There’s enough power under the hood of the Scania P500 to get the job done, with 500 hp available at 1800 rpm and a decent 2650Nm of torque (1955 ft lb) available all the way from 900 rpm to 1320 rpm.

This is the kind of performance which would surprise a driver used to horsepower ratings in the low 400s and having to work hard to manoeuvre a B-double with containers in a tight container yard.

It is also surprising that sitting on a driver’s seat which is set just over 300mm lower than in the higher cabs, that visibility at ground level is so much improved. If there is any disadvantage, then one of them would be that out on the highway on a rainy day, the clearer visibility in the higher cab would come in handy, where the driver is above the spray coming up from vehicles around the truck.

The utility of a truck designed like this, within a fleet which includes a variety of prime movers handling different tasks, is that even if the truck is normally handling relatively small loads over short distances for most of its working life, it would be capable of being able to pick up a loaded B-double set and run it to a changeover in Tarcutta, or something similar, without any major problems.

This smaller cabin still has a reasonably sized bunk which would be adequate for drivers to get a decent rest when required, but if the driver had to live in something like this for a week, they would certainly prefer the larger G or R Series cabin.

Safety Systems

This truck comes with a standard set of safety systems, including electronic stability control, traction control, lane departure warning and blind spot monitoring. The blind spot monitor’s side-mounted radar units are fitted into a neat package as part of the mudguards for the front wheels and effectively monitor both sides of the truck as vehicles or other objects or pedestrians come into that space. On each A pillar there is a small orange light which illuminates if there is something to be concerned about in within the range of that side’s detection system.

There is also a radar in the front bumper, used in association with the forward-looking camera mounted in the windscreen to enable the function of both the adaptive cruise control and the automatic emergency braking.

When driving, the relatively subtle orange warnings lights on the two A pillars are effective and will grab the driver’s attention when they are looking to turn or manoeuvre in a tight delivery situation or in busy city traffic.

There have been plenty of buttons on the Scania steering wheel for quite some time, to go along with the record-breaking number of buttons on top of the door, where not only the windows and mirrors are controlled, but also the vehicle’s lights.

Those steering wheel controls give the driver easy access to normal cruise control functions and the adaptive cruise control, all of which can be seen, when activated, directly in front of the driver.

We will see the current analog display in front of the driver being replaced with a new screen in the next year or so, but the dashboard will look pretty much exactly the same as the current analogue set-up, only on a digital screen. The new digital set up arrives at that point, as it also complies with the new cyber security regulations which come into force next year in Europe.

A Crowded Marketplace

This new model from Scania is aimed at what is already a very crowded marketplace. Virtually all of the truck manufacturers in Australia have a product which will compete in the small urban prime mover sector with power ratings varying from the mid 400s up into the low 500s.

Over the years, for Scania, the R Series models have dominated the sales figures the Swedish brand has been able to achieve. Now, Scania is extending its reach and joining the other European brands in trying to ensure that it has a truck portfolio which includes vehicles specifically targeted into new sectors, previously dominated by lower specced vehicles.

The advent of higher demands both from truck buyers but also their customers for a higher level of safety systems on board in the truck, alongside the ‘CLOCS’ initiative which is already in place for trucks working on major infrastructure products both in Melbourne and Sydney, means that operators are looking towards brands like Scania and the other Europeans in order to meet their requirements.

The introduction of models like the 500 P and the development of the Scania brand over the last 10 years or so has enabled Scania to move from a specialist heavy duty prime mover supplier running at about four per cent of the heavy duty truck market, to the position where it is now, regularly, surpassing eight per cent of the heavy duty segment in Australia.

This engine specification is available across the P Series models from a 4×2, 6×4 or 8×4 prime mover to 6×2, 8×4 or 8×2 rigid, if required. In fact, for Scania, the Australian truck market becomes a more level playing field when it comes to twin steer. Euro 6 doesn’t come without penalties, and one of those is added mass from the new emission systems and a lot of this sits over the steer axle.

 

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