Fendt 700 Vario: seven generations of Fendt’s best-seller

The Fendt 700 Vario is a series of tractors made in Marktoberdorf that has been Fendt’s best-selling model line since its launch. The first 700 Vario was presented on 30 August 1998, and seven generations later the series is still in production, with the Gen7 on the market since the summer of 2022.

Fendt 700 Vario at a glance

History of the Fendt 700 Vario

Launch in 1998

The 700 Vario series debuted on 30 August 1998. It introduced the brand-new ML 180 continuously variable transmission and won the “Tractor of the Year 1999” award. The model was positioned above the 200, 300 and 500 Vario lines and below the larger 800 Vario to 1100 Vario MT, and among the larger Fendt tractors it is considered particularly versatile. It became the manufacturer’s best-selling model and the most popular tractor in Germany.

Seven generations

Since its presentation in 1998 the drive, technology and equipment of the 700 Vario have been continuously developed, and the series now has seven generations, each with four to six models that differ mainly in power. The Variotronic operating system, introduced with the first generation in 1998, was internationally awarded. Since 2011 the fourth generation has been equipped with Fendt Efficient Technology (FET) and the VisioPlus cab, and in 2020 the sixth generation brought the FendtOne operating system. As demand grew worldwide, the available track widths of the models were adjusted. The Gen6 and Gen7 machines are still being produced, while older generations remain on the used market because of their durability.

The seventh generation

The Gen7, on the market since the summer of 2022, comprises five models, the 720, 722, 724, 726 and 728 Vario, with a power range from 149 to 208 kW (203 to 303 hp). For the first time a Deutz engine was not used: the new models have a six-cylinder AGCO Power engine of 7.5 litres and 1,220 Nm. The fans, transmission and drive were renewed as well, and the Fendt VarioDrive drive from the 1000 Vario series, which shifts the driving ranges automatically, was integrated into the 700 Vario. A new compact cooling unit, the Concentric Air System (CAS), has a slim design that allows a large steering angle and makes the Gen7 particularly manoeuvrable. All models have integrated hood and rear cameras, the Fendt Stability Control safety system that reduces side inclination and swaying under heavy loads, and the VarioGrip integrated tyre pressure control. From late 2023 a new trailer brake assistant became optionally available.

Production milestone

On 25 July 2024 the 100,000th Fendt 700 Vario rolled off the production line in Marktoberdorf. All 700 Vario models currently built comply with the European Stage V exhaust emission standard.

Design and features

• Continuously variable drive: the ML 180 transmission at launch in 1998, replaced in the Gen7 by VarioDrive from the 1000 Vario.
• Best-seller: the most popular tractor in Germany and Fendt’s best-selling series.
• Variotronic and FendtOne: the operating systems of 1998 and 2020 that shaped the driver’s workplace.
• VisioPlus cab: introduced with the fourth generation in 2011, together with Fendt Efficient Technology.
• Gen7 technology: a 7.5-litre AGCO Power engine, CAS cooling, Stability Control and VarioGrip.

Fendt 700 Vario versions

• First generation (1998): new ML 180 continuously variable transmission and Variotronic.
• Fourth generation (from 2011): Fendt Efficient Technology and the VisioPlus cab.
• Sixth generation (from 2020): FendtOne operating system and adjusted track widths.
• Seventh generation (from 2022): five models from 720 to 728 Vario, 203 to 303 hp, AGCO Power engine and VarioDrive.
• Gen7 with trailer brake assistant: optional from late 2023.

The 700 Vario sits above the compact Fendt 200 Vario and the Fendt Farmer 300 line in the range. More Fendt tractors are in the Fendt collection.

Sources

• Fendt 700 Vario, English Wikipedia: history, generations, Gen7 models and equipment
• Fendt 700 Vario, German Wikipedia: AGCO ownership, position in the range, Gen7 details