Volvo FH16 XXL: Review

Marketing and PR people in the truck and auto industries are very fond of letting us know how they “listen to their customers”. Virtually every press release announcing a new model features the phrase and tells us how in tune with their particular markets the company is.

But while it’s easy to be cynical and mock the marketers and their cliché hype, sometimes it’s true. And this is one of those times.

At the recent Brisbane Truck Show, Volvo rolled out its latest incarnation of the FH16, with Globetrotter XXL cab. Volvo said that operators and drivers have been letting them know in no uncertain terms that they wanted a truck with a bigger cab and a more comfortable berth for long-haul drivers, and while it might have taken some time to get here Volvo has finally come up with the goods.

We were invited to sample both the truck and the new wider and longer bed for a couple of days through southern Queensland and jumped at the chance.

To achieve the extra space, Volvo has re-engineered the XL Globetrotter cab, moving the rear wall back 250mm to create a truck that delivers on space and comfort.

The XXL cab now has one of the biggest beds in the business – 130mm longer and 250mm wider than in a regular Volvo FH, providing plenty of space to stretch out.

The bigger size bed also has a new innerspring mattress with a ‘pillow’ on top of every spring unit and an electrically adjustable reclining section that adapts to the shape of your body, delivering a remarkable level of comfort. If you’re not travelling alone, there’s also the option to equip the cab with a second upper bunk.

Volvo has also increased the storage in the XXL with three big cupboards along the front of the cab above the windscreen and more storage under the bed. There’s also a fridge under the bed and provision for an optional microwave oven.

The interior height has also been given a boost with the height now 220cm (211cm on the engine compartment cover) so even taller drivers can stand up fully in the cab.

It’s worth noting here that Volvo says this is the safest cab the company has ever produced and it obviously complies with all the stringent European standards. I was told that the windscreen forms part of the structure of the cab and it won’t be kicked out. Consequently, the skylight in the roof of the cab also acts an escape hatch in the case of a rollover.

A clever inclusion and one that we hope never has to be used.

We had two days in the FH XXL and Matt Wood from Volvo had neat route planned for us out of Volvo Group Australia HQ in Wacol Queensland.

The plan was to head out west up Cunningham’s Gap to Warwick, then out through Goondiwindi to North Talwood – a nice afternoon run of around 420 kilometres. We were to have dinner at the pub with yours truly sleeping in the truck to test out the bunk and Matt staying in the pub.

Then it was back via the Gore Highway to Toowoomba, down the hill and along the Warrego and back to Wacol. It was a total of around 860km.

Our XXL with its Freighter B-Double set was loaded to a smidge over 60 tonnes which is an honest load for the FH16. The pride of the Volvo fleet is powered by a 16-litre Euro 5 engine that puts out 700hp and 3250Nm (2397ft/lb) of torque and drives through a 12-speed I-Shift automated gearbox.

Entry into the Volvo FH16 XXL cab is easy, with three aluminium anti-slip steps. The steps and the ground close to the vehicle are illuminated for safety at night, and the steps protrude a bit so they’re visible from inside the cab. There are sturdy grab-rails on both sides of the door opening.

For more convenient entry, the steering wheel can be tilted out of the way, towards the windscreen, and this gives a bit more room in the cab when you’re stationary.

Once in the cab, I found it a pleasant environment. The leather-bound steering wheel is thoroughly modern with a stack of controls for things like cruise control, audio and phone, with scrolling through functions on the dash all controlled from the wheel.

All the instruments and screens are clear and logically laid out. The dash wraps around to make all the switches and controls easy to reach for the driver. The transmission shifter is down to the left of the driver and the park-brake switch is on the dash. Shift her into auto, flick off the brake and we were off.

The FH XXL is fitted with all the mod-cons when it comes to driver aids and safety. Think adaptive cruise, stability control and autonomous emergency braking (AEB). Then there’s Volvo’s collision warning system that alerts you if it thinks you’re going to have a crash by projecting a light onto your windscreen. If you don’t do anything about it, and it still thinks you’re in danger, the AEB will kick in and brake the truck for you. It’s a great system and will probably be mandated in the future – or should be.

Once we got rolling and I got used to the truck, I found it to be a really pleasant place to be. It’s quiet, easy to drive, has great feel though the steering and handles beautifully. If you’re a bit wobbly in your steering the lane departure warning will let you know, although this can be switched off, as can the traction control and a couple of the other driver support systems. I found it easier to leave them all on and drive straight.

