If you've ever been nervous about driving a brand-new truck, you can imagine how I felt when I got behind the wheel of the prototype of Freightliner Corp.'s new Coronado. It wasn't just new -- it was the only Coronado that Freightliner had at that time that was ready to meet the public. So, I wasn't the only nervous one.

The Freightliner Coronado is designed to offer the owner-operator a premium long-nose conventional truck as an eventual replacement for the Classic XL. Introduced at the Great American Trucking Show (GATS) in Dallas last November, the truck tries to capture the traditional look of the Classic while providing the modern driving experience of the Century Class on which it is based.

From the hood back, the exterior is virtually all Century Class, with two notable exceptions. Chrome stacks, covered by aerodynamic heat shields, adorn the sides of the cab behind the driver's door, and the cab seems to sit on a vast array of polished stainless steel and aluminum. In place of the aerodynamic plastic of the Century, a bright aluminum running board flows from front fender to drive wheels and seems to support the battery box, 150-gallon fuel tank and weatherproof tool box. The effect dazzles the eye.

At the front, a large upright grill covers the 1,500-square-inch radiator that will be needed to cool the high horsepower, big bore engines we'll see when tighter emissions requirements take effect in late 2002.

Unlike other aerodynamic trucks, the Coronado sports a large chromed bumper with inset fog lamps and a radiator air intake designed to match the look of the large, square grill. While the looks are classic, the surfaces are well-rounded and the hood is sloped to provide excellent aerodynamics, at least in front of the fenders where aerodynamics counts most.

The removable fenders (so you don't have to replace the entire hood assembly) are contoured to accent the lines of the 7-inch round headlights and 5-inch parking lights, which are trimmed in stainless steel. Instead of the cylindrical air cleaners usually found on each side of the cowling, the Coronado sports air intake scoops, with horizontal bars that match those in the front grill. The intakes are accented with amber LEDs set into the rear of each scoop.

The all-in-one mirrors, black plastic on Freightliner's fleet trucks, are bright chrome, as are their support arms. The visor has a full-width polished stainless strip holding the marker lights, while a bright stainless strip of "chicken lights" runs beneath the cab and sleeper.

The interior is roomy, especially when compared with other long-nosed conventionals like the Kenworth W900L, Peterbilt 379 and Freightliner's own Classic XL.

Our test truck sported top-of-the-line interior trim, with the dashboard and steering wheel rim trimmed in simulated burlwood. The wheel had real leather grips and polished spokes. The burlwood trim carried over to the door panels, overhead consoles and cabinetry in the well-appointed sleeper.

Freightliner's proprietary EzyRider seat adjusted easily with air controls. It provided good support and an excellent ride on a variety of road surfaces. With the range of seat adjustment, the tilt-telescope steering wheel and the pedals that could be adjusted three inches fore-and-aft, virtually anyone can find a comfortable driving position.

Cleared for take-off
After seeing it, I was eager to test-drive the Coronado. The only truck available was the pre-production prototype that was on display at GATS. So I went to Freightliner's technical center in Portland, Ore., where chief engineer Jim Tipka gave me a walk-around tour of the new features of the truck.

Next to my ride sat another Coronado, without much of the chrome and with bits and pieces off the truck on nearby workbenches. That, it turned out, was prototype X-1, used for engineering development. My ride, chassis X-2, is the one used for shows and for all the promotional work leading to the introduction. All the advertising and brochure photography was taken of X-2.

X-2 has a 265-inch wheelbase with a set-forward axle. It turned tighter than I expected around town because of its full 50-degree wheel cut. The Dana 3.70:1, 40,000-pound drive axles were hung on Freightliner's own AirLiner suspension. I had hoped to be able to test the new Hendrickson AIRTEK front air suspension that will be available on the Coronado, but had to take the leaf-and-a-half mechanical suspension that was on X-2.

The truck has a 600-hp Caterpillar C-16 engine mated to an Eaton Autoshift 18-speed. With its 70-inch raised-roof sleeper, the tractor weighed 18,148 pounds. The only trailer available had a partial load, so we scaled just under 67,000 pounds.

That's why it's a prototype
It was finally time to get the rig on the road. With Jennifer Harris from the Freightliner marketing department riding shotgun and Al Merkel, a senior development engineer, in the sleeper, I climbed into the cab, adjusted the seat and pedals, and headed out the door. After negotiating the streets of Swan Island, I took a few turns around Portland on the interstates just to get the feel of the truck in traffic.

I exited on U.S. 26 East. Those of you who have driven Portland know the hill, which was the first test for the Coronado's power train. Al estimated it to be a 5 percent grade. After merging at about 20 mph, it was foot-to-the-floor to the top. I reached almost 50 before leveling out.

Normally, that would be quite an accomplishment, but with the fairly light load, it didn't seem right. Sure enough, when I mentioned that I expected more from the Cat 600 pulling only 67,000 pounds, the engineers checked the truck and found a defective sensor in the accelerator pedal. The Cat engine was down about 10% on horsepower and torque. That's why it's called a prototype, I guess.

Shifting several times going uphill might have been a problem, but being able to shift safely on grades is one of the best safety features of automated trannys. Freightliner's proprietary Smart Shift controller is easy -- almost intuitive -- to use. Located on the right side of the steering column, it allows fingertip shifting while doing away with the shift column or pedestal-mounted controller. Slide the selector to "manual" and shifts occur with a flick of the fingers.

Heading east, we stopped for a break at the Aurora TA. When we came back, we found Ray McGarvey, an owner-operator from New Holland, Pa., examining the Coronado. He had been on a break at the TA reading a magazine. He saw the ad for the Coronado, then looked up and saw the actual truck. It looked just like the one that was in the pictures -- and was.

Naturally, he had to see it. I invited Ray to climb up and check out the cab and sleeper. He commented on how much interior room it has, and compared it favorably, not just with his '98 Peterbilt 379, but with his Chevrolet Suburban.

We said so long to Ray, then continued east on I-84 along the Columbia River. The beautiful scenery made a fine setting for photos. Several places along the Columbia River Gorge had pretty strong crosswinds. The smooth surfaces and rounded corners helped the Coronado shrug off the turbulence.

Good, quiet ride on rough ground
After turning around at Multnomah Falls, a breathtaking natural wonder about 35 miles from Portland, we headed back. On the way, we pulled into the Troutdale TA. There I found an uneven lot that gave me the opportunity to put the Coronado's suspension through its paces on rough ground. The leaf-and-a-half front suspension did its job softening the bumps and keeping the truck pointed where I wanted.

If you're the type of driver who loves the noise of a Jake Brake, you'll probably hate this truck. Its muffler is mounted beneath the cab for better noise isolation, and that quiets the Jake so much that you could probably use it right in front of one of those "No Engine Brakes Allowed" signs, and the police officer would smile and let you proceed.

The truck was surprisingly quiet, even compared to the Century Class on which it's based. I managed a bit under 6.5 miles per gallon; not great with the light load, but acceptable considering the terrain and the driver -- and the fact that the throttle sensor was not functioning properly.

The Coronado is a truck that makes sense. From Freightliner's perspective, it expands the use of the Century Class platform for greater economy of scale, and it allows the Columbia to replace the FLD, which shares much with the Classic XL.

For the owner-operator, it provides a retro-look truck with the benefits and conveniences of a thoroughly modern platform. For the driver, it's quiet, comfortable, stable and easy to control. Time will tell how it will hold up, but it has the advantage of evolving from a tried-and-true base. Couple that with big power and as much automation as is desired, and Freightliner could have a winner.