Dongfeng Tractor Head

On the inside, things are pretty simple and basic for the Dongfeng Tractor Head, with the cabin layout finished in a theme of light grey with below-average fit and finish levels for the components and panels. However, space is more than enough on offer in the cabin of the Dongfeng Tractor Head, with the additional headroom due to the canopy at the top making the cabin feel even more large and roomy.

Along with the four-spoke steering wheel with curved edges for the side spokes, the driver’s cockpit of the Dongfeng Tractor Head also has an all-analogue instrument console sitting behind it. The wraparound design for the driver’s cockpit stretches around the centre console, engulfing the AC vents, 1-DIN audio system and manual AC controls placed vertically. The Dongfeng Tractor Head also gets manually operating driver seat height adjustment lever and window panels.

The Dongfeng Tractor Head shares the outer design of the driver’s cabin at the front and side with the Dongfeng Cargo Truck. However, the distinguishing part of the Dongfeng Tractor Head is the inclined canopy at the top of the roof, which serves as extra room for the cabin on the inside.

The front profile of the Dongfeng Tractor Head has two halves – the upper one for the windscreen and the lower one for the main fascia. Starting with the windscreen, it is a rectangular and curved unit with rounded edges, while having three intermittent wipers and grab handles below it. The lower half of the front profile, which serves as the main fascia for the Dongfeng Tractor Head, comes with a trapezoidal grille in the middle, which has rectangular inserts and a chrome strip running in the middle of it while having the large rounded Dongfeng logo in the middle. The sides of the fascia have vertical, trapezoidal-shaped air vents for reducing air blasts at higher speeds.

The Dongfeng Tractor Head has a body-coloured front bumper, which accommodates L-shaped headlamp clusters, which have all-halogen headlights and turn indicators placed within them. Along with the fog lamps, which are positioned below the headlamp clusters, the front bumper also has a trapezoidal air dam in the middle. The side profile of the Dongfeng Tractor Head is also shared with the Cargo Truck, with the former also having pillar-mounted large rearview mirrors and body-coloured outside door handles.

Both the variants of the Dongfeng Tractor Head come with leaf spring suspension with double-acting telescopic type shock absorbers with stabilizer bar at the front and leaf springs with stabilizer bar at the rear, with the TW37 10-wheeler variant also having additional shock absorbers at the rear.

The KW46 6-wheeler variant gets a DF501S 5 tons Elliot-type I-beam section for the front axle and DF460 13-ton single-reduction fully-floating axle shafts for the rear axle. Meanwhile, the larger-sized TW37 10-wheeler variant has a DF551S 5.5 tons Elliot-type I-beam section for the front axle and DF435 10x2-tons single-reduction, tandem axle with axle lock and wheel lock for the rear axle.

There is only one diesel engine on offer for both the variants of the Dongfeng Tractor Head – a Cummins ISL 9.5, which is offered in two states of tune – 340E51A for the KW46 6-wheeler version and 400E51A for the TW37 10-wheeler version. This 9.5-litre inline-six, intercooled, turbocharged diesel engine produces 340 bhp of maximum power and 1500 Nm of maximum torque in the KW46 6-wheeler version. The same engine churns out 400 bhp of maximum power and 1710 Nm of maximum torque in the TW37 10-wheeler version. The transmission options on offer are a 9-speed manual gearbox in the KW46 6-wheeler version and a 12-speed manual gearbox in the TW37 10-wheeler version.

Equipped with ABS, the Dongfeng Tractor Head also has other basic safety features like a manual lock for the driver cabin, an engine immobiliser and seat belts for the cabin occupants.

The Dongfeng Tractor Head might be low on fit and finish levels and long-term reliability compared to the traditional Japanese and European truck models. However, with a Cummins-sourced diesel engine, it puts a strong case for itself as a proper heavy-duty tractor-trailer truck.