The Renault Magnum has generated an impressive history. It predates the first Gulf War, the World Wide Web and has seen two generations of Bush in the White House. It turns 18 next year, and, despite undergoing various makeovers during that time, the Magnum remains arguably the most distinctive truck in Europe. Oliver Dixon meets the latest version face to face…

MUCH HAS changed since 1991. From a structural perspective, Renault VI is now Renault Trucks, and is a subsidiary of AB Volvo. From a design perspective, much of what made the Magnum revolutionary 17 years ago, a flat floor, two metres of headroom and an acceptance that a truck cab is as much living as working accommodation, are now commonplace features at the upper end of European truck specification sheets.

In truth, the Renault Magnum used to be a truck that was very much one of a kind.

Today, however, every OEM competing within the European marketplace offers a premium specification tractor unit. The challenge that faces the Magnum is, therefore, a simple one. Can a 17 year old design still cut it in what is an extremely competitive sector?

We’ll return to this question later, but first, it’s worth taking a look at just how much of a Renault the new Magnum really is. Powered by the DXi13 Euro 4/Euro 5 engine, the new range is available in either 460 or 500bhp guise. The DXi13 comes complete with the Optibrake, which, with 193kW worth of retardation power at 2,300rpm is comfortably the most powerful exhaust brake on the market at present.

Three transmissions are offered with new Magnum. Two ZF 16 speed manual units; S2320 and S2520 and the Optidriver+ automated manual transmission, which, we assume, will make up by far the vast majority of specification choice.

This is an AB Volvo group driveline, and one that will be familiar to anyone who has peered underneath a Volvo FH recently.

The gallicisation of the Swedish driveline takes place within the electronics, and an impressive job Renault has done too; both 460 and 500bhp variants drive extremely well and feel accomplished.

It is however rather notable that new Magnum, a flagship tractor unit, is lacking a plus 500bhp unit. Whilst much of the market above 500bhp may be attributed to at least some operator vanity, the fact remains that this is a slightly peculiar omission; both the 460 and 500bhp units are 13 litre engines, and it seems strange that a 16 litre unit isn’t on offer here.