Now that the Christmas rush is firmly in our rear-view mirrors, I am finally getting a chance to put a few words together about an extremely enlightening experience I had in the lead up to that latest silly season. While everyone else was barging around the shopping centres and gulping down beer-flavoured eggnog, I was invited down to Sydney to bear witness to the latest in state-of-the-art transportation — the Australian debut of Volvo’s flagship FH Aero.
If you are a European transport news follower, then the Volvo Aero won’t be a new concept to you – it has been kicking goals and setting new benchmarks on the other side of the planet since it was first unveiled early in 2024. However, if your social media threads are predominantly southern hemisphere heavy, filled with reels of kangaroos fighting or HQ Utes doing gender reveal burnouts, then there is a chance that Volvo’s most fuel-efficient state-of-the-art truck has not crossed your path yet. If so, then this test drive is for you.
Having already seen a bit about the new Aero, I was champing at the bit when I got the call from Matt Wood, the point man on all things Volvo, and offered the keys to the first FH Aero to land down under.
“How would you like to try it out, come and take it for a run along the Pacific Highway?” Matt said.
Although the idea of cruising the Sydney to Brisbane M1 did not appeal, nor did the idea of finally driving a truck with no external mirrors, at least I knew I would be comfortable. I mean it’s a Volvo, that’s what they do.
The Volvo Aero is an evolution rather than a revolution.
It came about when the European Union decided to relax truck length laws for any vehicle offering substantial fuel saving and aerodynamic advantages.
Those normally restricted to say 19m overall, suddenly could go longer if there was significant fuel and efficiency savings. The practical side of this is many drivers overseas can now legally run Volvo’s XXLs if they have the Aero Cab.
There is a raft of design and engineering changes between a standard FH Volvo and the Volvo Aero, the most obvious one is cosmetic.
Everyone is going to have an opinion on looks, that’s the joy of it. To me, the Volvo Aero appears like the PIXAR people were looking for the next star of the CARS movie series. It’s smooth, futuristic and streamlined. It looks like it could cut through a field of butter and slide out the other side without a dollop of residue sticking to its silky sides. And if you’ve seen any PIXAR movie, you can now see it, the Volvo Aero looks like their next great superhero. If you could dress a truck in a suit and tie to fight crime, that would be the Volvo Aero.
MORE OWNERDRIVER TRENDING STORIES:
- Don Watson Group announces shock closure
- TOTM: Jamesy’s special milestone Mack
- Major NSW highways remain closed due to flooding
- Transport for NSW justifies budget blowout on Dubbo safety station
- Slow burn – inside the ongoing HVNL review
The biggest of the cosmetic modifications on the new Aero is the 235mm extended front end. Looking front on, it is not easy to identify, but step around to the side view and the aerodynamic slope of the Volvo’s front facade is highly evident. The removal of the regular mirrors, replaced by Volvo’s recently released Camera Monitor System, is the other obvious alteration on the Aero model. Although, to be honest, the windswept look of the set-up almost means you don’t notice the lack of mirrors until someone breaks that glass for you. There are many other subtle changes to the front and side panellings, like the lowering of the Volvo badging and smoothing out of the front facade, but they are all so seamless it really is kind of hard to put your finger on every single one.
It isn’t just the designer outfit that these new Volvos are sporting that make them so cutting edge, it’s what’s under the covers that is leading to some impressive fuel consumption numbers.
When they start rolling out here in Australia, you will be able to spec these Aeros in several configurations: the Aero Electric, the 17L 600hp engine or the 17L 700hp version and the fuel saving mac-daddy of them all, the Aero I-Save with the latest Euro 6 turbo compound 13L 500hp engine. That was the guinea pig I had the electronic keys to.
I should specify here, the Volvo D13TC engine isn’t a new engine, it is just newer to us antipodeans than the rest of the world. Even the idea of a turbo compound engine isn’t a new premise – Volvo and many other manufacturers have dabbled in this idea before. The dumbed-down explanation for non-mechanics like me comes directly from Matt himself: “You’ve got the turbo charger feeding fuel and air into the engine, then in the exhaust flow there’s another turbine housing with a rotor in it. The exhaust flow spins that rotor, which then transfers that power to a gear set that goes directly to the crankshaft.”
It’s a very simplified explanation for a system that Volvo has been trying to perfect for years. This latest incarnation is knocking it out of the park, it is a 13L 500hp engine that is almost matching the torque output of Volvos 16L 600hp engine. 2800NM vs 2880NM.
While the exterior and the engine are the two most obvious factors when it comes to these new Aero Volvos, there are other factors, especially when it comes to the I-Save model, worth noting — like the implementation of an overdrive gearbox in the 13L TC instead of the direct drive box that sits with the standard 13L 540hp engine. This change sees the 500hp mighty mouse motor chugging along at a fuel saving 1200rpm when it’s on the highway.
There is also so much technology packed into these trucks it is getting unbelievable. The Aeros are fitted with Volvo’s state-of-the-art adaptive cruise control, which you can turn on in crawling city traffic and it will even bring you to a complete halt. I never tested that out though, I think you need to have a certain level of faith in technology to do it, which I haven’t reached yet. It was also pointed out if I left the cruise control on, when the traffic starts moving again the Volvo will just tuck in behind. I can vouch for that test.
