Saying it will "change antiquated perceptions of what trucks should look like," Volvo Trucks North America will launch its new VNR Regional Haul truck at the ExpoCam show in Montreal later this month, with new streamlined experior styling and features such as a steering wheel that tilts like a car’s.

Volvo says the new truck is groundbreaking in terms of modern design. To gauge impressions of the VNR’s streamlined exterior styling, Volvo recently offered a sneak peek to a few people — none of whom are actors, most with no connection to the trucking industry — and filmed their reactions. The new videos can be seen here and here. (Volvo has had great success on Youtube in the past, most notably with its famous Jean Claude Van Damme video, which showed the actor doing a split atop two European Volvo Globetrotter trucks. The video went viral in the fall of 2013.)

"The VNR is wholly reimagined inside and out. It melds a modern, connected workspace inside the cab with bold exterior lines and optimized dimensions for maximum efficiency," said Göran Nyberg, president of Volvo Trucks North America. "This is a truck built to deliver the versatility our customers need to face the challenges of the rapidly evolving North American freight network. We expect that the VNR’s bold, dynamic appearance will change antiquated perceptions of what trucks should look like.”

Volvo has been adopting automotive features to help make driving freight vehicles easier and created what it says is a state-of-the-art driving environment to help attract more drivers to the industry. This design philosophy is reflected in a host of new features on the truck, Volvo says, including proprietary steering wheel that tilts like a car’s — the first and only one in the industry, according to the company — more ergonomic seats, an advanced infotainment system and a new instrument cluster with many new functions in the driver information display.

Other new features include an updated version of the Volvo I-Shift automated manual transmission and Volvo’s I-See predictive cruise control that memorizes road topography help shift more efficiently. There will be enhanced passive safety features as well as the Volvo Active Driver Assist, which the company says makes the new VNR the safest Volvo ever.

“Volvo as a brand has always been innovative. We’re always driving progress,” said Nyberg. “Especially in this new Volvo VNR, we wanted to apply technology to meet specific needs articulated by our customers. We’re giving them a better tool to apply to the complexities of their regional haul applications.”

The new Volvo VNR will make its public debut April 20 at ExpoCam in Montreal. HDT's Jim Park will be on hand to cover the unveiling.