Scania tops up 13-litre engine range

Scania has launched a 540hp version of its 13-litre engine, taking the straight-six into the 500+ power rating that was previously the preserve of its 16-litre V8s. The new engine is said to return potential fuel savings of up to two per cent over its V8 stablemates.

Peak torque of 2,700 Nm is available from 1,000 rpm: Alexander Vlaskamp, Scania’s senior vice-president and head of trucks, claims that this makes the engine equally suitable for low weight, high-speed operations where a very high top gear can be specified to minimise engine speeds and fuel consumption, or arduous applications such as timber haulage, where heavy loads must be carried on bad roads, where the combination of the high-torque engine with hub-reduction axles will give enhanced pulling power.

Scania’s 13-litre offering now includes five power ratings from 370 to 520 hp. The previous 500 hp straight-six range-topper continues in production, and its peak torque of 2,550 Nm is produced over a wider range than the 540’s: 925 – 1,340 rpm, compared to 1,000 – 1,300. Both units produce maximum power at 1,800 rpm.

Like the 500, the new 540 features a robust fixed-geometry turbo running on ball-bearings. Emissions-control on all the 13-litre engines is SCR-only, Scania having long-abandoned its claims about the superiority of exhaust gas recirculation technology.

Entry level for the current Scania V8 engine range is 520 hp, with an identical torque output to the 13-litre 540 of 2700 Nm.