1996 saw a second International Truck of the Year win for Scania with the highly anticipated 4-series.
Whilst the popular imagination remembers the 4-series as the runaway winner of the 1996 competition, the award was actually made in respect of the L Class of vehicles within the 4-series range. The Long-distance class had only been formerly announced in October 1995, and the other classes (Construction, Distribution and General) followed.
The new Scanias scored an impressive 72 points, with the DAF 55 Series in second place on 33, and its 85.400 stablemate in third with 17. The modular Scania concept contrasting with the Dutch manufacturer’s segment-based designs.
The 4-series was heralded as the biggest ever change in the Scania range and came at a pivotal time in the company’s history, following the demerger with Saab, and prior to a stock market listing in April 1996.
The various classes of 4-series were based on their chassis and sector designations, and Scania paid particular attention to chassis development across the range, having encountered some criticism that the 3-series chassis design had failed to recognise the growing degree of specialisation in the market place.
Scania’s trusty 9-litre engine received an increased capacity to a full 9 litres with 310hp, and the 11-litre was available for Euro-2 with a 340hp rating. A brand-new 12-litre engine was introduced for 360hp and 400hp featuring 4 valves per cylinder, with individual cylinder heads and rear mounted timing gears. The famous Scania V8 14-litre was equipped with a new generation of EDC and was rated at either 460hp or 530hp.
Amongst the advanced features offered in the L Class were Scania’s semi-automated Opticruise transmission, standard ABS and a gearbox-integrated retarder but the very first trucks were fitted with drum brakes, until discs were introduced later in 1996.
The new cab design was quite a departure from traditional Scania styling, and initially received a mixed reception, not least from staff at Sodertalje, according to contemporary reports. Styled by the Italian design house Bertone, the cab featured an upright windscreen with large-radius curves to the corners, roof and under-bumper.
In keeping with the Scania modular-cab philosophy, there was a low-mounted P-cab in day or sleeper form, and a tall R-cab also in day or sleeper form which was joined by the new CR19 Topline flagship design. A normal-control T-cab joined the lined up in due course.
The new Topline addressed the interior-space issue of the 3-series, affording 1.97m of standing room above the engine cover, and a 900mm “home-sized” bed mounted above the windscreen at the front of the cab. Scania’s engineers resisted the temptation to have a high cab floor, like the Renault Magnum, in order to preserve accessibility and “feel for the road”.
Words & Pics supplied by Richard Stanier. Credit: IToY