The cruise control, however, is not even the smartest part of these trucks, as Matt exclaimed: “This truck has the pilot assist program, it’s basically a Level 2 autonomous truck.”
Again, for those not aware of how advanced Volvo has come with its trucks, the pilot assist is a standard feature on any truck with Volvo’s electric steering system. Basically, the cameras in the mirror cams are used to read the road and the system is able to actively steer the truck.
The pilot assist is not a permanently active system; you turn it on or off yourself and the truck will also tell you if there is not enough data to use the system. It is a very smart set up and if I had more faith in technology I would have given it a thorough test, the best I could do was relax my grip on the wheel and see how the Volvo reacted. Suffice to say it guided me around the sweeping left-hander rather accurately.
Where this system could be a real life safer, literally, is when there is an issue with the driver. The pilot assist program requires the driver to continually have hands on the wheel – you can’t go make a cuppa and leave it to do the work. If the truck doesn’t sense hands on the wheel, it will flash warnings and then it will bring the truck to a halt on the side of the road and engage the hazard lights.
Let’s get on to the actual test drive itself and most importantly come face-to-face with my biggest apprehension on this experience — cameras instead of mirrors.
Pulling out of the Volvo workshop, my first real taste of the camera mirrors was awkward to say the least.
Matt laughed as, out of habit, I leaned forward to track the rear of the B-double coming out the gate — only to realise that unlike standard mirrors, I can’t lean forward for a different view. They are cameras.
Once we were up to speed, the cameras panned and followed the rear set. If we jump ahead to the end of the journey, my view on camera mirrors had changed significantly. You do get used to having them inside the cab and the habit of looking outside as you are travelling diminishes.
They win big points in bad weather. Road spray, contrasting light, all that kind of hinderance is taken away with these mirrors. I reckon a couple of hours into the journey I was beginning to really appreciate their clarity. I only had one opportunity to back the B-double up and that did feel weird. Think of the feeling you get walking on an escalator that isn’t moving – something feels off, you just don’t know what. Although I am sure more time in reverse would put paid to that.
With that addressed, we can look at the rest of the experience. Those already familiar with the Volvo product know what to expect in terms of comfort and quietness. With the new Aero, those expectations have been exceeded, in a big way. The standard Volvo insulation creates a cone of silence for the driver, but add in all the aerodynamic additions and the subtraction of the mirrors and the Volvo Aero is dangerously quiet.
It is great when you are undertaking an interview, but thankfully the upgraded Volvo entertainment system is there to make up for the lack of noise when you are on your own.
Performance is another factor that can be deceiving in the Volvo Aero. The pulling power of the 13L TC is beyond reproach for a 500hp motor and, coupled with the latest I-shift program, the changes and gear selection make the whole experience seamless. I use the word deceiving because with the quietness and comfort coupled to the smarts you never really get a sense of how much work the truck is actually doing. It is only when you hit the pinch of the Mooney Mooney jump up and pull out to pass another truck that you notice the revs are sitting at just over 1000rpm and the Volvo’s torque isn’t feeling or sounding at all stressed.
Like most modern trucks, the Volvo is absolutely packed with safety features, we all expect that now – lane departure, front detection, all that kind of stuff. Where I applaud the Volvo gurus is in their warning systems. The Aero is almost like a polite British butler when it comes to notifying you. Try to change lanes with a car in your blind spot and the Aero will give you a calming alert, like ‘sorry to disturb you sir, I don’t recommend that as there is a car in your blind spot, would you mind if I just held us in this lane for a bit’ as opposed to many which have more of a ‘OIIIII YOU CAN’T CHANGE LANES THERE’S A BLOODY CAR THERE!’. You still get the help but no ear-piercing warnings or harsh steering correction.
By the end of our 12-hour trip, I was feeling exactly like you would expect from a 12-hour trip in a Volvo – comfortable and relaxed, ready to go again. Those aren’t new feelings for a Volvo driver. Drivers may appreciate hearing their audiobooks a little easier, or they may appreciate less strain on their eyes from the clarity of the mirror system, but I think the biggest benefits of the Volvo Aero are going to be seen on the spreadsheets and costings charts in the office.
Exact fuel savings are not something you can forecast in our trucking arena, there are too many factors to consider. Trailers, roads, loads and drivers will all play a part. But Volvo test thoroughly and is happy to be claiming the new 13L TC is showing savings of up to 14 per cent over standard 13L motors. The white suited wizards who tested the new Aero cab are adding a five per cent fuel saving over standard cabs. Those are big numbers and, in fleet situations, that will amount to a lot of savings.
When you factor in the reported fuel savings, plus all the new technology that aids the repair and maintenance of the new Aeros, along with the comfort and assistance provided for drivers, it looks like the new Aeros will be a great addition to many fleets in Australia once they start rolling out of the Wacol factory.
Subscribe to the weekly Owner//Driver newsletter here.