Volvo FH Spotlight: Global trendsetter

For the countless operators who now prefer the comfort, refinement and technological smarts of modern European trucks, it was likely a Volvo FH first steeled their preference for euro-style cabovers.

While many trucks are an evolution of a prior model, the FH was more of a revolution when it arrived in 1993, designed from the ground up with drivers in mind. The FH set the benchmark for safe, efficient and comfortable highway trucks as we know them today.

Thirty-two years later, the FH platform continues to push the envelope, from its ongoing safety focus, to its ever decreasing drag coefficient, and now its position as the most powerful production truck on offer.

This is the story of a truck that set a new industry standard, converting countless Australian operators from bonneted to cabover trucks. It might not have stacks or a chrome bumper, but the FH is a true highway king… without the bling.

Development for the FH series began in the mid-1980s, with a blueprint to manufacture the world’s most advanced truck. At its core though, the FH was all about the driver, with more than 1500 operators involved in testing the all-new cabin design.

When Volvo unveiled the FH12 and FH16 models in 1993, replacing the F series models that came before them, the industry took notice. A flashy launch event in Gothenburg, Sweden, put the FH on the global map and it didn’t take long for the orders to roll in.

To put the FH’s early success into perspective, Volvo had a global sales goal of 4000 FH models in 1993 but ended up selling 40,000 units across the year – four times its sales goal!

The revolution started with the cab, which was not only a comfortable workspace for operators but also more aerodynamic than the boxy cabovers of the time, courtesy of wind tunnel testing. The FH was also the first heavy truck cab to undergo the tough Swedish cab impact test.

Then there was the all-new, 12-litre D12A engine, a clean-sheet design featuring an overhead camshaft, electronic injection and four valves per cylinder. This, combined with an engine brake, delivered impressive performance with up to 420hp on tap. The carryover 16-litre option made 500hp.

In other words, the FH prioritised performance, driver comfort and safety in equal measures, which to date hadn’t been done – at least not this well.

The FH’s global success ran in parallel with a uniquely Australian development program out of Volvo’s manufacturing facility at Wacol in Brisbane’s western suburbs – the only factory to produce right-hand drive FH models outside of Sweden.

Wacol had been churning out trucks since 1972, starting with the G88 and then the F10 and F12 models, and by the early 1990s it had reached the milestone of triple figure output each year. The FH, though, would represent a significant growth opportunity.

In the mid-to-late 1990s the Australian B-double market was booming. At the time, though, it was dominated by the Kenworth K104, based on the 25-metre length and front axle weight requirements. Volvo’s answer was the FH, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Suddenly, there was a comfortable, efficient, safe solution, even if it was down on power and couldn’t carry quite as much fuel. To solve this, Volvo briefly offered the FH with a 15-litre Cummins engine punching out 565hp, which would satisfy the horsepower requirements of the B-double market until the new 16-litre arrived in 2003.

As the B-double industry grew, so too did the FH’s reputation as a highway king. This was only the beginning, though.

The Volvo FH saw its first major update in 2001, launching the second generation that featured a new cab, updated driveline and advanced safety features like a front underrun protection system (FUPS) and electronic stability program (ESP). It landed in Australia in 2002, ready to build on the success of the original models.

This model's biggest innovation was under the cabin, with the game-changing I-Shift transmission. This intelligent automated manual transmission would go on to become the benchmark for automated manuals because, quite frankly, it was the first example that did what it said on the box. Talk to any truckie about early automated manual transmissions and they’ll agree they weren’t great. The iShift changed the game, ushering in the automatic era.

By 2003, Volvo had redeveloped its engines to be more durable, particularly for harsh Australian conditions, releasing a new 16-litre engine that produced 610hp in its punchiest guise, before later upping the ante with a 660hp variant. A redesigned 13-litre joined the big-bore option, producing up to 520hp. Of course, this meant it was out with the Cummins!

Now commonplace, Volvo’s massive XXL big-cab sleeper was born a couple of years later in 2006, with an extension of the Globetrotter cabin. This was a uniquely Australian innovation, designed to keep long-distance operators comfortable for extended periods away from home.

In 2008 the FH received another major update, scoring loads of advanced technology and a visual redesign, followed by a new power benchmark. The FH16 cracked the 700hp mark, and the 13-litre engine gained a boost to put out 540hp, making the FH the most powerful truck money could buy Down Under.

A fourth-generation FH was revealed in 2012, making its way to Australia the following year with a launch event in Brisbane, ushering in the modern big-cab Volvos as we know them.

The new models were the first all-new design in 20 years, from the cabin to the chassis, suspension and steering. The changes inside the cab were the most dramatic yet, with a high-tech, driver-oriented layout and active safety technology like Volvo’s active cruise control.

In 2020 the FH models were given a facelift, as well as more technology, and in 2024 a major bump in horsepower came with the new D17 engine, producing an incredible 780hp to make it the most powerful production truck in the world. But more on that in a moment…

The Volvo FH remains a long-haul leader today as it continues to become more efficient, comfortable and powerful with each update, and you only have to look at how many are out on the roads to gauge their popularity. The FH16 also remains one of the most searched truck models on Trucksales, too.

The FH models are still built locally, and they even roll off the production line with a factory fill of renewable diesel. Of course, the output of the factory is higher than it was when the first-generation FH landed, now turning out around 3500 trucks each year.

Volvo’s current FH and FH16 models are safer than ever, with a camera monitoring system, active safety systems, and features like dynamic steering, I-See and the latest I-Shift automated transmissions to make the job of an operator simpler than ever.

For operators wanting every last drop of power, the FH16 is officially the world's most powerful production truck with the D17 engine option producing a massive 780hp and 3800Nm of torque, and it’s certified to run on HVO.

On the flip side, Volvo also offers the zero-emission FH Electric with a 490kW electric motor powered by a 540kWh battery system, offering a real-world range of up to 300km.

Recently, Volvo Trucks and South East Queensland Hauliers (SEQH) unveiled the world’s first electric A-triple road train, showcasing the potential of the all-electric FH.

The new Volvo FH Aero, unveiled at the 2025 Brisbane Truck Show, is designed to take the impressive efficiency of the FH16 to the next level. This represents the next leap in efficiency, taking the aerodynamic philosophy of the 1993 original into the future.

This advanced design extends the cabin by 24cm, while also using a camera monitoring system that replaces traditional mirrors to improve airflow. When combined with the I-Save system, the FH Aero can cut energy consumption by up to five per cent.

But this aerodynamic efficiency isn't just for diesel-powered trucks; it's also a secret weapon in Volvo's zero-emissions strategy. This slippery cabin is available for the FH Electric, reducing energy use to enhance driving range.

The FH is a true icon, shifting the idea of trucks being rugged tools of the trade to mobile workspaces for drivers. Operators of today might take it for granted, but the comfort, refinement, and efficiency of modern trucks are a far cry from the gruff, barebones examples of old. It would be fair to say the FH played a major role in that evolution.

This video, released by Volvo Trucks to celebrate the FH’s 25th anniversary in 2018, shows just how revolutionary the model was when it launched, and how far it has come in the decades since.