End of the road for IVECO Powerstar?

IVECO Australia, the official importer and distributor of International Trucks in Australia, as well as the importer and manufacturer of IVECO-branded trucks and light commercials, has said it will now focus its conventional-truck efforts in this country on the International ProStar, with its previous bonneted range-topper – the IVECO Powerstar – no longer available as a volume-production model.

Instead, the IVECO Powerstar will continue to be available on a 'special order' basis, with the model already disappearing from IVECO Australia's website.

IVECO Australia told Trucksales.com.au that a number of factors had led to the switch.

"Over the past 12 to 18 months, IVECO Australia has invested heavily in its cab over product range, upgrading its production facilities and upskilling manufacturing staff to locally produce the new X-Way range and upcoming Euro 6 ACCO models, as well as localising the previously imported Stralis ATi," said the company, via a statement.

"This exciting program will significantly broaden the overall IVECO product offering in the market.

"You'll also know that, during this time, IVECO has been appointed Australian distributor of International Trucks. Given all of this, IVECO will not develop the Powerstar range any further; it will, however, still offer these trucks to customers as a special order."

The shift in focus leaves the International ProStar as the big hitter of IVECO Australia's local line-up, the model powered by Cummin's 15-litre X15 in-line six-cylinder turbo-diesel.

Available in power ratings spanning 450-600hp and 1650-2050lb/ft, the engine adopts SCR technology to meet Euro 5 emissions compliance, as opposed to the EGR technology found within its Cummins sibling, the ISXe5.

Since its introduction in the late 1990s, IVECO's Powerstar made a name for itself by blending the comfort and features of a European cab with a conventional bonneted design. Over the years the range was available across a number of engine/driveline configurations and served a wide variety of applications up to road train, also also representing a neat complement for the cab-over IVECO Stralis.

IVECO Australia invested significant effort in tailoring the model for Australian conditions, resulting in the arrival of the range-topping and road-train-ready Powerstar 7800 in 2012.

Among the Powerstar's numerous engine options, which also spanned Cummins and Cat offerings, was the Italian company's own 13-litre 'Cursor 13' six-cylinder turbo-diesel, an updated Euro 6 version of which is now found at the top of IVECO's new Stralis X-Way cab-over range. Other Stralis X-Way power options include the 8.7-litre Cursor 9 and 11.1-litre Cursor 11.

The Stralis X-Way's new Cursor 13 produces a claimed 510hp and 2300Nm, sealing the International ProStar's status as the most powerful model currently available under the IVECO Australia umbrella.

The International ProStar is available with tipper, day cab, extended cab and sleeper cab options, with either manual or automated 18-speed Eaton transmissions.