Review: Freightliner Argosy 6X4 Cummins

For the first time Freightliner is now offering its 6x4 and 8x4 Argosy prime mover and rigid with an SCR emissions system that requires AdBlue as well as diesel. 

Until now, both the Argosy and its long-nosed brother, the Coronado, all had Detroit or Cummins EGR engines. Characteristically, they all run hotter than SCR – the DD15 in particular – and so have had to exploit the full benefits of the brand’s expansive cooling system and raised cabs.

Argosy in particular needed the extra space in the engine tunnel, to avoid cooking the driver and passenger.

Now Freightliner offers the Argosy with the Cummins ISXe5 range of engines with up to 600hp and 2780Nm of torque. It puts Cummin’s biggest donk in a well-proven chassis with a cavernous cab for the operator who spends days each week living in the truck.

Of course, the existing Detroit engine as standard still meets most application requirements, but despite the largely technical decision-making process of choosing a new truck, many operators still stick to historical loyalties that have little to do with the business case. And some fleets have now got used to AdBlue and don’t want to mix up the fuel standard.

The Daimler Trucks’ heavy-duty range pitches an electronically managed, radar guided, eerily quiet prime mover wrapped in a cocoon of advanced safety features – Mercedes-Benz Actros – against a clearly mechanical truck solution with an engine that growls at you, drum brakes all round and a modicum of safety add-ons – Freightliner Argosy. That’s not to say there are no electronics on the Argosy, but it’s designed from the ground up to satisy an operator with a solid and stable value based performance, rather than a technology package that will lead the market.

We picked up a spanking new 6x4 from Freightliner’s headquarters and hooked it up to a B-double set for a run towards Adelaide. The truck featured the 110" sleeper and a short trailer pin that brought the first trailer as close as possible to the cab cowling. With barely enough room to squeeze in to check air and electrics etc, the aero disturbance from the gap to the trailer was at an absolute minimum.

But the tightened gap means more than just aerodynamics. Most 26-metre trailer sets are built as 34-pallet units. The Argosy setup allows 36-pallets, which over a service period can promise a big boost to revenue and a further reduction in costs.

Setting up in an Argosy is dead easy. Argosy’s swing-out steps are the best in the business, so getting on board is not only safe and easy, you can do it with a fistful of lunch. The top step is wide enough to allow you to stand and get things organised, even with a backpack sitting on the aluminium step-plate. The cab itself is expansive and easy to move around in, getting all the kit stowed away. There’s good travel in the seat and the steering wheel tilts and telescopes. It would be helpful however if a one-push button could stow the column forward when getting out.

Freightliner now uses a Parrot brand infotainment touch-screen display, and it’s far superior to previous appliances. Although it’s to the left and on the dash rather than above it in the sight line, the screen menus are crystal clear, even in a rare patch of Melbourne sunlight. And the icons are intuitive – I got my phone paired in less than a minute.

A key new feature that I first tried out in the development model last year, is the left-hand side rear-view camera mounted in the mirror housing. It displays a clear picture of the entire length of the rig when the indicator is engaged. I found it to be of extra help when reversing the B-double – I just put the left-hand indicator on and the dash picture was clearer than the mirrors. Freightliner’s Michael Egan told me later that the system can accept a couple of additional cameras – I’d get one on the right-hand mirror as well.

It seems Argosy’s designers don’t trust electronics to monitor operating data, as everything from turbo boost pressure to individual diff temperatures are on individual gauges. There is also a four-level bank of switches, which include the cruise control and engine-brake rockers that need to be on the steering column. Getting familiar with the array takes a few kilometres but by the time I reached Ballarat I could find most things without taking eyes off the road.

The Cummins ISXe5 in the test truck was rated at 550hp and 2508Nm of torque, and with Eaton’s Ultrashift Plus 18-speed AMT it was a breeze to keep the engine in the torque band. Argosy continues to attract traditionalists – the production split last year was 65 per cent Eaton Roadranger manual, and 35 per cent AMT. But the trend is all towards more auto-shifts.

My feeling was that it pulled more strongly than the DD15 in the last Argosy I drove. On the steep climbs before Ballarat, the speed was up around 5km/h over the Detroit-powered EGR engine version.

One surprise was the cruise control cutting out on a hill when the speed dipped below 50km/h. I lost around 10km/h as the co-driver and I figured out what had happened and got back on the gas. We thought the cut-out point could be lowered to say 30km/h but apparently there might be an ADR issue with that. Freightliner is going review it but it’s not a big issue if you’re aware of it.

The fan is a two-speed Horton Drivemaster unit that cuts in with a thump when the engine temp reaches 99 degrees. But with Argosy’s vast 1650 sq. in. radiator it pulls the temp down to 90 degrees in less than two minutes. You can feel it come in as well. No wonder – it soaks up around 70hp.

Overall, my road test from Mulgrave on the eastern boundaries of Melbourne’s metro area across to Ballarat and return showed the engine temp was stable at around five degrees cooler than the DD15 EGR engine.

At this stage fleets have indicated that on linehaul work, the EGR system in the DD15 engines is fine, as is the Cummins set-up. But for intense local work, such as wharf haulage where there is a lot of idle time and excessive heat loadings, the SCR system is preferred. At the moment, Argosy sales are split around 65 per cent DD15 and 35 per cent Cummins. But the company reviews the sales percentages each month and considers the preferences of potential customers who are in the mix before ordering the next batch.

Freightliner already has the larger DD16 Detroit engine in SCR form on test in Australia with selected operators. The data gathered will enable the company to have the power and torque settings optimised before the new engine is released here. At this stage there’s no date set. Certainly the company won’t disturb the present line-up until our local equivalent of Euro VI becomes law.

In the meantime, Cummins will be the option for Argosy buyers who prefer the SCR technology. And that would be me. The extra cooling margin, reduced corrosive gases in the combustion chamber, and less heat soak into the cab all contribute to durability and comfort.

Engine: Cummins ISXe5 15-litre common rail six cylinder turbo diesel

Power: 550hp at 2000rpm

Torque: 2508Nm from 1150 - 1600rpm

Emissions: ADR 80/03

Ttransmission: Eaton UltraShift Plus 18-speed AMT

Cconfiguration: 6x4

Tare: 8317kg

GVM: 24000kg

GCM: 90000kg

Wheelbase: 4200mm

BBC: 2573mm

Brakes: Drum

Web: http://www.freightliner.com.au