The International ProStar was a line of Class 8 highway trucks built by Navistar from 2006 to 2016. It introduced the “-Star” naming that later spread across the range, replaced the 9400i and 9200i, and was developed as a $300 million project to produce the most fuel-efficient Class 8 truck in North America.
International ProStar at a glance
| Maker | Navistar International |
|---|---|
| Production | 2006–2016 |
| Class | Class 8 long-distance highway tractor |
| Replaced | the International 9400i and 9200i |
| BBC | 122 inches with a set-back front axle |
| Cab layouts | day cab and several sleeper configurations |
| Engines | MaxxForce 11 and 13, Cummins ISX15, and the Navistar N13 from 2015 |
| Revisions | ProStar+ in 2010, ProStar ES in 2015 |
| Assembly | Chatham, Ontario until 2009; then Springfield, Ohio and Escobedo, Mexico |
| Replaced by | International LT for 2017 |
Based on one source (English Wikipedia). No suitable free photograph of the ProStar was found, so the article has no new pictures.
History of the International ProStar
A fuel-efficiency project
The ProStar was introduced in 2006 and marked the arrival of the “-Star” naming at International. It replaced the 9400i and the shorter 9200i and competed with the Freightliner Cascadia and the Kenworth T2000 and Peterbilt 387. The truck shared its NGV cab with the TranStar, LoneStar and DuraStar, but was developed as a $300 million project to produce the most fuel-efficient Class 8 truck in North America while improving driver ergonomics and reducing maintenance. It was built on a 122-inch BBC with a set-back front axle, in day-cab and several sleeper-cab versions, and was powered by MaxxForce 11 and 13 diesels or the Cummins ISX15.
ProStar+ and ProStar ES
In 2010 the ProStar was renamed ProStar+ as part of a model revision that brought emissions and fuel-economy refinements, including 700 pounds of weight reduction, and interior updates aimed at functionality. For 2015 a second revision was offered as the ProStar ES, or Efficiency Specification: further exterior aerodynamic changes plus engine and transmission control changes, with an automated manual transmission as standard.
Assembly and the end
At first the ProStar was assembled in Chatham, Ontario; after that plant closed in 2009 production moved to Springfield, Ohio and Escobedo, Mexico. For New Zealand a right-hand-drive version was assembled in Tauranga in 6×4, 8×4 and 10×4 configurations. For 2015 Navistar introduced its N13 diesel as an option, replacing the MaxxForce engines. The ProStar was replaced for 2017 by the International LT, short for Line-haul Tractor, which used a heavily revised NGV cab and was claimed to be more than 7 per cent more economical than the ProStar+, saving an operator over $2,000 a year in fuel. The LT is powered by a Cummins X15 as standard, with the Navistar N13 and later the International A26 as options. In New Zealand the ProStar’s successor was the RH rather than the LT, introduced in 2023 with an updated right-hand-drive instrument panel.
Design and features
- Fuel economy: the whole programme was aimed at the lowest fuel consumption in the North American Class 8 market.
- 122-inch BBC: a set-back front axle and a cab shared with the TranStar, LoneStar and DuraStar.
- ProStar+: the 2010 revision cut 700 pounds and improved the interior.
- ProStar ES: the 2015 efficiency specification with an automated manual gearbox as standard.
- International LT: the 2017 replacement, over 7 per cent more economical than the ProStar+.
International ProStar versions
- ProStar (2006–2010): the original truck with MaxxForce 11 and 13 or Cummins ISX15 engines.
- ProStar+ (2010–2014): lighter and more economical revision.
- ProStar ES (2015–2016): Efficiency Specification with aerodynamic and driveline changes.
- Right-hand drive (New Zealand): 6×4, 8×4 and 10×4 versions assembled in Tauranga.
The ProStar replaced the 9000 series in the range and shared its cab with the LoneStar; its successor is the International LT, covered with the Transtar family. More trucks are in the International collection.
Sources
- International ProStar, English Wikipedia: development, revisions, engines, LT successor
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