With the Brisbane Truck Show upon us, the 2025 Truck of the Year Australasia is set to be announced.
Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Scania and FAW are competing for the right to have their truck named as Australasia’s best and to take over the crown from last year’s winning Western Star X Series.
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Now in its third year, the Truck of the Year Australasia (ToYA) Award was launched in 2023 as an adjunct to the International Truck of the Year Award that has operated in Europe since 1976.
The first accolade went to the Kenworth K220 (2023), which was also announced at the Brisbane Truck Show that same year, with the Western Star X Series picking up the gong the following year.
Like their European counterpart, the ToYA award is judged by an independent jury of trucking journalists, including representatives from Australia and New Zealand, with trucks required to meet a number of key criteria to be considered.
Former PowerTorque editor and now technical editor Tim Giles will continue his role as one of the panel’s judges.
To be considered for Truck of the Year Australasia, a truck had to be available for sale in both New Zealand and Australia before December 31, 2024.
The judges are looking for the truck which makes the best contribution to the standards of safety and efficiency of freight transport by road in Australia.
It has to represent a big step forward in the market, not just a face lift of an existing model.
This year’s finalists are Mercedes-Benz’s eActros, FAW’s JT6 550, Scania’s 500P Super and Volvo’s FH17 780 model.
Mercedes-Benz eActros
The first electric prime mover to enter the Australasian market with an e-axle, the Mercedes-Benz eActros is one step ahead of its competitors in this space.
The e-axle uses two integrated liquid cooled electric motors and an inbuilt two speed transmission and it’s the first time it has been available in Australia.
Other electric trucks on the market use an electric motor in place of the diesel engine and it sits front of the diesel-powered model’s standard transmission in the engine bay.
The quiet operation of the truck’s electric powertrain makes it ideal for back to base deliveries around metropolitan areas in particular tackling tasks such as bulk grocery deliveries from distribution centres to supermarkets.
With a range of 200km the truck tested as part of this year’s judging process had a payload ability of around 16.5 tonne.
It represents a major first step on the road to decarbonisation and the opportunity for operators making use of the trucks to tout the green credentials of their corporate customers on their trailers.
FAW JH6 550
The first entry into the Australian market by Chinese manufacturer FAW arrived with a 550hp engine, primed to tackle the long-haul freight task.
Described as the biggest truck brand most people have never heard of, First Automotive Works (FAW) makes everything from cars to heavy vehicles and sells its trucks in China under the Jiefang brand.
The first JH6 prime movers to arrive here were Euro 5 and the models are now transitioning to Euro 6.
The truck offers a 13L engine rated at either 500hp or 550hp with 2300Nm or 2600Nm of torque, tied to a 12-speed ZF AMT transmission.
There is talk of a Cummins engine option up to 15 litres and the addition of Eaton and Allison transmission options as part of the future manufacturing program.
Having been imported from China the truck entered the Australian market at a very competitive price which could well appeal to a range of fleet operators looking to save money.
Scania 500P Super
Innovation in cooling technology in Scania’s Super engine models has opened the door for a 500hp version of the P series model offered by the Swedish giant.
The cab set up on the P series sees it sitting lower to the ground than the R and G Series prime movers by Scania, making it popular around town because of its improved visibility when moving freight around in busy and confined spaces.
Adding the Super engine to the P series offers truck buyers in Australia the chance to have a truck model that is well loved for its ability to operate in tight yards and urban environments, but also now more than capable of grabbing a trailer and comfortably tackling an interstate trip if required.
The Super engine is also more fuel efficient that its predecessor, adding another tick in the positive side of the ledger for potential future owners of the truck.
Volvo FH16 780
With 780hp available under the accelerator pedal this truck serves up the most powerful production engine on the Australasian heavy vehicle market right now.
Married to the latest iteration of the I-shift technology the electronic integration between the transmission and engine is such that its gear changes have been described as “imperceptible and very quick”.
The D17 engine in this truck has a cubic capacity of 17.3 litres and achieves 780hp at 1,700rpm.
On the safety front, the Volvo Pilot Assist offered as part of the Volvo Dynamic Steering Package adds another level of driver safety, using a windscreen mounted camera and advanced technology linked to the steering wheel to help keep the truck in the perfect position on the road.
Active Cruise Control, Autonomous Emergency Braking and Volvo’s Camera Monitoring System are further safety measures built into the truck, making the most of available technology to provide drivers with clear views all around their vehicle.
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