Following on from the global success of campaigns such as the Jean-Claude van Damme ‘Epic Split‘ movie highlighting the benefits of Volvo Dynamic Steering, Volvo Trucks in Sweden has released the latest instalment in its Live Test Series, ‘The Flying Passenger‘.

Louise Marriott is the first female AND the first kiwi to star in a Volvo Global feature product campaign. She works as a full-time driver for JPM Transport in Christchurch where she has driven the Christchurch-Picton route for the past five years. Louise is an exceptional driver and was handpicked by Volvo because of her performance during the Asia Pacific Driver Fuel Challenge held in Thailand in 2015, where she won the competition.

‘The Flying Passenger‘ marked another world first for Volvo Trucks. During the breath-taking ride, the Volvo FH towed a paraglider up a steep mountain road in Croatia and under the narrow opening of an overhanging bridge. The tight space called for high precision driving at a constant cruising speed without any room for error. The test was set up to demonstrate Volvo Trucks‘ unique powertrain, fitted with I-Shift Dual Clutch, enabling excellent performance whilst at the same time considerably lowering fuel consumption.

“Driving on high gears and securing seamless gear shifting is an important factor for fuel efficiency. The I-Shift Dual Clutch enables smooth driving whilst staying in high gears and low revs,” said Staffan Wendeberg, product manager FH and long haul at Volvo Trucks.

In addition the unique gearbox has an important impact on productivity. I-Shift Dual Clutch provides power shift gear changes that ensure the engine does not lose any torque when changing gears under tough conditions.

“Meeting deadlines and keeping fuel consumption low, even when driving uphill and on winding roads, are key elements to success for many of our customers. This test is the perfect way to challenge our recently updated powertrain. ‘The Flying Passenger‘ illustrates in a very concrete and visual way what Volvo Trucks‘ performance and driveability is all about,” said Claes Nilsson, president of Volvo Trucks.

While dual clutch is not yet available for the New Zealand market, Volvo say in time it will offer customers an exceptional driving and economy benefit, particularly due to our country‘s unique terrain.