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 The Truck I work on.The Iveco Stralis 450

The Iveco Stralis is one of the most fuel efficient and cost efficient trucks in the 44 tones segment. The Stralis offers a wide range of models and can carry out many missions thanks to its versatile character.

The Iveco Stralis range includes 3 engines (by 8, 10 and 13 litres), 3 cabins (Active Day, Active Time, Active Space) and 3 heights (short roof, medium roof, and high roof). The AD is the smallest cab configuration while the AS high roof is the biggest and marks Iveco’s entry into the premium ‘big cab’ market, offering one of the most spacious high roof cabs available in the 44 tones segment. The AT (Active Time) model is destined for the single driver missions and fills the niche of medium to long range distribution. The starting price of the Iveco Stralis is 76.000 euro (without VAT) and benefits from a comprehensive two year, unlimited mileage warranty.

Design

The newest generation Stralis received an upgraded design in 2007, penned by Iveco Style Centre. The cabin looks fairly good and imposing, thanks to its “V” shaped frontal grille and the low placed headlight clusters. Moreover, the cabin external lines were also especially designed to give the truck a small coefficient drag, hence the CX was improved with 2 percent over the previous generation.

The side panels are also new and now there is a large compartment under the cabin, on both sides, for an overall stowage of 480 litres. We also like the sloping bottom line of the lateral windows which gives the truck a modern look and offers good side visibility.

Interior

As we mentioned before, the Iveco Stralis is available in three different types of cabin. The Stralis Active Day (AD) is equipped with low roof short cabin, suitable for medium-range which does not require overnight stays. The Stralis Active Time (AT) is used for medium and long distances, national or international, with low or high roof long cabin. The Stralis Active Space (AS) is the top of the range and offers the most spacious cab.

Access inside is made by means of three ergonomically placed steps. The Stralis driver air seats are among the most comfortable in the segment and the driving position is also good offering a great view of the road ahead. Both the driver seat and the steering wheel can be adjusted, so it will be easy to find a proper driving position. We also like the instrument cluster display as it’s easy to read and clear.

Compared with the previous generation, the dash has changed slightly from its semi wrap-around configuration, but is still ergonomic and looks good, despite the cluttered area of buttons and switches.

Unlike other trucks which use moulded interiors, Iveco’s fit and finish is very nicely done without any disturbing squeaks.

All three cabin versions are fairly comfortable and especially the AS model, has acres of space with plenty of room to stand up straight on the low centre engine cover.

The AS’s stave-beds are bigger than the previous ones (746x2020mm for the lower bed, 784x1940 for the upper one) and they are also made of new materials. The upper unit folds flat through 90° against the rear cab wall, while the bottom bed is available in three configurations including single module, three modules, and three modules with built in passenger’s seat.

The standard storage includes two small lockers situated in the overhead console and a small glove box in front of the passenger. However, except for the door pockets there aren’t any immediately handy storage places to put different things.

Engines and performance

Stralis offers a wide range of driveline combinations which include the choice of Cursor 8, Cursor 10 or Cursor 13 engines with power figures ranging from 360hp to 450hp, while the Active Space comes with a 500hp or 560hp Cursor engine delivering 2495Nm of torque. The company uses Selective Catalytic Reduction to meet the Euro 4 and Euro 5 emissions standard for its entire range of engines.

In addition to the engines, there is also a wide range of gearboxes which include the mechanical ZF with 9 or 16 speeds, the automatic Allison and the EuroTronic fully automated with 12 gears.

Gear selection of the automatic transmission is made very easy thanks to the ergonomically placed gear level which is situated on the dash. Drive, neutral and reverse switches are closely located on the dash and are also easy to use. The truck comes without a clutch pedal and you can start the engine by switching the D button, releasing the brake and push the right pedal.

The automatic transmission can be also used in the manual mode by means of a column mounted right stalk which permits you to change the gears. In full automatic mode, changes are smooth and the gear ratios are wisely chosen to make maximum use of the generous power of the Cursor engines and you’ll love the way that this truck deals with road slopes.

Iveco Stralis engine specifications

Ride and handling

The Iveco Stralis can be equipped with several types of suspension, including the full bump air suspensions. Both front and rear axles are equipped with anti-roll bars and shock absorbers while the middle wheels can be lifted using pneumatic assistance. Thankfully the suspension never feels over stressed and offers a pleasant ride.

Whether you are driving in a straight line or on windy roads the Stralis has a good road stance and the light and responsive steering does a good job in dealing with quick lane changes or tight corners. The rear-steering axle makes it more agile than any truck from the market and also gives it an inpressive turning circle.

Iveco is famous for its robust chassis, and Stralis chassis is no exception. The side members, with double bottleneck with U section connected by nailed crossbars, are made with a special type of steel Fe E 490 with high yield level and with thickness between 6.7 mm to 7.7 mm.

All versions come equipped with all-around-disc brakes and ESP and EBS electronic control. Other safety features include Hill Holder, Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane departure Warning system.

Verdict

The previous Stralis needed a lot of time to convince the truckers about its value and not many models broke into the fleets. Luckily, Iveco learned its lessons and the new generation Stralis received a lot of useful upgrades, and won its place among the best trucks in the 44 tones segment. The cabin has anything it needs to offer a comfortable ride and even if the interior design can’t be compared with models like the Mercedes  Actors or Renault Magnum  it’s still very practical, has an ergonomic layout and a good build quality. We especially love the sporty seats which are among the best in the business and the folding upper bed from the Stralis AS High Roof model.

All engines are very efficient and can get the job done thanks to the capable gearboxes which are also up to the task. Another strong point of the Stralis is its sharp steering and given by the innovative rear-steering axle.