Volvo Celebrates 25th Anniversary Of VNL With Specially Badged Models & Limited-Edition Merchandise

---

This 2021 Volvo VNL 860 sports a special badge commemorating the 25th anniversary of the truck range that was first introduced in 1996. (Photo courtesy of Volvo.)

Volvo is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its VNL series this year, which has been assembled at the manufacturer’s production facility in the New River Valley region of Virginia from the very beginning. The VNL will be available this year with a commemorative badge denoting the major milestone. In addition, customers will have the opportunity to purchase limited-edition merchandise to mark the occasion.

“Raising The Bar”

“Volvo Trucks first revolutionized the North American trucking industry by introducing the first fully integrated sleeper compartment, raising the bar and changing perceptions about truck driving as a professional career,” says Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America. “The introduction of the Volvo VNL in 1996 continued that legacy of innovation and influence, bringing breakthroughs in design and technology that have reshaped standards of excellence for our customers, their drivers, and our industry for 25 years, and will continue to do so for years to come.”

A Brief History Of The Volvo VNL

Introduced in 1996, the Volvo VNL is a Class 8, heavy-duty vehicle that the company says is its “most popular truck model.” It has gone through several changes over two and a half decades, including the introduction of a convertible dinette/bunk combination in 1997. This was followed by the addition of a High Strength Steel cab and Volvo Enhanced Stability Technology (VEST) in 2005.

Two years later, the company officially launched the I-Shift automated manual transmission, which would go on to become standard on all Volvo models, including the VNL, in 2013. A year prior to that, Volvo introduced its Remote Diagnostics suite of services, which to this day comes standard on all VNL trucks.

Other developments from 2019 to today include Volvo Dynamic Steering for a smoother driving experience and the introduction of Turbo Compound (TC) engines. The D13TC, as an example, is standard for VNL 740s, 760s, and 860s and offers “up to 6% fuel economy improvements over the Volvo D13 VGT engine” that preceded it, according to the company.

Source: Volvo