Scania G 480: Review

Name: Scania G 480: Review
Brand: Scania

As what is perhaps Scania's most versatile model, the G 480 can handle a diverse array of loads and roles…

The G 480 could be called the chameleon of the Scania range. Equipped with the most powerful form of the brand's in-line six-cylinder Euro5 engine, it's just as at home hauling heavy loads in B-double form up and down our nation's highways, as it is running single trailers around town.

It's a solid seller amid the broader Scania line-up too, and has been since its introduction back in 2011. Scania introduced a range of Euro6 models here a couple of years ago including a G 490, but with no sign of a Euro6 mandate on our horizon, the Euro5 G 480 rolls on as the volume seller.

Trucksales recently grabbed a G 480 for a day to discover the reason behind that popularity. Our friends at MaxiTRANS were kind enough to loan us a Freighter T-Liner MkII curtainsider, so we definitely had a modern and innovative combo on our hands when we hit the road.

Town and country

To put the Scania to the test, we took to the streets of Laverton and Derrimut, where the frenetic traffic and multi-lane roundabouts of Melbourne's industrial west kept the G 480 – and us – on our toes.

Riding shotgun was Lindsay Pollock, Scania driver trainer, and we took full advantage of his wealth of knowledge sitting beside us. Lindsay travels the length and breadth of the land helping Scania drivers get the most out of their machines. He also guides drivers through Scania's Peak Efficiency Program, which Trucksales tackled a few years ago. It's a brilliant way to improve fuel efficiency and enhance road safety – it's well worth a look.

After we'd run around the suburbs for a while, our photographer running even harder to get the shots he wanted, we jumped on Melbourne's notoriously messy M80 ring road to get up to the Hume Highway, to find a rest stop where we'd have the space to photograph both the truck and trailer with relative ease.

Performance

Around town and on the ring road, which in a rare turn of events was actually flowing this day, the G 480 was a faithful companion. That in-line six isn't by any means the biggest or gruntiest Scania truck engine – Scania's 16-litre V8 can produce up to 730hp and 3500Nm, for example – but it's certainly a strong, flexible engine with plenty of useable torque.

There is a maximum of 2400Nm on tap, in fact, from a low 1000rpm to 1300rpm. That was plenty to get our Freighter curtainsider moving from a standing start, with its all-up running weight of somewhere between 20 and 25 tonnes. Content to let Scania's Opticruise AMT shoulder the responsibility of shifting, the tacho spent the vast majority of its time between 1000rpm and 2000rpm, and well below the truck's 2400rpm indicated redline.

We can hear Roadranger die-hards swearing under their breath, but this AMT is a real highlight of this G 480 package. It takes the work out of metro driving, that's for sure, but it's just so easy to use in any environment. There are 12 gears plus two crawler gears for low-speed work, and it's actually an 'intelligent' transmission that adapts to the driver's driving style and the prevailing conditions to maximise fuel economy.

The Opticruise offers three drive modes too – Economy, Standard, and Power – with each mode effectively raising or lowering the transmission's shift points to favour either fuel economy or forward progress.

We would have liked to have spent a number of days in the trucks to obtain a rock-solid fuel figure, but based on a day of town and country running the truck's trip computer spat out 2.2 kilometres per litre. We're pretty sure you could improve that markedly with greater familiarity, and Scania says it has plenty of satisfied customers with the data to prove it.

Brakes and safety

The G 480 is equipped with disc brakes all round, backed by ABS and traction control. The Freighter T-Liner MkII was decked out with an electronic braking system, so it was a first-class setup front and rear. Furthermore, the service brakes and engine brakes are complemented by Scania's six-stage retarder, which is so powerful it renders the service brakes pretty much redundant when you're on the open road.

A hydraulic system that essentially sees an output shaft run off the gearbox in a high-pressure oil bath, the retarder offers increasing levels of braking force of up to 500kW of power. Using the retarder also means the service brakes are kept cool, ensuring maximum braking potential is available should an emergency arise.

Speaking of emergencies, our G 480 is well equipped with all the latest technology to keep drivers safe and costly assets on track and intact. Moving beyond what these days are baseline prime mover safety features of stability control (incorporating traction control) and antilock brakes, the G 480 also has an autonomous braking feature, with a forward-facing radar looking ahead and to the sides to pick up any impending collision.

A series of visual and audible alerts are made to jolt the driver into evasive action, but if no action is taken the truck will apply the brakes itself to prevent a crash.

