In June 2021, Scania announced that it will develop a cab model with a larger internal size based on the CR20 Highline and CS20 Highline cabs, providing drivers with more interior space and thus improving the driver's comfort during transportation. After nine months of preparation and intensive development, Scania yesterday unveiled the first interior photos of the new CS23 Highline cab.
As you can see, the picture above is the first finished CS23 Highline high-roof cab, which is also called the CS23H. Among them, C stands for Cab, that is, the cab, S stands for S series trucks, 23 represents the internal length of 2.3 meters, and H stands for the cab for the high-top Highline version. According to Scania's plans, the new extended cab will only be available in a high-top version and will not be available in a Normal flat-top version.
Bigger cab, where is the "big"?
Compared to scania's previous CS20H cab, which had the largest interior space, the overall cab interior has been lengthened by 27 cm. Where did all 27 centimeters go? We've marked it with a red box. As you can also see in the image above, these areas have obvious seam marks. Scania did not redesign the interior, only the same materials.
Compared with the CS20H cab in the picture above, the rear wall and side wall of the cab are moved backwards as a whole, and the equipment fixed to the rear wall is also moved backwards with the rear wall of the cab. Accessories such as rear sleepers, rear roof storage boxes, etc. This expands the mobility space inside the vehicle, allowing Scania to develop more optional accessories. With the launch of the CS23H cab, Scania has developed a rotatable passenger seat and a retractable and expandable sleeper. When fully unfolded, the width of the sleeper can reach more than 1 meter, which is equivalent to the level of the motorhome. Similar to the approach of the Volvo Globetrotter XXL cab, basically all the space was added to the sleepers.
Pictured above is the frame of the new CS23H cab. It can be seen that the newly extended cab side wall is mainly hidden inside the side deflectors, and the modification of the body structure is small. At the same time, Scania has taken into account the safety of the new cab, allowing it to meet Scania's stringent safety standards.
However, there is a key problem. In EU regulations, truck manufacturers must make their vehicles more aerodynamic, safer and more visible. These prerequisites can only be met before cab length can be increased for these needs. Scania's CS23H cab and Volvo's Globetrotter cab did not meet this criterion, and there was no regulatory exemption for the general length. Therefore, although the extended cab is hidden inside the deflector, if you want to meet the length limit, you must consider using a shorter trailer. Alternatively, it can be used in countries with less restrictive restrictions, such as Norway. Scania will focus on the Nordic market and gain more success in countries with less restrictive restrictions.
How does it compare to the Volvo and Duffgay cabs?
For comparison, let's take a look at Volvo's Globetrotter XXL cab. The cab is similar, hiding the extended area within the side deflector, for a total length of 25 cm. This cab is also the first larger cab on the European market.
Flip open the side shroud and you'll see the mystery of the cab. Don't underestimate this narrow area, it greatly enhances the spatial performance inside the cab.
At the same time, because the basic frame has not changed, the cab fixing and installation methods are basically similar, and the changes to the mechanical level are small.
Here at Volvo, all the elongated areas are given to sleepers, bringing the width of the sleepers to 105 centimeters. At the same time, with the rotatable passenger seat, plus a small folding table, it makes the cab feel more at home. The interior layout of the Scania Plus cab is similar, but the telescopic bed gives more flexibility to the interior. There's no denying that Volvo offers more experience to latecomers.
The new generation of DUF Trucks is currently the only larger cab truck on the European market that meets EU standards. Among them, the cab of the XF truck has been lengthened by 20 centimeters, while the cab of XG and XG+ has reached a full 50 centimeters, which is nearly double the length of Scania and Volvo's products, almost a dimensionality reduction blow. Because of this, DUF is reversing the sales trend of European trucks and gradually returning to the first echelon.
XG+ truck on the left and XF truck on the right. Duff took into account the internal space arrangement when lengthening, leaving space for the sleeper and the center of the driving area, which greatly improved the internal sense of space. However, the size of the sleeper in Duff has not been greatly widened, only about 80 centimeters. However, in exchange for more internal turnover space, it also brings more storage space and a more comfortable driving position. In addition, thanks to regulatory exemptions, the new generation of DUF trucks can legally tow standard-size trailers without worrying about extra long lengths.
The cab length of the DUFF XG+ reaches about 2.6 meters.
The cab length of the base DUF XF is about 2.3 meters, which is roughly similar to the extended Scania CS23H cab and the Volvo Globetrotter XXL cab. Therefore, duff's sales performance is also understandable.
Currently, even the largest DUF XG+ cab has only been lengthened by 50 centimeters. Eu regulations stipulate that if the relevant aerodynamic, safety and visibility standards can be met, the cab can be lengthened by up to 90 centimeters, leaving a lot of room for truck manufacturers to play. At present, the energy of major car companies is mainly focused on the transformation of new energy, and whether there will be related products to follow up remains to be further observed.
Thank you for reading this article! If you want to see more interesting and informative commercial vehicle content, don't forget to follow us!
Text: Heseaotter