By introducing the 8×4 Quon model now, UD is arriving in a market in which it has not competed before with a fully formed truck with a lot of potential customers’ boxes ticked from the outset. The safety and telematics packages which comes as standard on all product emanating from the Volvo Group means this truck is at the leading edge of the kind of high tech being introduced into Australia’s truck fleets.
The UD Quon 8×4 will be available in three different models, the two models with the 11 litre engine are in the country now, but the eight litre is expected to arrive later in the year. The model nomenclature has CG indicating 8×4 followed by 30 or 32 indicating GCM and 360, 390 or 420 indicating engine power.
The eight litre GH8 engine puts out 357hp (263kW) at 2200rpm and produces 1428Nm (1055 ft lb) of torque at 1200rpm. This engine will be fitted in the lighter model, the CG 30 360, which will be available in three wheelbases, 5700mm, 5200mm and 4500mm. The last of these aimed specifically at the concrete agitator market.
The two models fitted with the 11 litre GH11 engine are the CG 32 390, at 390hp (287kW) at 1600rpm and 1750Nm (1290 ft lb) at 900rpm and the CG 32 420 with 420hp (309kW) on tap as well as 1900Nm (1401 ft lb) of torque at 950rpm. The two larger models are only available in the two longer wheelbases, 5200 and 5700mm.
All of the trucks are available with the Escot-VI AMT, with its Volvo Group, I-shift, M-drive background. The lighter truck with the eight litre engine will also have the Allison 3200 Series fully auto transmission as an option, again aiming squarely at the agitator buyer.
Clearly with the concrete market in mind, the development target for the 4500mm wheelbase CG 30 360 was to come up with a bare chassis cab with a tare of eight tonnes. This gets the truck in the ballpark that the concrete operations are looking for. The chassis is also prepared with an L-shaped bracket enabling it to be fitted with a frameless agitator bowl, in a similar design to that employed on the Mack Metroliner.
The front suspension is a load sharing parabolic twin steer design, with a choice of eight bag air or a leaf suspension on the rear.
Surprisingly, UD has not gone whole heartedly down the integrated seatbelt route. The option is available, but so is the option to have seatbelt fixed to the B-pillar.
The transom window in the passenger door comes as standard on the 8×4 Quon, a safety feature needed for a truck spending a good deal of its time in busy traffic conditions. There is also a window in the side of the cabin behind the B-pillar to enhance visibility and often needed in waste operations.
A tight turning circle is another aspect which is found on many customer wish-lists in the segments this truck is aimed at, and it is provided here.
In this UD Quon 8×4 we see a transitional vehicle as the global structure of UD Trucks transforms over the next few years. According to the current UD team, very little will change from the point of view of the truck buyer. They will still go into a dealership selling Volvo, Mack and UD where all of the brands will be represented.
