Driven: the Iveco S-Way
The new Iveco S-Way will come to South Africa next year. Paul White, a contributor to Fleet Transport, Ireland’s leading commercial vehicle magazine, has already spent time behind the wheel. Lockdown means we cannot do the same – but White has very kindly agreed to share his driving impressions with us.
Introducing the S-Way
The new S-Way is produced by Italian commercial vehicle manufacturer Iveco, and it was launched in Madrid, Spain, back in 2019. It replaced the Stralis, which we still have in South Africa. Iveco South Africa is wisely acting with great caution before launching the S-Way here; test units are arriving this year. They will be put through their paces in order to determine the best engine mapping for South Africa before the company orders launch stock. This means that we will only get the new S-Way next year – probably in quarter one.
The truck in a nutshell
The S-Way is Iveco’s long-haul truck. While it has lots of commendable features, it’s worth mentioning that it boasts a brand-new cab, outstanding fuel efficiency and advanced technology. It is also a 100% connected truck, which opens a new era in fleet management and on-board living. Its advanced connectivity ensures that drivers are always in contact with their fleet managers, Iveco support specialists and the Iveco dealer network.
“While the Italian manufacturer may have seemed somewhat quiet in recent times, Iveco has been investing heavily in the future of its products and is now on a path ready to tackle the ever-changing transport landscape on several fronts, and its new S-Way shines a light in one direction being taken,” notes White.
Exterior
While beauty is in the eye of the beholder and is always subjective, White believes that Iveco’s new flagship is arguably the best-looking truck on the road. “It’s a truck any driver would be proud to be seen in, especially in the striking metallic blue of the test unit, a colour which changed with the light throughout the day,” he reveals.
White says it’s important to note that the stylish exterior is not simply there to look good, as the design includes some significant aerodynamic enhancements that can reduce drag by up to 12%, which Iveco designers and engineers say delivers up to 4% in fuel savings. Other enhancements include new daytime running lights and cornering lights and a large step that folds out from the front grille.
When designing a new cab, vehicle manufacturers rarely select the radical option. Instead, they opt to play safe, and this often results in a new model with differences that are hardly noticeable versus the truck’s predecessor. Iveco didn’t do this – and White salutes this move. “With S-Way, Iveco should be congratulated as the new design has all but eliminated the outgoing Stralis from the mind. The result is that it's now the S-Way’s profile that is visualised once the Iveco name is mentioned. It is noteworthy that we have yet to hear anyone criticise the styling and design of S-Way, which is in itself a major compliment,” he notes.
Interior
While the new exterior of the S-Way has been widely lauded, the same cannot be said of the interior – with many truck journalists saying that Iveco could have paid more attention to this area. White concurs – but he says it’s not the end of the world. “Once climbing the steps to get inside, I noticed that the S-Way’s interior design had not changed a great deal when compared to the outgoing Stralis – disappointing to some. However, the Stralis always had a spacious cab that delivered well for the driver in terms of living space, storage and comfort, and S-Way further improves on those aspects. Interior trim materials and design are much improved as is the build quality and finish. S-Way features a 2,150 mm standing height, with three sturdy high-capacity overhead lockers (one of which included a microwave in the vehicle tested),” he says.
Additional storage throughout the cab is practical and well thought out and includes the provision of four good-sized external lockers, two on each side. “Practical living is helped with a selection of under-bunk fridge/freezer combinations and an integrated pull-out table and a rotating seat on the passenger side. Life on the road is also easier with a choice of interior LED light settings, USB and power ports, plus a control panel at the rear wall and importantly a ‘Safety Lock’ door security device. Also improved is the multifunction steering wheel and easy to use 7” infotainment system. These are just a few of the many small improvements that when combined give the Iveco S-Way a level of specification to match any equivalent offering from other OEMs,” White explains.
He believes that the Stralis already had one of the best driving positions around – and this aspect has been further improved in the move to S-Way. “The only item we would like to see changed is the floor-mounted switch for adjusting the steering column, this should be a dash or column mounted control at this stage. Visibility is improved with a redesigned mirror arrangement though we would expect these replaced with a camera system in the future as is the trend in the industry,” says White.
Drivetrain
The test truck that White drove was equipped with the 12.9-litre in-line six-cylinder Cursor-13 engine, with maximum power of 375 kW/510 hp. Rated torque is 2,300 Nm from 950 to 1,560 rpm. (We don’t know what engines we will get in South Africa yet; the engine in the test truck was Euro 6D, which we probably won’t see for ages.) In general, White rates these engines very highly. “Iveco’s Cursor engines, manufactured by sister company Fiat Powertrain Technologies, are well-proven units with extended servicing schedules that contribute greatly to Iveco claiming to have the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) on the market,” he explains.
But what impressed him most with the test truck was the minimal amount of noise. “It is probably the quietest truck on the road. This is especially true when driving on cruise control at 85 km/h with the tachometer sitting at 1,100 rpm. The truck is as such silent, apart from some slight wind noise. With the truck delivering its 2,300 Nm of torque from a low 950 rpm to 1,560 rpm – 1,100 rpm is well placed to deliver optimum efficiencies. On the longer hills, the 12.9 litre will pull down to around 900 rpm and be comfortable doing so, as ratio selection is competently managed by Iveco’s GPS-based predictive cruise control system called ‘Hi-Cruise’,” White explains.
Transmission
White was super impressed with the smoothness of the gear selection. “Iveco’s 12-speed Hi-Tronix automated manual transmission (AMT) is based on ZF’s TraXon and is in reality flawless. Iveco’s Hi-Tronix matches the ZF transmission exceptionally well to the well-proven Cursor-13 engine, and power transfer to the road wheels is very smooth,” he maintains.
Safety
In addition to normal features such as an electronic braking system with a Brake Assistant, an Electronic Stability Program, Lane Departure Warning System and Adaptive Cruise Control, the S-Way has greatly improved all-round visibility and a reinforced ECE R29.03 cab crash compliant structure. The lights have a sharper beam that carries further, improving visibility. And Iveco claims a 15% reduction in braking distance with the S-Way.
White certainly was impressed with the brakes. “The braking was balanced and even throughout the drive; although the brake pedal did take a little more pressing than you might first expect. However, once used to the amount of travel this was never an issue. This was especially true when most of the braking was performed by using the S-Way’s powerful 5-stage hydraulic retarder,” he reports.
Verdict
Having spent time behind the wheel, White believes that the new Iveco S-Way will meet the operators’ needs as it is a good business proposal. “The truck has a solid driveline, the lowest TCO on the market and a valuable extended warranty offer. In addition, and lest we forget, it does look extremely good,” he concludes.
We look forward to seeing it on South African roads next year!
Photography by Paul White - Fleet Transport – and Iveco
