Volvo FL
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Volvo FL is Volvo's smallest truck and is suitable for local and regional distribution operations, refuse collection, construction truck or small format tractor. The Volvo FL has been built since the summer of 1985 in a variety of different models of different weight ratings. The latest model has been sold since 2013.


History

Volvo had lost much of its global market share in the medium weight segment by the 1970s and thus felt compelled to develop an entire new range of trucks to regain competitiveness.


First generation

"FL" stands for "Forward Control" and "Low-level Cab". The FL6 and the larger FL7 and FL10 appeared in the summer of 1985. In 1986 the smaller FL4 also appeared, with a 4 litre TD41
turbodiesel The term turbo-diesel, also written as turbodiesel and turbo diesel, refers to any diesel engine equipped with a turbocharger. As with other engine types, turbocharging a diesel engine can significantly increase its efficiency and power output, ...
engine. Beginning in 1995 some of the FL6 models were equipped with the D6A250 engine, which utilized a turbocharger as well as a supercharger. This allowed for an unusually high power-to-weight ratio and plentiful low-end torque. Volvo's larger D7A engine, as fitted to the FL7, could have been easily made to produce the same power but was considerably heavier as it was the same size as the larger ten-litre D10. The FL4 and FL6 have a cabin wide, to allow for city use. The FL7 and FL10's cabins are wide. The heavier FL7 and FL10 was available in a variety of configurations, ranging from 4x2 to 8x6. In 1997 the Volvo FLC arrived, a lighter model rated for rather than the of the regular FL. The FLC has Volvo's D4A 3989 cc turbodiesel with , a five-speed manual, and an air sprung rear axle.


FE6/7 (North America)

For North America, a version called the FE6 was introduced in 1986. There was also a heavier duty seven-litre version called the FE7 - this combines the narrow FL6 cabin with the engine of the FL7. Aside from Volvo's own engines, Caterpillar's 6.6 litre 3116 engine was also offered at a lower price. In 1990 the FE6/FE7 was gradually replaced by the FE42. This sturdy model used the Swedish-built FL/FE cab placed atop the chassis of the 1988 medium bonneted Volvo WG range. The name stood for "Forward control", "Economy", 4x2 configuration. Later the 6x4 FE64 was added to the lineup. In the mid-nineties sales of the FE42/64 series began shrinking as American truck buyers gradually changed back to conventional models. A tractor version was called the FE42T. The last model year for the American range was 1998.


FS7

For customers needing a compact truck with high maximum loads, the FS7 was presented in 1987. Very similar in execution to the US market FE7, it combined the FL6 cabin and chassis with the bigger 7-litre TD73 engine from the FL7. The FS7 was mainly intended for inner-city distribution roles and was manufactured until 1996, when the more powerful and even lighter FL6 Supercharged made the FS7 redundant.


Facelift model

In 2000 the FL series received a facelift, which included a new front clip. The doors and cab structure remained mostly the same.


Engine (FL6)

The Volvo FL6 is powered by a
Volvo The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...
D6B 180-250 hp, six-cylinder
turbocharged In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
and
intercooled An intercooler is a heat exchanger used to cool a gas after compression. Often found in turbocharged engines, intercoolers are also used in air compressors, air conditioners, refrigeration and gas turbines. Internal combustion engines Most ...
diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...
. The control system had a major update, with Volvo's TEA electronics architecture to bring it to line with the rest of its bigger cousins. Inline fuel injection pump was replaced with the
EDC EDC or EdC may refer to: Education * East Devon College, in Tiverton, Devon, England * EDC Paris Business School, a French business school * Education Development Center, an American educational organization * Department for Education (Sout ...
rotary distributor pump from Bosch with the identical
horsepower Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the ...
; despite the loss of
supercharger In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement. The current categorisation is that a supercharger is a form of forced induct ...
from the previous D6A
engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power gen ...
. The
cruise control Cruise control (also known as speed control, cruise command, autocruise, or tempomat) is a system that automatically controls the speed of a motor vehicle. The system is a servomechanism that takes over the throttle of the car to maintain a ste ...
, automatic
exhaust brake An exhaust brake is a means of slowing a diesel engine by closing off the exhaust path from the engine, causing the exhaust gases to be compressed in the exhaust manifold, and in the cylinder. Since the exhaust is being compressed, and there is no ...
and accelerator now became the so-called fly by wire as standard. Full integration with the rest of the vehicle system such as Electronic Suspension Control and ABS made it much more efficient and user friendly.


