Iveco Trakker combines rally-breed pedigree with on- and off-road operating prowess
By Steev Hayes
PHOTOGRAPHY STEEV HAYES / NICK SANTON
Iveco’s ultra-tough, heavy-duty construction chassis sporting a new Euro 6 engine in the shape of Trakker made its CV Show debut at around this time last year. It was displayed alongside its rally-spec big brother, which had not long finished the gruelling Dakar 2014 rally – a 10,000 km race across some of the harshest terrain on planet Earth.
The race is used by Iveco to test its products. “We use this challenging proving ground as the ultimate test to confirm the robustness of our vehicles,” Iveco product director Martin Flach said at the time. “It allows us to put each individual component under extreme stress. This year, we proved once again that the Dakar Rally can be defeated. Each of our four Ivecos which started the race made the finishing line, including three in the top 10.” Now that’s some endorsement of a truck’s durability.
New Ivecos can be differentiated from their older siblings by the new ‘smiley’ face at the front, with upturned grille and stylish new light assemblies making them look less aggressive – important when working in towns and cities where they regularly come into close contact with members of the public.
The Trakker also has another attraction for operators aware of and/or sceptical of the complexities of Euro 6 technology, as Iveco uses what it calls HI-eSCR (high efficiency selective catalytic reduction) rather than the combination of SCR and EGR (exhaust gas recirculation). Iveco claims its system is less complex, but highly efficient. It uses a simplified aftertreatment set-up (without the use of EGR), which reduces overall weight and so increases payload capability. It also offers optimised fuel consumption and greater durability.
Read the rest of this feature in the June 2015 issue of Trucking. Buy the magazine here
