Navistar International's long-awaited 15-liter diesel is in production and available in at least one vocational truck model. Meanwhile, another vocational truck has a new high-visibility hood, and Navistar and its Continental Mixer subsidiary are preparing more integrated products.

The MaxxForce 15 uses a block, crankshaft and other "iron" parts from the C15 formerly built by Caterpillar, Navistar's truck partner, along with Navistar's own electronics, fuel injection and air management systems, said Jim Hebe, senior vice president for North American sales operations. It does not use Cat's Acert system and, like other MaxxForce diesels, the 15-liter engine avoids selective catalytic reduction to save weight and bulk.

The MaxxForce 15 is an option in International PayStar 5900s with set-forward or setback steer axles, he said. It will have ratings of up to 550 horsepower and 1,850 pounds-feet, and is being built at the Huntsville, Ala., engine plant.

A sloped hood that provides greater forward visibility for drivers is now an option for International's WorkStar 7600 vocational truck (pictured), Hebe announced. The front of the hood could be lowered by repositioning the radiator in the chassis and supporting it with a "mega-bracket" crossmember at the front of the frame. This eliminates a front-engine power takeoff and front frame extension options, but a rear-engine PTO drive is available and the truck can still be fitted with a snow plow.

Also new for the WorkStar is a new dashboard design with an angled center panel and enhanced gauge trim. The current flat-dash design is still available for trucks with three-person seating. The refined interior also includes new door panels, steering wheel-mounted controls, and optional rosewood trim in the dashboard panels.

A new front-discharge mixer chassis bearing the Continental name and powered by MaxxForce 11 and 13 engines will be marketed starting this fall through Continental dealers, said Steve Guillaume, vice president and general manager. The new truck will be available with four to seven axles to suit customers' capacity needs and various state weight laws.

The companies have formed a partnership with Indiana Phoenix of Avilla, Ind., so that the specialty builder will assemble the new model. Later, production might be moved to a Navistar plant. Phoenix, which has been building front-discharge mixers for more than 20 years, will continue to offer glider kitted vehicles under its own name.

Continental also has a new lightweight mixer drum that saves 2,000 pounds over a standard steel drum, Guillaume said. The new drum uses Hardox high-strength steel in any size that Continental now offers. It retains the advantages of steel, including easy clean-out and scrap value after its useful life has ended, but still offers higher payload capacity. It is a "non-discountable" $6,500 option.

Continental now has 29 dealers with 120 locations in the U.S. and Canada. All are International truck dealers, so can service Navistar chassis and engines, and technicians have been trained to work on Continental mixer bodies. Eventually the dealer body should reach 40, Guillaume said.