News

Volvo has taken the wraps off the world's most powerful production truck, which boasts 700hp and 3,150Nm of torque.

The FH16-700 utilises a heavily reworked version of Volvo's current 16-litre D16 engine, called D16G, which powered the outgoing 660hp, 3,100Nm model.

Not only is the FH16 more powerful, it's also cleaner because it meets Euro-5 emission requirements, while NOx emissions are said to be down by 40%.  

Volvo claims that despite the increased horsepower, fuel consumption is 'at least' on par with that of its Euro-4 unit.

The FH16 700 also qualifies for an RPC under the current legislation, which could see owners save up to £500 per year on road tax.

Henrik Lindeberg, chief project manager for the D16G engine, says: "Simply increasing engine power is one thing, but doing so without raising emissions or fuel consumption is far more difficult."

At idle, the FH16 700 is quieter than the unit it replaces thanks to a larger silencer. However, this means the AdBlue tank has had to be repositioned 250mm further back, reducing the fuel tank size to 100 litres.

For owners operating mixers or mobile cranes, the FH16 can be specified with power take-off, which provides up to 1000Nm at standstill and 650Nm on the move.

In addition to the FH16-700, the range also includes less powerful variants namely the FH16-600 and the FH16-540.

Volvo is currently  taking orders for the FH16-700 with production expected to commence on 1 June 2009.