The grunt from the big 16-litre six is tremendous and I found it easy to roll along with the cruise set and just let the engine, smart gearbox and radar do the work. You can shift the gear selector back to manual and flick up and down the gears with your thumb but when I did this, Matt barked at me and told me I was using too much fuel…

With the I-Shift in Auto, the shifts are smooth and precise, and when the load comes off the box, like when you’re on a flat or slightly downhill grade, the I-Shift will slip into ‘roll’ mode and let the truck coast, saving fuel while giving everything a rest.

Vision from the driver’s seat is great. The windscreen is huge and the A-pillars are slim, and one thing I found especially good was the electric sun visor that really came in handy heading west into the afternoon sun. It’s one of the best I’ve used and it’s sturdy – it doesn’t rattle or bang and shows great attention to detail. The manual one on the driver’s door is good too.

It was dark when we idled into the little town of North Talwood. I parked the truck up near the old rail siding and we headed down to the rustic little pub for a couple of well-deserved beers and a lovely home-cooked meal.

The pub is a dinky-di outback Queensland affair with friendly locals and folksy owners who love a yarn. The beer is first rate too and pulled straight out of the fridge. Hard to leave really…

Then it was time for me to wander back to the truck get ready for bed. The truck is roomy and I had no trouble getting changed with full headroom and easy access to the storage areas.

The bunk is big. It’s a king single and feels all of that. No more cramped and narrow spaces with a thin piece of foam for a mattress for me! This was luxury. Comfortable and roomy with sheets and blanket, even. I was asleep in moments.

There’s excellent lighting in the cab. Whether you want soft mood lighting for kicking back and watching telly, or full lighting for working or reading, it’s all there. And if you are watching TV or reading you can incline the back of the bunk with the touch of a switch so you’re in a semi-sitting position.

A couple of little gripes I had were firstly, there’s no USB in the sleeper to charge your phone or tablet, and if you’re not opting for the double-bunk option, I’d like to see a couple more storage cupboards up in the corners of the sleeper – you can’t have too much storage!

There are two USBs in the cabin. One in the dash and one up above the driver’s head with a handy storage nook to stick your phone, but I couldn’t get it to work so we reverted to a 12-volt accessory plug.

I had to get back to Brisbane to get to the airport, so Matt came and banged on my door (twice) at 0-dark-thirty in the morning. I have to say it was hard getting out of that cosy bunk with not even a glow in the eastern sky. But we had to turn a wheel, so up I got and dragged on my Levi’s and we were off without even a cuppa.

The morning was dark, but the standard lights on the FH proved powerful enough for me to not need the light bar that was fitted to the test truck. The roos were plentiful but thankfully no damage was recorded.

After about hour or so, we stopped off in Goondiwindi at the Caltex which has excellent coffee and nice toasted sangas. Then it was on toward Toowoomba and down the hill to Brisbane.

Down the range I got to use Volvo’s retarder on the FH. You simply select your gear (in this case fifth) drag the retarder back (it’s on a stalk on the steering column) and you can vary your speed by the number of clicks you’ve got on the stalk. It works a treat and even down the steep pinches I didn't need to use the service brakes holding a steady 40km/h or so.

The rest of our drive back to Wacol was uneventful, aside from me changing lanes on a guy in a Hyundai iLoad… sorry about that! And we got back with plenty of time for me to get my plane home.

Our fuel figure for the trip which Matt was watching regularly on the Dynafleet app was around 1.8km/litre which isn’t too bad for the big banger hauling 60 tonne.

Overall, I had a great time in the Volvo FH16 XXL. It is a very easy truck to drive, it’s comfortable with lovely seats with armrests on each side that are thankfully the same height. It’s full of safety and technology which is pleasing, though not surprising to see from this company, and it has grunt to burn as we know from previous drives.

But the big thing is the comfort of the cabin. It’s roomy, the bed is fantastic and there is plenty of storage (though I'd probably ask for a bit more). You get all the mod cons like a microwave, TV, big stereo and there is an extensive options list you can choose from.

Certainly if I was an owner/driver looking for a big line-haul truck this would have to be on the shopping list. Although I wonder if I’d spend a bit too much time in the bunk and not enough behind the wheel…

Specifications:
Volvo FH16 XXL
Engine: Volvo Euro 5 SCR 16-litre
Power: 700hp
Torque: 3250Nm
Transmission: I-Shift 12-speed auto
Fuel: Up to 1350 litres
AdBlue: Up to 180 litres