Scania takes centre stage on April 1

When the world appears to be going to hell in a handbasket, it’s nice to know you can still count on April 1 to dish up some laughs, even if it’s at the expense of the more gullible among us.

While the usual catch-you-out gags this April 1 perhaps weren’t so prolific, the date also coinciding with Easter Monday, the good folk in the corporate communications department at Scania UK pulled out all the stops with the reveal of the new Scania ‘SuperTrouper’.

Billed as the latest member of the Swedish truck brand’s Super family, the SuperTrouper was also praised for its “unique additions focused on driver wellbeing”, including its ‘Angeleyes’ advanced lighting technology, its ‘Disco Orb’ lightweight alloy wheels (which create a disco ball effect at speed!), and interior ‘Voulez-Vous’ lighting that calms the driver with its soothing mix of blue and yellow ambient light.

While we have no proof that anyone – journalists, drivers, operators, or fans alike – was caught out by the ruse, we have to give full credit to Scania UK for going above and beyond with its April 1 homage to Sweden’s greatest band.

If the SuperTrouper name didn’t raise suspicions, we reckon the title of the media release may well have: “I do, I do, I do, I do: Scania launches the ultimate edition of its Super range”. Then there was the reference to it being a truck that drivers “will want to drive from A to B and from B to A”, how the concept stemmed from Scania’s ‘Fiktiva’ division, some suspect Scania staff (Vera Havinnuon), and the liberal application of hit ABBA tracks.

“Built in to the satellite navigation system are a quartet of favourites including Stockholm, Waterloo Station, Brighton Pier and Adelaide Airport,” states the media release.

“If you have an S.O.S., don’t worry, there’s also a new voice recognition system which automatically calls the Emergency Services when you sing for assistance. And the clever system, ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’ can also find your favourite location, playlist or radio station.”

There were many more pointers dotted throughout, but we think we’ll leave it to the final quote to round things off…

“We don’t want to let our customers slip through our fingers by not making their lives better and easier. After all, the winner takes it all.”

You can read the Scania UK SuperTrouper media release for yourself here.