Welcome to the relaunch of the Western Star X-Series. I shouldn’t say ‘relaunch’ I guess. It sounds like it’s kind of a do-over event. It insinuates the 2022 launch of the X-Series didn’t count.
Truth is, when Penske Australia unveiled their stunning new X-Series back in 2022 it was in the middle of a Covid crisis and a truck drought. It was great to unveil the new product, but like every other manufacturer the supplies were very limited.
Hence this is more of a ‘We’ve got the stock; customers have been using the stock and the feedback and results have been awesome’ launch. But that’s just too much of a mouthful, even for me.
The truth is I think the team at Penske, from the top to the bottom, are just so excited about their new product they wanted to take a day and show it off. I got an invite and the opportunity to climb in and out of the entire X-Series range and there was no way I was turning that down. Especially when I found out we would be test driving the X-Series in real world conditions.
Penske opted to load up several trailer configurations and let us loose on actual roads. Amongst actual limited ability Queensland drivers. Real life testing. You will learn further on in my breakdown of the X-Series that I took up an offer to do a little more than just a couple of days cruising the Warrego Highway, with a salesman chewing my ear off.
I got the opportunity to take one of the X-Series’ flagships, a 49X with 72’ sleeper, and work it for a week, hooking up a train and heading to Perth. I formed a lot of opinions during the Penske drive day, but the real-world workings of the new X-Series — that week on the road was a lot more informative. More on that soon.
First things first. The X-Series is a whole new truck for Western Star, and its parent company Daimler Trucks North America. Daimler Trucks North America also have Detroit, Freightliner and Thomas Built as feathers in their bow. It’s a bloody big company with a long history in building trucks. The X-Series is a much needed, newly redesigned, ground-up, standalone truck.
Replacing an iconic series like the Western Star Constellations was always going to be a big task but the engineers and designers over in Portland went all out in making sure they worked out the best way to build a state-of-the-art truck, with all the current and foreseeable safety regulations included, as well as finding a way to ensure it carries the Western Star reputation for toughness and reliability.
Obviously with a parent company like Daimler Trucks the engineers will use all the experience and ideas on hand. When they first set out with the X-Series they took one of the cabs from within the Daimler umbrella and used that as a template. Hence if the shape looks familiar, that’s why.
They took that cab and basically thrashed it at their state-of-the-art testing facility in Madras. They found out where and when the cabs reached their limits and proceeded to work out ways to strengthen them.
The same kind of rigorous testing went into every facet of the new X-Series, to look at not just the durability during the truck’s first life, but its second life as well.
One of the big improvements that got tested both at Daimler’s North American Madras testing arena, and over here in Australia on several demo models, was the whole new chassis rail components. Western Star have found a way to skip the need for twin rail chassis, but still get their ratings up into the triple figures.
It’s not just the rail thickness that has changed with the X-Series. A huge change is the move to splayed front chassis rails. This has allowed Western Star to move to an engine mounted cooling system.
Previously the radiator was mounted to the chassis rails which meant it was subject to a lot more twisting and flexing. It was at the will of the chassis. Now, with it mounted to the engine, there is less pressure put on the system and less chance of damage.
Western Star have also solved one of the age-old curses of a bonneted truck by introducing something called an Isotech Bonnet Mounting System. There are big engineering words that can describe it, but basically, it’s a suspension system for your bonnet mount. The bonnet is still chassis mounted, but with wider chassis mounting points.
With this system, you are not sitting in the truck watching the bonnet bounce and flex like an episode of Dancing with the Stars. Add in the move to a resin bonnet over fibreglass and you have a lighter stronger bonnet that doesn’t bounce with every pothole.
Western Star haven’t just come out with one new truck, it is ‘The X-Series’ for a reason. They’ve got a truck to fit into every market.
You have the 47X, which can come with either the Detroit DD13 or the smaller Cummins L9. With its shorter nose and set back axle it’s a perfect multi-functional truck. The eight-wheeler version I tried would make a perfect tipper or Agi.
Then you have the 48X. These are the Australasian-only X-Series truck. Designed with a set forward front axle and able to fit either the DD13 or the DD16. The 48X is basically perfect for any role, with a BBC number that ensures you can comfortably get a 26m B-double behind it.
Finally, there’s the big girl, The 49X. It can come equipped with Western Star’s biggest bunk, the 72” stratosphere.
There are going to be many Western Star affiliates that want to cling to the tried-and-true Constellation series, and I, for one, am a fan of living in the past — just check out my wardrobe.
Truth is though, government regulations, safety requirements and all that other BS that we don’t understand has major implications when it comes to trucks. Western Star needed to revamp their line up and, on paper, the new X-Series ticks all the boxes.
