Road Tests: Iveco Stralis AS540 6x2 tractor

After years of unfulfilled promises, Iveco's artic report card now reads "has finally pulled its socks up". At 44 tonnes, the Stralis Cursor 13 540/EuroTronic combo is fast yet impressively frugal, and hauls an above-average payload into the bagain. And while for a flagship tractor its interior needs to be more luxurious, the Stralis 540's overall productivity is extremely hard to ignore. No doubt Iveco will monitor the take-up of the various Active Space cab options carefully and eventually decide which ones to keep and which to loose. But the real question is has the Stralis really got what it takes to persuade the operators to look beyond their beloved Scanias, Volvos and Dafs? On this showing the answer is "yes" - just so long as Iveco makes the same commitment to service backup as it has to product development. There's no doubt in our minds - Stralis IS a real contender in the UK tractor market. Now it's up to Iveco to get out and sell its undoubted merits.