Volvo Trucks North America says its VHD model has gotten “the most significant evolution of vocational offering in decades,” featuring fresh structural upgrades, technological and innovative advances, and fresh styling.
“The new Volvo VHD looks every bit as capable as it is, designed to bring new energy into the vocational market,” said John Felder, the builder’s product marketing manager. “Everything we’ve done to improve the model to make it more versatile and reliable also extends the life of the vehicle and increases driver productivity, safety and comfort. Drivers will love this truck because it makes hard work easy. It’s the perfect example of tougher made smarter.”
VHD truck upgrades
- An updated exterior with a new grille design, as well as new LED high/low beam headlights. The fully sealed headlamp component offers a brighter, more focused beam for increased visibility. An available de-icing feature burns through ice and snow that accumulates on headlamps in colder weather.
- Safety and productivity features that include Volvo Dynamic Steering and the next generation of Volvo Active Driver Assist. The electric-over-hydraulic steering system adds torque to reduce steering strain at low speeds and remove vibrations caused by rough terrain. Next-gen Active Driver Assist includes integrated radar/camera capabilities, automatic emergency braking, lane and highway departure warnings, and adaptive cruise control.
- A stronger bumper has a heavy-duty 45-milimeter tow pin rated for 80,000 pounds, allowing a quick pull out from sticky situations, reducing delays and pleasing drivers.
- A state-of-the-art interior offers improved driver comfort and productivity. For example, the truck’s ignition has been moved to the lower left-hand side of the dash, while the steering wheel buttons are more touch-friendly and clustered intuitively for easy and quick use by drivers.
- The latest in connectivity solutions such as Remote Programming and Remote Diagnostics allow customers to use real data insights to make the right decisions for increased safety and truck productivity.
VHD models will continue to be available with the Volvo I-Shift transmission with crawler gears, which adds one or two low-low ratios to the 12-speed automated transmission, enabling starting on steep grades, improved low-speed control, and, with taller axle ratios, cruising at highway speeds at low engine RPMs. Also available is Volvo’s T-Ride vocational suspension that delivers a smooth ride under demanding conditions by applying constant pressure on the drive wheels to maintain sure-footed traction. T-Ride also has a new ride-stiffness option for mixers and trucks with wing plows.
“At Volvo Trucks, we continue to improve our product offerings and we have done so for an already tough vocational truck model,” said Felder. “Now, this smarter and more innovative VHD for the vocational market raises the bar on what it takes to be an all-around great work truck.”
