Technical Editor Matt Wood got behind the wheel of the Freightliner Coronado 114 to see how the Detroit-powered truck handled
By Matt Wood | June 5, 2013
The Freightliner Coronado 114 has been in the Australian market since the beginning of 2013.
The set-forward steer axle prime mover slated to fill the shoes of the now departed Sterling brand within the Daimler stable appears to have the specifications on paper to do not only that but possibly even more.
The snub nosed, short bumper to back of cab (BBC) 114 gives the Coronado the edge over its longer 122 stable mate for bridge formula configurations such as tipper and quad dog and 19 metre B-double applications.
However, 26m/34 pallet combinations and even road train roles are all still within the grasp of the pocket-sized hero truck.
I recently took the Coronado 114 for a drive down to Victoria’s Latrobe Valley and up through the supposedly haunted hills of the Gippsland region and back to Melbourne to see how the exclusively Detroit powered 114 handled.
The drive took in not only smooth freeway running but also plenty of rough single lane country highways and plenty of hills.
As a 34 pallet B-double the truck performed well and as with the larger 122 model, the twin steering boxes out front provided great road holding and handling characteristics.
The star of the show was the Detroit DD15 engine backed by an 18 speed Eaton Road Ranger manual transmission.
Some operators have reported early fuel consumption issues with the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) Detroit engine but the main competition, Cummins’s ISX EGR, simply cannot match the driveability and performance of the DD15.
While much improved, the interior of the Coronado showed Freightliner still has a way to go in addressing the squeaking plastics that have plagued the brand since the arrival of the first Argosy and Century class trucks in the late 1990s.
Check out upcoming editions of ATN or Owner//Driver for an in-depth run down of the drive.