There’s an improved cooling package to help the trucks handle the Aussie heat. Increased strength in every area, with less weight in many key areas and most importantly, the designers have retained the staunchness that comes with the big shiny Western Star grill — albeit a little more modern version.
Yes, there have been some small sacrifices. I am referring to the fact that in keeping with having arguably the widest and most driver-orientated cabin, they’ve lost the ability to add stacks to the side of the new X-Series. Even when Australia goes to 2.55m, it’ll be a no go. Fingers crossed for 2.6m like the Americans.
That’s enough regurgitating the sales brochure though, we need to look at how these Stars go. On the Penske drive day, there was a lolly scramble of trucks to test. Knowing that I would be crossing the paddock in the 49X, I opted to check out the 47X, which was an 8×4 cab chassis and the 48X with 26m B-double.
Firstly, I have to commend Western Star for their ‘extreme insulation’ package that is standard in all X-Series. I commend them because it brings an almost European level of quietness and comfort to all the trucks. You do have to put a little more effort in to closing the doors with their triple rubber seals, but we all need a good work out.
Western Star has stepped up its game with the quality of the interior as well. If that overhead console wasn’t flexing with me hanging off it, there’s nothing the Bruce Highway can do to them. Also, kudos for the new air vents, they look like they aren’t breaking either. If you’ve had a Star, you know what I mean.
As far as performance and ride went, the Warrego and Cunningham Highway are a good starting point for assessing trucks and both the 47X and 48X felt extremely comfortable to drive. As a cab chassis it’s hard to assess how well the DD13 went in the 47X but the DD16 in the 48X was like a dream.
I spent a fair bit of time letting the revs drop just to see how well the new motor would pull and was a little bit excited when it didn’t just hold on up the hill but would actually start pulling when the road was still rising.
Drive days are educational, but they are different to a working day, so I am extremely thankful to Land Transport for handing me the keys to one of their new 49Xs, with the 72” bunk and pointing me to Perth. It gave me the opportunity to try out the truck a bit more personally.
Looking first at living in the truck, it would easily get a five-star rating as an Air BnB. The sleeper is huge and, depending on how you set it up, it’s enough for a four-up team if needed. What I loved was even whilst driving on the roughest roads you weren’t hearing stuff creaking or rattling in the back.
As far as the cab itself, I had to ring a Penske salesman just to check if the interior dimensions were larger in the 49X. Apparently not. Like the Stars of old there is still a massive amount of space inside.
When it comes to the performance of the DD16, it is a bit early to say. When I hooked up the road train the engine only had around 1,500km on it, so barely out of diapers yet. I hit the Toowoomba bypass and thought maybe I had picked up an extra trailer as the engine seemed to die off pretty quick.
However, I dropped a couple of gears (running a manual box in this one by the way) and all of a sudden it was like the Detroit woke up and realised ‘oh yea, it’s my job to pull this’. From that moment it just held on. Any slight ease in elevation and it was like the final stretch at Flemington. It would just rear up and dig in. I almost contemplated changing up at the peak of the range just to test the Detroit out.
Over the course of the 4,500km journey the Detroit seemed to grow into itself. By the time I was navigating the Wongon Hills in WA, it felt like I only had a single on behind me. Fuel-wise the truck was exactly what you would expect from a fresh truck with a road train, averaging around 1.47-1.55.
AdBlue though, that’s a different story. With a 200l tank on I reckon I could have made Perth and back without fuelling it. I seriously thought the gauge was broken the first day or so.
What I did particularly love about the 49X was how easy it was to drive. Land Transport have specced theirs out with the dual steering boxes and it was magic. It gave the truck a very light responsive feel without feeling like you were floating all over the road.
I appreciate the longer wheelbase on my test truck played a huge part in it handling the rough roads with such grace, but the design of the new X-Series is going to ensure that wheelbase isn’t everything.
Whilst it’s not going to be a deciding factor for many, I also want to comment on how easy this new truck is to clean. As a driver and truck nut it actually makes a difference when you’re not trying to squeeze the sponge in weird aerodynamic areas or cutting your fingers on harsh grills and steps.
The WA weather meant I had several wash sessions and found the 49X pretty easy to keep tidy. The 72” stratosphere bunk would have been easier if I was an NBA player, but that’s life.
If you weren’t already aware, the Western Star X-Series rightfully received the 2024 Australasian Truck of the Year Award and after a week behind the wheel I can see why. So much innovation and forethought has gone into these new Western Stars, whilst still maintaining the solid, tough reliability that has made them such a fan favourite.
I’m looking forward to my next trip across the paddock that’s for sure.
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