The MV Series, the eventual successor to the DuraStar, completes the company’s Project Horizon product refresh and features improved cab design and other driver-centric enhancements already found across International’s Class 8 trucks.
“Vocational trucks are low-speed trucks and at anything under 35 miles an hour, aerodynamics aren’t as important,” says Mark Stasell, vice president of Navistar‘s vocational truck business, who notes that MV borrowed mostly interior design elements from Project Horizon. Stasell says the design of the front of International’s Class 6/7 truck hasn’t changed measurably since 2001.
Michael Cancelliere, Navistar’s president of Truck and Parts, says the MV Series was designed to be easily configurable with features that include new cab doors with a lower bottom glass edge and the removal vent window – a design that gives the driver a single larger piece of glass to look through, which improves side visibility and reduces blind spots.
Jeff Sass, Navistar senior vice president of sales and marketing, says the MV features a 4 percent visibility improvement over the company’s DuraStar.
By reshaping the doors and side glass, Sass says the position of optional pedestal mirrors was optimized so drivers turn their heads less, keeping their eyes on the road and reducing neck strain.
“The head turn is 5 degrees to the left and 15 degrees to the right less than standard mirrors,” Sass says.
