Western Star 48X 2026 Review

Even after plenty of time to get used to the concept, approaching a Western Star 48X for a test drive is a thought-provoking exercise...

Western Star's success down under in the past lies in the appeal of a traditional look and layout of a North American truck. Familiar fixtures and fittings, like the Eaton RoadRanger, the maxis and timber-steering wheel were all part of the attraction.

But the reality is, this is a modern truck with a state-of-the-art engine, computer-controlled AMT and all of the electronic safety systems you can throw a stick at. It still has the maxis, and the Eaton Roadranger is still an option; something the dyed-in-the-wool traditionalist will appreciate.

Choosing a truck has become more difficult in recent years, as the differences between individual models are reduced. The days when a buyer could walk into a truck yard and specify a number of key components to the salesperson, to suit the buyer’s particular preferences, are gone.

Back then engine choice might be between Cummins, Detroit or Caterpillar in the North American brands. There were Eaton or Spicer, or own brand, transmissions. The spec list was often long and complicated and varied from truck sale to truck sale.

The last 25 years has seen that level of choice disappear almost completely. Expensive truck technology has advanced quickly.

Australia has gone from Euro 1 to Euro 6, and complex computer control through the truck’s CANbus, has transformed a bolted-together truck into a sophisticated freight-hauling collection of electronic systems.

The result is a much safer and more efficient trucking industry which can handle growing freight requirements.

This was my thinking as I approached the 48X. Should I judge it as a hardened traditionalist, or take a pragmatic approach and see which state-of-the-art features work well and which don't?

From the outside the Western Star 48X retains the large bonnet and cab set-up, with an array of fuel tanks between the axles.

There's still the opportunity to customise the truck with a bit of traditional bling (bullbars, stacks and bull lights), but you don’t have to. There's also a choice of analog or fully digital dash displays, depending on your preference.

The 48X was originally developed for the Australian market to enable Western Star to fit US-designed trucks within our dimension parameters. The US rules have no length limit for trucks, but our tight restrictions meant the designers had to adapt a shorter bonneted design from a vocational truck to meet Aussie requirements.

The prime mover test vehicle is a good example of this. It's a short bonneted prime mover that will pull a 34 pallet B-double inside the 26 metre length limit.

At the same time the chassis is beefed up enough to deal with the stresses and strains created by a top-power engine at high masses. The model tested is rated for a 106 tonne GCM (extendable to 113 tonne if needed).

It's got a big banger under the hood, the Detroit DD16 engine, rated at 560hp putting out 2050ftlb of torque; that’s 2800Nm for those who want to compare it with the competition. The Detroit DT 12 OVX transmission is rated up to 2250ftlb of torque.

This gearbox is the standard AMT fitted across the Daimler Trucks product range, and it was developed to cope with the full range of applications the group need to supply globally, including the tough Australian truck market.

For improved fuel efficiency and a reduced tare mass, you can option the Detroit DD13 engine with three states of tune: 450hp at 1550ftlb torque, up to 470hp at 1650ftlb, and 520hp at 1850ftlb (although this high horsepower model requires the DT 12 VX gearbox).

However, these 13 litre powered options will only go up to a 70 tonne capacity.

For more hardline manual transmission supporters, the DD 16 48X is also available with an optional 18 Series Roadranger manual. The 20 series, 18 speed Roadranger does the job up to 1850ftlb of torque, but if you want to go up the scale to the higher torque engine rating, the 22 Series 'box is available with a torque limit of 2250ftlb.

Our 48X tester is directly targeted at the modern B-double operator; meaning short BBC dimension, and probably no bullbar, with an AMT designed to reduce fuel consumption without compromising too much on power and torque.

Climb up into the cabin, press the start button, and the engine fires up with a familiar growl. Luckily for Aussie traditionalists, US truck drivers also like to hear the engine as they drive... It’s not loud, but you can hear enough.

Setting off with a loaded B-double is always going to work the engine hard, and the 50-plus tonne combination makes the Detroit quietly rumble and get the truck up and running. It smoothly slips between gears, skipping cogs when it allows to get up to cruising speed as soon as possible.

The AMT takes away the hassles of gear changing and helps deliver the required acceleration. A skilled operator can do this with a Roadranger, most of the time, but not every time.

Many younger drivers with some basic skills should be able to get a similar performance with this Detroit set-up, if shown the finer points of automated driving. The choice of an AMT also gives the driver three levels of engine braking, while the manual only comes with two.

Not worrying about gear change points also allows the driver to set up all of the automatic systems for the journey.

As the truck approaches cruising speed, it’s simple to select the right speed on the cruise control. The following distance to the vehicle in front can also be set, and opening up the distance to 3.6 seconds provides a suitable safety margin.

It's a good idea to bring that down to 2.4 seconds in traffic, or less in heavy traffic, to deter drivers from slotting in directly in front of the truck.

Drivers can also set the overrun allowance. Sitting on cruise at 100 is OK, but on a downward grade a fully loaded B-double will pick up speed quickly and its safest to pick 5km/h over, before the system activates engine braking.

I found the engine braking does its job and keeps the speed down nicely to avoid any complications.

The trick here is not to set and forget; the set-up requires regular driver monitoring and input. As the inclines get steeper, the overrun needs to be reined in, or as the country gets flatter, the following distance increased to a driving mode that requires less intense concentration.

While driving in the past involved constant monitoring and intervention, driving this more modern set-up still requires concentration, but with less physical intervention required. Just a couple of touches on a button is often all that's required...

Many drivers today still want the look and feel of trucks from the good ol' days, but the modern operator needs an efficient and able truck which delivers on a consistent cents per kilometre cost on both long and short distance B-double work.

What the Penske team here in Australia have done well with the 48X, is work hard with the designers over in Western Star HQ in Portland, Oregon, to get something that can roll of a North American production line in a format which Aussie drivers are both familiar with and can understand.

There are compromises, of course, as our ADRs now specify a suite of safety systems which have to be fitted. At the same time, the operator wants those systems turned on most of the time.

Meanwhile many traditional drivers need to understand how these systems work and how they will be most effective in making their life easier.

Over time they will get the hang of it and can remain sitting at the wheel, living the dream, heading down the highway at 100 clicks, chatting on the UHF and living an independent lifestyle. At the same time, the operator will also be happy with the lower fuel bills, consistent maintenance costs and fewer incidents.

There are still plenty of Stars coming into Australia with Roadranger gearboxes, but that number is going to decrease over time, and these sorts of compromises should convert the hardest of hard liners over to the modern world, at some point.

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