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ST. LOUIS – Navistar International Corp. executives said they were taking aim at the light-medium commercial truck sector with the introduction Wednesday of the TerraStar, a Classes 4/5 cab chassis truck.
The new truck was designed to take advantage of what the company saw as an opportunity in the light-medium market, said Jack Allen, president of North American operations, during a media event at the National Truck Equipment Association’s Work Truck Show here.
Noting that the three traditional sector leaders – Chrysler/Dodge, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors – for different reasons have all had “significantly less focus” in this business area, “we wanted to get to market quickly” with a Classes 4/5 truck, Allen said.
The truck will be powered by an upgraded Navistar V-8 MaxxForce 7 diesel engine with ratings of 220, 240, 260 and 300 horsepower, and torque ratings of 560, 600 and 660 pound-feet, depending on configuration. The engine will be matched to an Allison 1000 5-speed automatic. A 6-speed version will be available in the future, company executives said.
Following Navistar’s corporate strategy, the engine will use advanced exhaust gas recirculation to meet 2010 federal diesel emission standards. Navistar is the only manufacturer not using selective catalytic reduction to meet 2010 diesel emission standards. Advanced EGR does not require an additional exhaust canister or the use of diesel exhaust fluid, as do SCR systems.
The cab has 30% more interior space and 28% more windshield visibility than “the market leader,” Allen said. The truck will be available in regular, extended and crew cab configurations. An all-wheel drive version will be available in 2011. Commercial bus variants for school buses and the rental car shuttle markets also will be available.
The truck will be built at Navistar’s truck plant in Garland, Texas. Production will begin in the fall.
The truck will include International’s Diamond Logic telematics system. Features will include automated pre-trip inspections, headlights that automatically turn on with windshield wipers, and programmable switches.
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