A decade after winning the International Truck of the Year (IToY) award for the original Stralis in 2003, Iveco did it again with the new Stralis Hi -Way in 2013. The Hi-Way designation replaced the “Active Space” brand for the full width
cab on the new models, with the narrower sleeper cab and the day cab models being re-branded Hi-Road and Hi-Street respectively.
Announced in July 2012, the Stralis Hi-Way secured 138 votes from the newly-expanded 25-member jury to secure victory that September. The runners-up consisted of the Mercedes- Benz Antos with 107 votes, and the new Ford Otosan Cargo in third place, being the first Turkish built vehicle shortlisted.
The Stralis Hi-Way matched a face-lifted cab with interior upgrades and a couple of new engines in the form of the Cursor 9 and 11 which replaced the earlier Cursor 8 and 10 units, although a version of the Cursor 8 was retained for CNG operation.
The 8.7-litre Cursor 9 was rated at 310hp, 330hp, 360hp and 400hp with the 11.1-litre Cursor 11 covering the 420hp, 460hp and 480hp ratings. The new engines featured a new common rail injection system, electronically-actuated variable geometry turbochargers and the Iveco HI-eSCR catalytic reduction system which could meet the forthcoming Euro-6 emission standard without resorting to EGR. This enabled Iveco to avoid an extensive re-engineering of the cooling system, and Euro-5 versions remained available prior to 2014.
For those requiring greater power, the Cursor 13 was upgraded to Euro-6 at 500hp or 560hp, and the transmission options across the range consisted of the Eurotronic version of the ZF AS-Tronic 12-speed automated system, with 9- and 16-speed manual or automatic options.
Whilst Iveco was able to retain the existing cab shell it was significantly re-modelled with a new grille, air deflectors, roof spoiler and bumper featuring LED daytime running lights which in combination reduced the drag coefficient by 3% for beeer fuel consumption and reduced interior noise. Improved sound-deadening was also introduced to contribute to the much quieter driving experience.
Inside the cab, a completely new interior was provided with an emphasis on quality. Non-reflective, soft touch plastics, new switch gear, and improved stowage space, combined with new seats and an 800 mm wide bunk equipped with wooden slats all contributed to a noticeable enhancement over the previous Stralis model.
The winning Iveco was completed with enhancements to safety and telematics. Amongst the safety systems offered were a lane-departure warning system, adaptive cruise control, hill hold and electronic stability control.
The Iveconnect System used a 178mm dashboard-mounted touch-screen to control the satnav and entertainment systems and to access the Driver and Fleet Management functions.
The Driver Style Evaluation tool provided continual driver performance evaluation related to fuel consumption, and this data could be downloaded for analysis. A Driver Attention Support function was also incorporated to protect against the risk of tiredness.
Words & Pics supplied by Richard Stanier. Credit: IToY
Launched in July 2012, the Stralis Hi-Way saw Iveco return to winning ways after a decade long absence
A host of improvements were made to reduce the Total Cost of Ownership – which was Iveco’s marketing pitch for the Hi – Way