Transmissions

The Volvo FL
transmission Transmission may refer to: Medicine, science and technology * Power transmission ** Electric power transmission ** Propulsion transmission, technology allowing controlled application of power *** Automatic transmission *** Manual transmission *** ...
is offered as a manual or as an automatic. The manual gearbox made by
ZF Friedrichshafen AG ZF Friedrichshafen AG, also known as ZF Group, originally ''Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen'', and commonly abbreviated to ZF (ZF = "Zahnradfabrik" = "Cogwheel Factory"), is a German car parts maker headquartered in Friedrichshafen, in the south ...
for the Volvo FL has full synchromesh, 9-speed and a wide range of gear ratios. The manual gearbox also features an easy-changing gear selector that requires little pressure to operate. The Automatic gearboxes made by
Allison Allison may refer to: People * Allison (given name) * Allison (surname) (includes a list of people with this name) * Eugene Allison Smith (1922-1980), American politician and farmer Companies * Allison Engine Company, American aircraft engine ...
for the Volvo FL are available in several variants adapted to different engine models in 5-speed versions. Volvo FL gearboxes are fitted with a hydraulic torque converter to give superior starting traction and offer a high level of performance and excellent ergonomics. File:FL_4x2.jpg, Volvo FL 250 File:Volvo-FL.jpg, Volvo FL 4x2 File:Volvo FL10 1987 Kraszna 1.jpg, Volvo FL10 fire engine


Second generation (2006)


Engine (D7E)

The 2006 Volvo FL is powered by Deutz's newly developed D7E 6-cylinder turbocharged intercooled diesel engine with a
displacement Displacement may refer to: Physical sciences Mathematics and Physics *Displacement (geometry), is the difference between the final and initial position of a point trajectory (for instance, the center of mass of a moving object). The actual path ...
of 7.2 litres.


Transmission

The 2006 Volvo FL
transmission Transmission may refer to: Medicine, science and technology * Power transmission ** Electric power transmission ** Propulsion transmission, technology allowing controlled application of power *** Automatic transmission *** Manual transmission *** ...
is offered as a Manual made by ZF from its Eco Mid series or Automatic by
Allison Allison may refer to: People * Allison (given name) * Allison (surname) (includes a list of people with this name) * Eugene Allison Smith (1922-1980), American politician and farmer Companies * Allison Engine Company, American aircraft engine ...
. The Volvo FL is available with two overdrive manual gearboxes, one with six gears and the other with nine. The gearboxes are servo-assisted and light in operation, with a short gear lever. The lever is vibration-free and has a short throw and a very well-defined shift pattern. The automatic transmission with its six speeds is operated smoothly and conveniently with push-buttons on the instrument panel. The automatic transmission is easy on the truck since the engine always operates within its optimum rev. range. This also results in fuel savings. Thanks to a hydraulic torque converter, the transmission provides considerable pulling power when starting off.


Facelift (2013)

The latest version of the Volvo FL was launched in May 2013.
Press release, retrieved May 28, 2013
It’s available with either a 6-cylinder D8 engine or a compact 4-cylinder D5 engine. The engines meet the new Euro 6 environment requirements. This was a rather thorough facelift, with a new grille and much black plastic cladding up front. The corners are also new, as is the front bumper. The interior is also improved, with particular concern for entry and exit. As a part of the Euro 6 renewal of the FL, a 12-tonne version was also launched. It is a lighter and lower truck compared to the 2006 Volvo FL. It uses a four-cylinder D4 with 240 horsepower.


Latin American derivative

A similar model made by Volvo's Brazilian branch, named Volvo VM, is similar in concept and appearance to the second generation of the Volvo FL. A major difference is the VM being only fitted with MWM-International/Maxxforce inline-6 engines, and with the option for either manual or automated-manual transmissions as standard equipment. Other variations besides the 4X2 and 6X4 include the 8X4 rigid and a 4X2 tractorhead. Cabin options are limited to daycab and sleeper, even though crew-cab third-party conversions are available in Brazil.


References


External links

{{Commons category, Volvo FL
Volvo Trucks Official Page


*
Direct link to New Volvo FL page at volvotrucks.com
Volvo Trucks vehicles, FL Vehicles introduced in 1985