Lane departure warning is another guardian angel, ready to sound an audible alert through the cab speaker on the side of the truck that's crossed the white line. Not that it was an issue on our short day trip, but if you're on the long haul and fatigue does catch you out, it's good to know you'll be brought to your senses before dropping a wheel off the bitumen.

There's also a hill-hold assist and, a favourite of ours, adaptive cruise control. This uses radar to maintain a set distance to the vehicle in front up to a set speed.

It works like this… On the open highway, set the adaptive cruise to 100km/h. As you near a vehicle in your lane that's doing 90km/h, the truck will automatically slow to 90km/h at the pre-set distance you've specified. If the car slows the 80km/h, so does the truck (all the while maintaining the gap), and if it accelerates to 110km/h, the truck accelerates to 100km/h and then holds steady, while the car slowly increases the gap.

It's far superior to a traditional cruise control system where the driver is regularly having the cancel and reset the truck's speed, and just one more system that makes life easier on the road. It does, however, only operate above 20km/h – so it's not applicable to stop-start traffic.

The G 480 also has a hill decent control. With this activated, simply dab the service brakes to set the truck's speed on any descent – another nifty feature.

Comfort and features

There is no end of niceties to make operating this truck a breeze. All the controls are right where you'd want them, including controls both on the dash and on a remote unit (with flexi cable) for raising or lowering the truck's airbag rear suspension.

There's a power divider with cross locks to aid traction in slippery going, and the instrumentation – with large and attractive central TFT display – can display masses of information accessible by cycling through the intuitive menu system. Tyre pressures, a driver efficiency score and general trip data – it's all there, plus a lot more.

On the subject of diver efficiency, like other Scanias the G 480 can be fitted with the Scania Communicator – Scania's factory telematics system. Scania is signing up more and more fleets around the world each week, with the data gleaned helping operators to streamline their business and enhance their efficiency.

Cab comfort was obviously a priority for this truck's designers and engineers, because it's difficult to see how this 'CG19 Sleeper' cab could be improved. Cab access is super easy thanks to three sturdy and grippy metal steps, twin grab rails and a door that opens to 90 degrees.

Inside the ISRI air suspension seat has a wide range of adjustment, including lumbar support. The multifunction steering wheel also has air adjustment for both tilt and reach, and getting in and out of the cab is made easier by dumping the chair and titling the wheel up.

Our cab had a slight 'tunnel' over the engine but there's still a healthy ceiling height of 1700mm. There's a good feeling of space in general, and lots of storage – two large compartments on either side, overhead shelves, and the large drawer at the bottom of the centre console, plus the myriad other cubby holes dotted about the place.

There are two cup holders an easy reach away and the air-conditioning is good and powerful – enough to take the 33-degree day in its stride. A small drawer-style fridge – located below the sleeper between the driver's and passenger's seats – is perfect keeping drinks cool and lunch fresh on hot days.

The sleeper was plush and easily long enough to accommodate this 188cm driver, but it's quite narrow too – it's more a spot to crash for an hour or two, rather than for a full night.

Out the back, the Freighter T-Liner MkII trailer tracked beautifully behind the G 480. With LED lighting, electronic trailer brakes, a very smart curtainsider system and showcasing two of MaxiTRANS's cutting-edge load restraint gates, it's a pinnacle of modern trailer manufacturing – and it's all built here in Australia, at Freighter's facility in Ballarat, Victoria.

Click here to read our review of the Freighter T-Liner MkII, and here and here for more on the load restraint gates. All three are cutting drop times while reducing injuries, and that can't be a bad thing.

Conclusion

Scania has been making solid, steady progress in Australia in recent years and with trucks like the G 480 we can see why. It's a perfect fusion of capability and comfort, and it comes bristling with all the latest safety technology. Consider its broad spread of potential roles, from B-double line-haul to metro distribution, and its potent 13-litre engine, and it's clear why this truck has become one of the mainstays of the Scania range.

2017 Scania G 480 Specifications

Engine: 12.7-litre in-line six-cylinder turbo-diesel

Power: 353kW (480hp) at 1900rpm

Torque: 2400Nm at 1000rpm to 1300rpm

Emissions: Euro5 via Selective Catalytic Reduction

Transmission: Scania Opticruise 12-speed AMT

Configuration: 6x4

Front suspension: Parabolic leaf springs

Rear suspension: Two-spring air suspension

GVM: 26,100kg

GCM: Varies

BBC: 2313mm