Do you really need that extra 40 hp?
When Volvo announced the introduction of a new 700 hp FH 16 it was done with a lot of pizazz and the campaign to market with new truck talked a lot about the strongest truck in the world. The question must be, is it about having a more powerful truck or is it just about having the number 700 on the badge?
Here in Australia, Volvo have shown us, for the first time, what the new 700 hp FH 16 is going to look like on their display stand at the Brisbane Truck Show. Although simply a static display, showing the latest look of the cab inside and out, the display did catch the eye because of the very large 700 painted on it.
In actual fact, the difference between this and the former high water mark for Volvo, at 660 hp and 3100 N metres of torque, is relatively small as the new model creates just 50 Nm more torque. When the prime mover is pulling an extremely heavy load or a few trailers it is not the horse power the driver feels in the seat of their pants it is the torque and I would defy anyone to pick a 50 Nm difference on an unfamiliar truck.
Yes, 700 hp is nice to have, it may get the job done slightly quicker and may use marginally less fuel. What is nice is to be driving the most powerful truck on the road. It is like anything, it’s great to be one up on your mates. The driver can talk the talk, and now with 700 hp, they can walk the walk, and it is a great feeling.
My suspicion is the decision to go from 660 hp up to 700 hp in the Volvo range was not a decision emanating from the engineering department but, more likely, to have come from and be driven by the global marketing department, who understand these things.
The previous response is correct we need the torque to turn the wheels and after you leave the 400 hp range in our business it is a matter of getting the power to the road. There is no doubt that the 660 or 700 does it very easy but as I have said if you are grossing 400 tonnes on a steep incline the only thing that matters is traction and Volvo combine the hub reduction rear axles with a well designed single point suspension that gives the best traction. Currently we have 3 660 FH 16 motor lorries with a further 2 700 series to arrive within the next couple of months. The only comment I can make is they just keep getting better and as for torque when all 8 drive wheels are slipping on dry road and the weight on the drive is 18.5 tonne the motor is ticking over at 800 rpm and it is a 12 year old 520 what more can you say.
We buy Volvo because they can do the job.