The Volvo VN, also known as the VNL, is a heavy-duty truck developed in North America and introduced in 1996 as Volvo’s second-generation Class 8 tractor. It has been built at the New River Valley plant in Dublin, Virginia, and renamed VNL for the 2000 model year.
Volvo VN at a glance
| Introduced | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Renamed | VNL for the 2000 model year |
| Built at | New River Valley, Dublin, Virginia |
| Type | North American Class 8 bonneted tractor |
| Name meaning | L for long bonnet, compared with the medium-bonnet VNM |
| Weight saving | about 1,100 lb lighter than the previous Volvo conventional, the WI |
| Other models | VNM until 2017, VNR from 2017, VNX from 2013 |
| 2003 update | 400 lb lighter, revised hood, trapezoidal headlamps |
| 2018 update | new design, dashboard and reclining bunk |
| Cab safety | designed to meet the Swedish cab safety test |
History of the Volvo VN
The VN was the first Volvo commercial vehicle assembled in the United States after the WhiteGMC brand was discontinued, although Volvo did not buy the rest of General Motors’ truck interests until 1997, when its American division became Volvo Trucks North America. It was developed alongside the European FH, FM and NH generation and also drew on the previous White-GMC designs, and because of that shared development the cab was designed to meet the Swedish cab safety test, a stricter standard than American rules required. It was about 500 kg lighter than the previous Volvo conventional truck, the WI.
The model name carries meaning: the L in VNL stands for a long bonnet, compared with the medium-bonneted VNM for regional work and the VNR. A full name such as VNL64T760 gives the number of wheels and driven wheels, a T for tractor and a three-digit code for the cab, where 300 is a day cab, 400 a short sleeper and 640 to 780 various full sleepers with flat or high roofs.
Updates
In August 2002, for the 2003 model year, the first facelift arrived about 180 kg lighter with a revised hood, trapezoidal headlamps, new fairings and a redesigned interior. Attention to aerodynamics included moving the cab to close the gap with the trailer. The engines met the 2002 EPA rules, with Volvo’s own 12-litre unit at 365 to 465 hp and the Cummins ISX at 400 to 565 hp, and from 2005 the 16-litre Volvo engine was available. On 11 July 2017 Volvo launched a redesigned 2018 VNL with aerodynamic improvements, a new dashboard and a reclining bunk in the sleeper, using the D11 and D13 engines and the Cummins X15.
The VNX, added in 2013, is the vocational model of the family and came with the Volvo D16 engine of up to 600 hp and 2,780 Nm, an I-Shift automated manual gearbox and, initially, a limited choice of specifications.
Design and features
- North American design: a long-nose tractor built for the American market.
- Swedish cab test: the cab met a stricter European safety standard.
- Lightweight: about 500 kg lighter than the truck it replaced.
- Clear model codes: bonnet length, wheels, tractor type and cab style.
- VNX: a 600 hp vocational version from 2013.
Volvo VN versions
- VN (1996): the original second-generation Class 8 tractor.
- VNL (2000): the long-bonnet long-haul version.
- VNM: medium-bonnet regional model, built until 2017.
- VNR (2017): regional tractor.
- VNX (2013): vocational model with the D16 engine.
The VN was developed alongside the European Volvo FH and FM, and it sits beside Volvo’s other North American trucks in the Volvo collection.
Sources
- Volvo VN, English Wikipedia: origin, naming, plant, updates, VNX
