ASTRA HD9 OFF-ROAD TRUCK by ATN

The Astra HD9 is a rather imposing lump of truck. The Italian built off-roader rolls out of its box as an eight-wheel drive that has a GCM of up to 70 tonnes. The Astra brand is a part of the mammoth CNH Industrial group, part of the same stable as Iveco. No surprise then that the vehicles are being sold through the Iveco dealer network. Those eight wheels are driven by a 480hp 13 litre Iveco Cursor engine that uses ZF’s venerable 16-speed automated transmission, which also runs through a two-speed mechanical transfer case.  Hub reduction axles help amplify the Cursor’s 1700lb/ft of torque.

It’s been made to climb mountains with big loads on its back and the roads, if they indeed exist, are less than average. It’s well specced for keeping all eight wheels on the ground at any given time as it uses Iveco’s rather nifty steel cantilever rear suspension. The cantilever set up which is also used on the off-road Iveco Trakker overseas has excellent articulation off-road.

The load-sharing front suspension of the HD9 uses parabolic leaf springs that are air bag dampened. A similar set up is also found on the 8×4 Iveco Stralis. If low speed tractability is your thing while playing in the mud there is also the option of an Allison 4700 automatic.

We got to climb up into the towering cab of the Astra for a first drive of the 8×8. Unfortunately this truck wasn’t actually loaded, mainly because it didn’t even have a body on it. So I was only going to get a glimpse of the big rigid rather than a real look at its capabilities off-road. Two seconds in the driver’s seat and it’s very apparent that the Astra is a part of the CNH family. The switch gear and instrument panel are all Iveco family and nothing is oddly placed.

The outside of the cab could almost be called retro in its lumpy-bumpy styling, but inside the overall feel is modern and functional.

The transmission selector panel consists of rocker switches that are mounted above the dash panel to the left of the steering wheel. High and low range as well as diff lock dials and buttons are all centrally mounted. On the road the jacked up Astra gives a commanding view, but what did surprise me was the quality of the ride. A cab chassis off-roader with no body fitted and no load should’ve been a hard riding, bouncy kidney beater.

Admittedly it’s no limo, but for what it is the air bag dampened front in does a very nice job of taking the kick out of the big parabolics underneath. It’s also surprisingly manoeuvrable for a big rigid on a 6.5m wheel base, and doesn’t need a lot of road when cornering. Overall it seems like a reasonably comfortable, easy to handle vehicle.

This truck is clearly one for the resource exploration and mining types.

By: Matt Wood – Date: 06.02.2015