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New Magnum
Lights up the gloom!
The arrival on our roads of a new truck is always an ‘event,’ credit crunch or not, and despite the current gloom, the new Renault Magnum, available from September, will undoubtedly bring some much needed and appreciated cheer.
Export & Freight’s Garfield Harrison was recently invited to France to get up close and personal with the new Long Distance truck, which takes the Magnum into a whole new dimension, and we can say right away that it doesn’t disappoint.
 With a sleeker and more assertive design, this latest version of the Magnum has clearly made improved onboard comfort a priority with its totally redesigned, more luxurious cab, offering greater volume, increased storage space, improved comfort and more equipment that we reckon will delight and excite both drivers and hauliers.
By raising the roof in the new cab by 20 cm, headroom now exceeds 2 m, allowing drivers to move around fully upright, without being hindered by various items of equipment. Even when there are two drivers, conditions never appear cramped.
What’s called ‘the Multipass concept’ - which comes as standard - offers a carefully designed layout featuring a suspended driver seat, swivelling passenger seat, fold-up table and a modular rest area with one or two bunks. The Solo version allows the driver to change the driving area into a relaxation area by means of a swivelling passenger seat, while the Duo version allows the passenger to travel under the best conditions in a non-swivelling, suspended passenger seat.
By the way, the Classic cab remains available as an option. It offers a conventional layout with a suspended driver's seat and a fixed bunk over a set of storage bins, as well as a swivelling passenger seat.
 Equipment
So what about equipment? The Privilège cab version comes complete with air conditioning, individual heating, remote door control, remotely controlled radio/CD player, an additional drawer under the bunk, an electrical cab ventilator which can be controlled from the bunk, pre-equipment for installing a hands-free kit and two power outlets of 12V and 24V.
The Excellence version has all of this as well as a Bluetooth radio CD /MP3 player, electrical cab tilting, side fairings, headlight washers and a refrigerator.
You’ll never been stuck for storage space in the new Magnum. Depending on the cab configurations chosen, total storage volume can exceed 1000 L. The front header storage unit, easily reached by the driver, has been tripled in volume, now offering a total of 263 L. It consists of 3 storage compartments on the left and right closed by rigid doors on gas jacks, a central storage compartment with lockable pull-down curtain closure, sufficiently large to accommodate a television, coffee machine or even a microwave oven, and a 3 compartment storage area for housing electronic equipment such as a radio or CB.
The rear header, inspired by solutions developed in the aeronautics industry, fits perfectly into the upper part of the cab. Offering an additional 95 L of storage space and capable of supporting a load of up to 20 kg, it can easily accommodate a travel bag packed for several days.
A retractable courtesy mirror is incorporated into the door next to the opening handle.
The door storage bins, each with the capacity of 16.2 L, have been designed in particular to accommodate a 1.5 L water bottle.
Lighting has been improved, too, with 4 white 21W ceiling lights, 2 red 7W ceiling lights for night driving and 2 fixed or mobile reading lights, according to version. User comfort is provided by ergonomically positioned two-way switches.
 Engine & Gearbox
So what powers all this? The DXi13 Euro 4 and Euro 5 Incentive engine has been specially adapted for the Magnum by Renault Trucks. Available in two power ratings, 460 hp (339 kW) and 500 hp (368 kW), the engine offers a broad range of torque for greater driving comfort and optimised fuel consumption.
The DXi13 is also fitted with an exhaust brake. The most powerful of its type on the market, this compression brake offers retardation power of 193 kW with power at the wheel of 2,300 rpm.
The manual gearboxes available on Magnum are designed to provide greater control over fuel consumption and deliver improved driving comfort. All ZF gearboxes are fitted with super H for greater gearshift comfort and safety. This consists of superimposing gears 5 to 8 over gears 1 to 4. Switching from one range of gears to another is accomplished by activating a press button on the gearshift lever handle.
These eight gears are split into sixteen half gears to more closely correspond to actual engine power, thereby further optimising fuel consumption. Super H also offers drivers enhanced comfort, less fatigue, greater accuracy and simplicity - preventing over-speeding by means of an electric valve protecting the system from gearshift errors. The Servoshift takes on 75% of the effort, leaving the driver to only provide a very small part of it.
The robotised Optidriver+ gearbox is lightweight and compact, consisting of a basic gearbox and a splitter in aluminium providing 12 forward and 4 reverse gears.
Gearshifts are fully automated using a single optimised driving programme, which selects the best gear for the prevailing conditions of use and load. This ensures the engine is always operating within its most efficient range, thus helping to reduce consumption and keep operating costs under control.
New Magnum also offers users the powerful and dependable Optibrake or Optibrake+ engine brake, the hydraulic Intarder retarder with manual gearboxes, or Voith retarder with the Optidriver+, the four disc brakes, EBS (Electronic Braking System) and the APM (Air Product Management) electronically managed air system. This, say Renault, all adds up to what is, ‘quite simply, the best braking on the market.’
Optifuel Solutions
Significantly, New Magnum comes exclusively with the new Michelin X Energy SaverGreen tyres – part of Renault’s Optifuel Solutions programme - that result in the vehicle consuming less fuel, which currently accounts for up to a third of haulier’s operating costs. In turn, less fuel usage reduces CO2 and greenhouse effect gas emissions.
The tyres also improve safety, thanks to the toughness of the carcass and the high level of grip, even under inferior conditions, such as wet road surfaces. Gains in pulling power and grip have also been made possible by the double wave sipes, also developed by Michelin Durable Technologies.
Incidentally, economical driver training targeting instructors and drivers, available through Renault Trucks since last year only in France, is now being rolled out progressively throughout Europe. This three day course is designed to help operators get the very best out of the truck in terms of fuel efficiency and productivity. No doubt, we will be hearing more about that in future months.
Verdict
Renault have hailed this latest Magnum as a ‘new dimension,’ and having climbed into the driver’s seat to get a feel for the truck we have no doubt that the manufacturer’s claim of ‘100% customer satisfaction’ is not far from the mark!
It is more stylish, it is roomier, it does offer a superb working environment, it does have great character and it will continue the Renault Magnum’s magnificent success story well into the future.
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