A bonsai can be grown in the cab of a Volvo FH540 heavy truck
Author: Yu Zhanbo
[Shangchebang Introduction] Upon entering the cab, there was actually a potted plant placed on its center console - yes, a bonsai.
Recently, at a Volvo Trucks 4S dealership, Shangchebang came across a special truck - the Volvo FH540. It is special both because it is currently the top-of-the-line Volvo truck model sold in China, and because its various configurations are an eye-opener. But what makes it most special is that upon entering the cab, there was actually a potted plant placed on its center console - yes, a bonsai.
Height-adjustable cab air suspension
The electronically controlled air suspension handle has a magnet, secured firmly and easy to stow
The highly complex front air suspension layout
First, let us introduce this truck's configuration. The Volvo FH540 is powered by a Volvo D13 China V engine with a maximum output of 540 hp (397 kW), mated as standard to a 12-speed I-shift automated transmission. It is currently the most powerful model Volvo sells in the Chinese market.
From a distance, this truck already looks somewhat different. The lower front portion of its cab sits less than 10 cm above the ground, almost touching it. It turns out that this Volvo FH540 not only has air suspension on both rear axles, but its front axle also uses air suspension, which is very rare in the domestic truck market. Although the high-roof extra-large cab and 13L engine are very heavy, the curb weight of this 6x4 tractor is only 8870 kg.
On the anti-slip mat of the center console sits a bonsai composed of various plants
Opening the door and climbing the 4 steps into the cab, since the author test-drove this truck when it was launched in Asia that year, I was already very familiar with the interior, but the interior of this truck still gave me some surprises. It turns out that on the anti-slip mat of the center console sits a bonsai composed of various plants, its lush green appearance instantly filling the cab with vitality. This was the first time the author had seen such a sight in a truck, and I greatly admire this driver's love of life. Just imagine, rushing along the road every day, with such a green plant for company, it would surely be some relief from the hard and dull work. Why have I never seen flowers grown in other trucks? I think, besides the driver himself being a person who knows how to live, there is also an objective reason: this truck uses front air suspension. If it used leaf springs, a pot of flowers would not survive the long-distance bumps. In addition, the center console of the Volvo FH has a lot of usable space, and is specially equipped with a bowl-shaped anti-slip mat - if you did not put a pot of flowers there, it would really be a waste of these thoughtful designs. Furthermore, this truck uses air-damped suspension, driver's seat and cab, with overall damping reaching 3 levels.
A truly worthy multifunction steering wheel; the instrument panel also has a strong Nordic style
Safety is one of Volvo's core values, and it is directly reflected in this FH. Above the left door there is an alarm device used to detect the smoke concentration inside the vehicle; once it exceeds the standard, it will sound an alarm, mainly to prevent accidents caused by exhaust fumes poisoning the driver when the vehicle is idling for long periods - in past news reports, such accidents could often be heard of. On the armrest on the right passenger side there is a small radar device, used specifically to detect the blind spot at the lower right of the vehicle; once a cyclist or other small vehicle appears in the blind spot, the vehicle will automatically sound an alarm. The black device in the middle of the windshield is used to monitor lane lines and the following distance to the vehicle ahead; once it is outside the safe range, the alarm device above the instrument panel will first give a light warning. Because this truck is equipped with an AEBS device, if the driver does not take action after the warning, the vehicle will automatically brake.
Smoke alarm
Lower right front blind spot monitoring device
Forward and lane departure warning device
Now let us talk about this truck's chassis layout. The chassis layout is very compact and ingenious. By moving the urea tank behind the cab and relocating the air tanks to the rear of the vehicle, space was freed up on both sides of the frame, which perfectly accommodates 2 extra-large fuel tanks.
The automated transmission has a dedicated water-cooling device
The chassis layout is very compact and ingenious
Overall, as a long-haul transport tool, this Volvo FH not only has obvious advantages in power and configuration, but also has detail designs that are very much worth learning from.