Get past those new projector-beam headlights and Volvo's redesigned VN highway tractors don't look all that different than the original 1996 versions. They don't drive much differently, either, but that's because the originals were so quiet and smooth to start with.

Volvo's '03-model VNs are still virtual limousines on 10 wheels, but even more so, thanks to the newly available Hendrickson air-ride steer axle (as though the standard long, compliant leaf springs aren't comfortable enough).

I drove several of the VNs available during the late-summer launch in Greensboro, N.C., and came away duly impressed with engineers' and designers' attention to all the details that should please drivers.

For instance, a new 780 (which succeeds the roomy 770) of course had the useful table-bunk arrangement. But it was also set up with a wash basin and running water, with fresh- and grey-water tanks under the bunk.

I thought the gearshift levers in two of the tractors felt somewhat rubbery. I found the gears OK, but there was little joy in it. On the other hand, another VN with an Eaton Fuller Lightning 10-speed had a precise setup; shifts were crisp and easy, as they were with an 8LL in a VHD dump truck. Maybe production models will be better.

A new, curvier dashboard design houses instruments and switches that are easy to see and use. The dash is different but not necessarily better than the older one. That's because I've never before seen so many blank switch slots – what could you possibly get in the way of lights and accessories that would fill the six, eight and 10 blanks I saw on each dash?

Aside from that, to see what's new you need to look under the hoods, where the new Cummins and Volvo diesels with exhaust-gas recirculation reside. A lot of engineering went into accommodating the controversial October '02 engines and the enhanced cooling systems they need. New splash shields keep the engine clean, and carefully thought-out air flow around it helps with cooling.

Or run a VN across a scale: Volvo engineers claim they have wrung out a total of 1,500 pounds since the line was introduced five years ago, so you can have your comfort and still haul a decent payload. The most recent weight cuts help offset slight losses in fuel economy in the new 2002-compliant engines.

Now fire up your X-ray vision to glimpse some of the other improvements. All components are designed for easy access, which should cut maintenance expense, as should a high-torque cranking motor and upgraded electrical systems. You don't need to be Superman to examine the front bumper, which is a three-piecer whose sections can be individually replaced. Fenders flare outward to improve air flow. Overall aerodynamic drag is claimed to be 3.2% less than the previous VN. The improvements list keeps going, so check the literature, and the truck, at your Volvo dealer.

As for the projection-beam headlamps: I didn't drive at night, so I can't testify that they're more powerful, as engineers claim. But they use common, easily replaceable halogen bulbs, and the lens is said to be tough polycarbonate to resist dings on the road; the lenses slant backwards so stones and such should deliver only glancing blows anyway. And the headlamps look like they came off a Cadillac CTS. So the VN is not just smooth, but cool.