Extensive driver input helps International Truck deliver new levels of fuel efficiency in new LT Series
International Truck has launched the International LT Series, its new flagship line of Class 8 over-the-road trucks developed through driver centric design and featuring advanced technologies that deliver unrivaled fuel efficiency, best-in-class uptime and unparalleled driver appeal.
“The new International LT Series reflects our vision for the future of the trucking industry, with a host of advancements that support improved driver safety and productivity, as well as fuel efficiency and uptime,” said Bill Kozek, president, Truck and Parts, Navistar. “This new vehicle reflects our strong belief that integrating the best technology will provide customers with a significant operating advantage.”
In developing the LT Series, International worked hard to assure that drivers will find each vehicle more comfortable, appealing and user-friendly in every detail. In keeping with the company’s DriverFirst product design focus, International undertook extensive research with truck drivers, including driver clinics that gathered input from hundreds of drivers. International used this research to design an all-new interior, and identified multiple new and improved features that enhance driver appeal.
“To ensure the new LT Series is the most driver-centric Class 8 vehicle we’ve ever built, we gave drivers a voice in its design,” said Jeff Sass, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, Navistar. “Many of our customers tell us that their number-one challenge is attracting and retaining drivers, which is why we put so much effort into understanding and responding to drivers’ needs. These improvements also contribute to increased driver ease of use that will boost the vehicle’s productivity.”
Based on a careful review of more than 500 points where the driver and truck interact, the highly ergonomic interior of the LT Series includes better elbow room, hip room and leg room. Driver input also led to a smart, well-designed mix of high-tech and traditional features that emphasize driver ease of use.
The redesigned interior features a new premium gauge cluster with a digital driver display that places everything within comfortable reach, while offering drivers real-time monitoring of fuel economy and other important alerts in clear sight. The new display also offers up to 15 customizable digital gauges. In addition, the air horn was relocated back to its traditional, intuitive position over the driver door in response to overwhelming driver feedback.
The same aerodynamic improvements that boosted the LT Series’ fuel efficiency also yielded a four-Sone decrease in wind noise, which eliminates noise harshness for improved driver comfort.
Multiple improvements are designed for improved safety, including standard LED headlamps to improve night vision, a column-mounted gear-shifter that allows drivers to keep their eyes on the road, and a redesigned one-piece side window that affords the driver a clearer line of sight. In addition, the Bendix Wingman Advanced Collision Mitigation system comes standard in the LT Series.
The LT Series features dramatically improved aerodynamics and provides fuel efficiency that is 7 percent better than the company’s most recent fuel economy leader, a 2017 ProStar with the Cummins ISX15 engine.
International has always placed a strong emphasis on industry-leading aerodynamics as a solid foundation for fuel efficiency, and the LT Series delivers 3 percent improvement in fuel economy due to its aerodynamic benefits alone. Upgraded aerodynamic features on the new International LT Series include an aero-contoured hood, fender, wheel opening and chassis skirts and an aero-enhanced three-piece front bumper, while longer side extenders shorten the trailer gap.
Aerodynamics in the LT Series were fine-tuned using multiple advanced testing methods, including computational fluid dynamics, one-eighth scale and full-size wind tunnel and coast-down testing, to assure that the vehicle would perform well facing winds not just head-on, but also at an angle. In fact, the higher the yaw angle of the wind, the better the LT Series performs against the competition.
Central to the advances of the International LT Series are advanced driver assistance systems that support safety and efficiency goals and pave the way for additional customer-selected options.
International’s own predictive cruise control looks ahead of the vehicle and recognizes the terrain and continuously calculates the most efficient speed and gear for optimal fuel economy in real time. Unlike conventional predictive cruise technology, International predictive cruise control uses preinstalled GPS maps and the latest commercial route data to make adjustments to cruising speed without the need to pre-drive the route.
The sophisticated new electronic control systems also use programmable parameters to optimize efficiency. Driver controls and instrumentation are based on robust industry-standard SAE J1939 electrical architecture, with a new cluster and switches designed to keep drivers focused and maximize uptime.
Multiple Configurations Available
The LT Series will be offered in multiple configurations, including day cab, 56-inch low roof sleeper, 56-inch hi-rise sleeper, 73-inch hi-rise sleeper and 73-inch sky-rise sleeper. It will offer customers a choice of engines that provide premium performance.
The LT Series is being launched with the new 2017 Cummins X15 engine, which has horsepower ratings of up to 500 hp in the efficiency series and up to 565 hp in the performance series. It is also being launched with the new 2017 Navistar N13 engine, which will be available in the spring and has an advanced fuel-efficient 13-litre design that produces up to 475 hp and 1,750 lb.-ft. of torque from a design that is 500 to 600 pounds lighter than traditional big bore engines.
