The Volvo FH16 has a reputation for balancing power and comfort in long-haul transport. Does it deliver on this claim? We took it for a spin.
Introducing the Volvo FH16 610 HP
The FH16 is the flagship model produced by Volvo Trucks, which is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks, buses, construction equipment, and marine and industrial engines. The company is based in Gothenburg, Sweden, and it sells trucks to customers in more than 130 countries.
In 2021, Volvo Trucks delivered approximately 123,000 trucks and it assembles trucks in 13 countries across the globe, including South Africa. The local KD (knocked down) plant is located in Durban, and it receives kits from the mother plant in Sweden-Tuve, which are then assembled locally. The trucks assembled in Durban are destined for customers in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Botswana. Volvo assembles the whole range of Euro 3 and Euro 5 Volvo extra-heavy trucks in its local plant. This includes FH16, FH, FM and FMX. Thus, our test truck was also “Proudly South African”!
The truck in a nutshell
The ultimate truck for long-haul applications, the FH16 that we drove was a 6×4 truck tractor with rear air suspension. It’s right at home on the highway, but it’s not averse to rough road conditions either. It doesn’t twitch at operating in ambient temperatures down to ‑15°C or up to +40°C – and it’s good for a gross combination weight of up to 100 tonnes.
Exterior
The truck is tall – 4.3 metres high to be exact – because it is equipped with the FH16 Globetrotter XL sleeper cab and it boasts those gorgeous V-shaped day running lights (LEDs), which are supplemented by front fog lamps. It has two roof-mounted single-tone chromed air horns, which are operated by steering wheel buttons. There are handy storage compartments under the cab (on both the left and right). On the right of the truck, you can spot a 690-litre aluminium 710 mm high D-shaped diesel tank while there’s a 405-litre tank on the left. The diesel and AdBlue tank caps can be locked (which is super important in South Africa).
Interior
The interior is nothing short of stunning; it is both beautiful and comfortable. We’ve encountered less comfortable beds in some five-star hotels; FH16 drivers definitely sleep well. I’m told that the lower bunk is specifically designed for drivers weighing over 100 kg.
There is a super handy control panel that the driver can operate while lying down. It controls features such as the interior light, park heat/cool, hatch, lock, alarm clock, windows and audio. The red (night) light is especially soothing.
As can be expected from a flagship model, there’s oodles of high-end leather all over the cab; even the instep grab handle is covered in leather. The seats are super comfortable, and the leather-covered armrests (two on both the driver and passenger seats) are very nice to have. I loved the bright orange leather inserts; they are funky yet elegant.
There is a huge amount of storage space. The 440 mm high rear cab upper storage units, which accommodate a whopping 245 litres, are especially handy. There’s also a practical 33-litre refrigerator mounted under the lower bunk.
There are two (driver and passenger side) reading lamps with flexible arms and LED lamps fitted on the side walls and there’s also a vanity mirror in front – so a female driver can check her lipstick. (We suppose male drivers can do this too if it’s their thing.)
Drivetrain
The FH16 that we tested is powered by a Euro 3 16.1 litre engine with a massive output of 610 hp and maximum torque of 2800 Nm. Needless to say, the engine is more than equipped to the job at hand. The truck has rear air suspension (two axles, both driven) and a wheelbase of 3200 mm. It is equipped with the Volvo Engine Brake, VEB+ (a high-efficiency compression brake with an exhaust pressure governor) and a rear single reduction tandem axle (bogie load 23 tonnes, GCW 100 tonnes). The rear axle ratio is 4.11.
Transmission
It is equipped with the magnificent I-Shift automated mechanical 12-speed overdrive gearbox, which includes one crawler gear. Honestly, this gearbox does a job that is nothing short of superb. It means that a novice driver can take control of this truck tractor and deliver very good fuel consumption.
Safety
There are lots and lots of safety features. These include the Volvo Engine Brake, Volvo Dynamic Steering, disc brakes (with solid discs), EBS (Electronic Brake System), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), adaptive cruise control with forward collision warning and emergency braking, depart warning system with lane keeping assist, Lane Change Support and Driver Alert Support (drowsy driver warning). The truck that we drove was also equipped with Volvo’s Visibility ++ package, meaning it also came with electrically heated and operated rearview mirrors with a wide angle section on both sides and kerb, a wiper rain sensor, automatically adjustable headlamps to adjust the height of the light beam, a high-pressure headlamp cleaner, the aforementioned LED lamps with an adaptive high beam, automatic headlamp switching between day running light and low beam and cornering lights.
Verdict
The FH16 is a premium truck, so it ain’t cheap; the list price for a standard FH16 64T, 610 hp (single reduction, steel suspension) starts at R3 329 270 ex VAT. But it is well equipped, comfortable, well-built and reliable. Very importantly – on South African roads – it is safe too. This is an outstanding truck that is fabulous to drive and will hold its value well – so it gets a definite thumbs up from us.
Charleen ClarkeCharleen Clarke is editorial director of FOCUS on Transport & Logistics, South Africa’s leading commercial vehicle magazine. She is an associate jury member on the International Truck of the Year jury and she also judges the annual Truck Innovation Award. She has been writing about commercial vehicles for more decades than she cares to admit. View News & Reviews
Keyword: Driven: Volvo FH16