Freightliner Argosy to leave showrooms in 2020

Freightliner Australia has announced that the current generation Argosy will depart Australian showrooms in early 2020, the same year the company launches the all-new Freightliner Cascadia.

“For nearly two decades, the Argosy has been a fantastic model for Freightliner,” says Freightliner Australia Pacific Director, Stephen Downes.

“It is fitting that we will say goodbye to the venerable Argosy in the same year that we welcome the cutting-edge Cascadia, which will signal the beginning of an exciting new era for Freightliner in Australia.”

The Argosy first arrived in Australia in late 1999 and soon developed a strong following among customers who valued the combination of a spacious cab-over design and muscular American power. Since launch, Freightliner Australia has sold 7500 Arosys.

Currently, the Argosy is available with the choice of Detroit 15-litre DD15 or X15 Cummins 15-litre in-line six-cylinder engines.

Australia and New Zealand are the only markets in the world where the Argosy is sold, with the nameplate departing the US market in 2004 and exiting the South African market in 2014.

However, the Argosy is still selling and has helped Freightliner Australia to sales of 140 units so far this year, an increase of just over 20 per cent over the same period last year.

The best-selling heavy duty truck in the United States is currently the Freightliner Cascadia and Freightliner Australia says a right-hand drive development program to bring the truck to Australia is currently underway.

The current Argosy sold in Australia has been developed through continuous improvement, with key changes being made during its life including an Australian-manufactured dashboard skin to improve refinement levels, reinforcement of the automatic fold-out step for increased durability and the recent introduction of optional features such as blind-spot monitoring systems.

Freightliner Australia says it is not finished with improving the Argosy and a new ‘down-speeding’ Eaton UltraShift option will soon be introduced for Detroit DD15 engines, delivering a significant fuel economy improvement.