Italeri 1/24 Iveco Stralis Active Space Cube Tractor
By Fabrizio Fae
THE TRUCK
This is one of the most awaited kits for Italian and European truck fans. The Iveco Stralis has been on the road since 2002 and is one of the most popular tractor trucks on the European highways. Through the years improvements were made, above all in the cab, to guarantee the highest on-board comfort level. The Stralis is offered in 3 chassis configurations: 4x2 (2 axles), 6x2 and 6x4 (3 axles, 2 of which are driven)
The base Cursor engine is an inline 8.0 liter 6-cylinder diesel with power ranging from 310HP to 360HP. The top end Cursor motors are 10 liter and 13 liter diesels with 420HP and 560HP respectively. The transmission can be automatic or manual. The base model features a 9 gear manual or 6 gear automatic transmission. The top model has either 16 gear manual or 12 gear automatic transmissions. Iveco sponsors the famous All Blacks rugby team of New Zealand and because of that, Iveco created one of most famous, distinctive looks for this truck, which they called All Blacks.
THE KIT
The box art is in classic Italeri style, with the truck on the road in the "All Blacks" livery. The first thing you notice on the box is the absence of clear plastic wrap: the box is sealed by some stickers. On one side of the box there are four pictures of the finished model (first option), which allow you to see the quality of the kit. There is also useful advice about how to build models, and a notice that the kit is recommended for builders aged 14 and up, and the skill level is 5. On the other side there is a picture of the model built as the "All Blacks" tractor, a picture of the decal sheet, and a small picture of the model that describes the model's dimensions.
The best part, as always, is to open the box. Inside you will find the decal sheet, instruction booklet, tires, and two plastic bags containing the parts, and a mesh grille. The instructions are a 24 page booklet, very simple and easy to read, and it is particularly useful for the decals application sequence. The instructions also include a history of the Stralis, useful advice and recommendations written in six different languages, a list of color recommendations, a very clearly illustrated construction sequence, and diagrams with beautiful 3D drawings. The last page features views of the tractor which will help you position all of the decals.
Looking at all the parts, there is very minor flash, and the molding looks great. The cab is molded in white, which I feel is a good choice, because it allows you to paint it in any color without multiple primer coats. There are four sides that must be assembled together with the roof and there are no opening doors. The door windows will stay in the rolled down position. If you are using this kit for a diorama, you can glue the front grill/fascia open; there are plenty of details to show underneath it. Italeri includes a mesh grille for this fascia which must be cut to fit. They provide more than you will use so there's no need to be alarmed if you make some trimming mistakes. The cab also tilts, which is helpful if you want to show the details on the engine and chassis.
The interior is also very well made and it includes many details in the sleeping area which other kits lack, because these items are invisible in a closed cab. The other important aspect of the interior is the dashboard. It has fine details that will be easy to enhance through washes and dry-brushing, plus there are two decals for instruments and heating controls. There are two individual seats which due to their design can be painted in two-tone color if you like. The sleeper includes two beds, with a ladder to the top one. There are also nice features such as various storage compartments and glove boxes. The interior can be built by itself and later placed into the cab. Underneath it are two hooks that will be attached to the chassis, and will make the cab tilt.
The engine is a well molded inline 6-cylinder turbocharged diesel with "common rail" fuel injection, with a lot of details on it. These details are always appreciated if you want to build a truck that looks used, and with some washes you can pop up all those details. The first thing you will notice when you pick up the chassis are all the rivets on the two rails: there are hundreds of them! The parts are very clean and the front axle steers right and left. You'll also notice the chassis has air suspension rather than of leaf springs. Here's a cool detail: you can add all the hoses and regulators to the air suspension. Iveco letters are molded nicely and the Iveco logo is molded on some parts of the chassis, like the rear of the cab, the cab support, the side body skirts, and the rear fenders. The tail lights are molded in clear plastic, so you'll need to color them with transparent paint.
The tires are a nice soft rubber with a contemporary tread. They are Michelin tires with the letters molded on one side; if you want you can paint them very carefully in white. Or you can use the other side and apply the supplied Michelin decals to reproduce the letters. The wheels are molded in gray plastic, here I was hoping they would be in chrome; you can always paint them chrome or aluminum, for a more authentic look.
The decals are top quality and they are well printed. The tractor can be built in two versions: the All Blacks edition or a Stralis operated by Monjean Transporte (a German based company). If you opt for the All Blacks edition you need to paint the tractor cab, bumper and side skirts in black, and use the silver decals, two on the side of the cab and one on the top right corner. If you choose the Monjean Transporte version, there is a little bit of work involved because you need to mask the cab, front hood, and bumper to paint it in two colors, red and white.
Here also you will have to use more decals, three on each side and one on the top of the cab. This version will also have a specific license plate. Italeri always gives you a lot of license plates and the decal sheet includes 16 license plates from all over Europe and Russia. The Iveco and Stralis logos for the cab front, seats and fenders are decals. The cab logos giving the horsepower designation-in this case 450, 500, and 560-are also decals. The final decals are for the cockpit, and two for the speedometer/tachometer.
CONCLUSION
Italeri did a great job on this new kit, and it was worth the wait I must say. The kit is beautiful and has a lot of details, raising the bar on tractor model kits. Either way you build it, as All Blacks, or the Monjean Transporte, or following your imagination by searching the internet for inspiration to build your Stralis, you will enjoy this model and you will have fun! I would like to thank Italeri for providing the review sample