian truck market, as a major player with the International brand and one of the all-time classic Aussie trucks, the Acco, the brand seemed to have an identity crisis, where it wasn’t sure exactly what it stood for.
Now with a new boss and a slimming down of the organisation, including closing the manufacturing plant in Dandenong in the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne, this year has seen a series of model releases, which represents a cleanskin offering in every market segment.
The S-Way was released a few years back in Europe and has been well received. The fact it has taken so long to reach us here illustrates the past issues. The process of adapting a model designed for Europe for production in a factory in Australia, and adapted for Aussie conditions and preferences, was a long and expensive one.
The S-Way which has arrived here is now the latest iteration of the model and the production facility on the outskirts of Madrid in Spain is now geared up to build a model suitable for Australian conditions down its production line.
The technology of the modern diesel engine has caught up with us and the latest generation of European truck engines have been designed for, and have proven capable of living with Australian road conditions. These improvements have seen European brands gain market share as fuel consumption has moved to the top of the list for truck buyers.
Another side effect of this drive for low fuel consumption has seen the European manufacturers specifying 13 litre engines more and more into the heavier B-double type freight tasks and operators achieving the kind of durability they are looking for.
This trend means that the new S-Way is being introduced to a market which is looking for a product with specifications very like those the S-Way has to offer. Iveco don’t offer an engine over 13 litres and it does have the kind of cabin and level of sophistication in electronics which are on just about everybody’s shopping list.
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