Truck of the Year outpaces competition

In its first major comparative test, the new generation Scania S 500 truck has emerged as the victor in Europe’s 1,000 Point Test. The 1,000 Point Test is one of Europe’s largest comparative truck tests and, according to many, the toughest. It involves an international team of truck journalists who score the trucks subjectively in combination with objective measuring.

The test was conducted with the largest truck cabs, each truck in the 500 hp range. The Scania S 500 was pitted against DAF XF510, Mercedes Actros 1848 and Volvo FH500. When all the elements, features and characteristics had been meticulously assessed, Scania was named the winner. “High performance with low fuel consumption, the best driving characteristics, a high level of comfort and a better place to work – that skilfully paves the way for the new S-class,” notes the leading German trade magazine Lastauto Omnibus.

The test runs along a 180-kilometre route in south-west Germany, a hilly part of the scenic Mosel valley. Organised by Germany’s ETM Verlag, whose publications include the magazines Lastauto Omnibus and Fernfahrer, the 1,000 Point Test is carried out in cooperation with several major European trade magazines. Articles about the test are published in trade magazines in at least 10 other countries as well.

Lastauto Omnibus writes that the new S-series displays an array of improvements in comparison with the current R-series. Among these improvements are the “much more comfortable and larger” bed and the flat cab floor. With slightly more torque, Scania also demonstrated its superior ability to master hilly conditions and was the first to reach the peak.

In total, the Scania S 500 led the pack in driver-related characteristics such as boarding, comfort, braking capacity, visibility and steering. The new generation truck also came out ahead in the powertrain and performance. “Scania excels in lateral stability with precise steering and an overall feeling of control,” the magazine writes.

When all the 1,000 points were added, Scania had scored 943, surpassing Volvo by a healthy margin of more than eight points, followed by Mercedes and DAF.