Biglorryblog drives the Iveco Strator... Err... It's just like driving a Stralis, with a bonnet on it!

And this shows the Cursor 10 and the repositioned ZF steering box and extended steering arm on Stralis...

As mentioned it's a left-hooker and, like the top of the range Super Cube 3 (or whatever the Italians call their biggest high-roof AS cabin), it's got a semi-flat floor----as seen here with the slightly sunken foot wells. However, if you want a completely flat floor then CFG can build your Strator with one... No problem.

And this shows it nicely off - that's the cabover Stralis AS behind it with the same cab...

Here's Iveco's Nick Santon at the wheel showing how easy it is to get to the driver's fridge/coolbox (his wife does make a lovely rhubarb pie) and also showing the typical Stralis 'Active Space' bottom bunk layout - i.e. split into two corner seats with the centre section of the bed folded up so you can use the drop down table underneath the mattress (as per the shot in my original blog on Strator two nights ago...

And here's how you get in to it... Nice broad and very deep steps allow you to approach it 'straight on'... Climbing in is easy, the only thing I didn't like was the small chequer pattern aluminium step covering which won't provide enough grip in the wet - but chatting to the guys from CFG is seems they're aware of it and you can have deeper cut tread plate if you want it. Infact, as this truck is built pretty much from scratch you can have virtually whatever you want.

So what's it like to drive? Remarkably like a normal Cursor 10 450hp Stralis with EuroTronic! Chatting with my good mate Bob Beech we compared notes and both had pretty much the same reaction - although with his extensive HGV driving experience Bob mentioned he thought the steering wheel took longer to self-centre - but apart from that with a 5.14m wheelbase ('normally' 4.99m!) it gave a very comfortable ride. Quieter? A bit, although a Stralis cabover is already 'rigged for silent running'. It wasn't too hard to get the feel for it and the bit sticking out at the front, even though it's a left-hooker, although you do tend to over compensate a bit when turning left with a regular trailer behind it... But the lock angle on the steering is very impressive.

Our test truck had a front-mounted camera so you could see a low down wide-angle view which helped--ahtough I reckon it would be better to mounted it on the a post looking down...

Can you get one in right-hand-drive? Yes you can and with Scania having dropped out of the bonnted market (citing insufficient volumes) back in 2005 it gives Iveco, CFG and Strator a clear end run for those that like their trucks with a nose on it. You can have it as a 4x2, 6x4, 6x2 twin-steer or as a rigid with a 6x2 tag steer. To date CFG has built 14 since 2007 and I'm hoping to get some shots of those ones already in service... But meanwhile I'd say it's a fun truck to drive, and a real head-turner for those companies looking for something 'different' in a new tractor...