New Freightliner Cascadia: A Closer Look [Photos]
The new Cascadia will be available in early 2017 as a 2018 model-year truck. Fuel economy testing has shown the truck is 8% more efficient than the previous Cascada Evolution model and 19% more efficient that a current baseline Cascadia.
It's available in a day-cab as well. These are available with the premium powertrain spec and many of the new aero accoutrements.
The blue-colored letter "I" in Cascadia denotes the AeroX package and the premium powertrain spec.
Flexible rubber lower side-skirt fairings give four inches of ground clearance for additional aero efficiency.
The center cluster of the dash features a bright 5-inch display that shows driver messaging in plain English text (Spanish and French too). The large cut-out on the B-panel can be configured for built-in ELDs or other displays.
The interior was designed by the same people who design Boeing aircraft interiors, but they gave the Cascadia a lot more room. The goal was to offer a truck that drivers will want to drive.
Various interior trim levels are offered, from this matte black and gray to a light-brown dash with woodgrain trim.
New Cascadia Elite Interior Cockpit Package shown in Saddle Tan and Black. Photo courtesy of Freightliner
The main mirrors have been redesigned for better aerodynamics. They are slightly lower but visibility is actually better than before.
Drivers will no longer risk stepping on their partner's face climbing into the upper bunk. The new Cascadia features a sturdy retractable ladder.
The ladder extends and retracts with the press of a couple of buttons.
New Cascadia 72 Raised Roof Sleeper Cab interior shown with standard lower bunk and optional upper bunk with telescoping ladder with Elite trim shown in Slate Gray and Black. Photo courtesy of Freightliner
An optional fridge lives behind the pasenger seat, just below a microwave cabinet.
LED headlights are standard on the new Cascadia. They are aerodynamically styled and feature a complex reflector and a second high-beam lamp.
Ride comfort is enhanced with a pair of very long taper-leaf spings up front.
Various exterior trim levels are offered, including the bold matte black grille, or the more typical chrome-trimmed grille.
Engineers opened up the frame rails allowing the engine to sit lower in the frame. That lowered the frontal profile of the hood.
Designers spent a lot of time ensuring the driver area would fit a wide variety of phisiques and body sizes.
Storage boxes abound in the new Cascadia sleeper compartment.
New Cascadia 72 Raised Roof Sleeper Cab featuring Elite Lounge Package with Driver's Loft and upper cargo shelf shown in Saddle Tan and Black. Photo courtesy of Freightliner
Behind the driver is a hanging closet with a pull-out desk and a storage bin below.
The door openings are triple-sealed for noise reduction and to keep the cold weather out.
The optional low air dam under the front bumper offered with the AeroX package gives you just four inches of ground clearance. The additional fuel mileage should trump the likely additional maintenance costs and headaches.
The new Cascadia is fitted with a set of propriety drive axle fairings from FlowBelow.
The driver's perch in the new Cascadia fits like a glove. All the controls are within easy reach and the dash layout keeps the important stuff close and in easy view.
Martin Daum, president and CEO, Daimler Trucks North America, kicks off the press briefing at the Broodmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, CO on Sept. 1, 2016
Almost everything about the new Cascadia is indeed new, but there's no doubt where it all comes from.