At a ceremony held on the first day of Fenatran 2024, Scania's top management received the victory trophy for the Scania R, voted "Truck of the Year Latin America 2025" by a jury of 20 journalists and editors from the commercial vehicle press, representing 20 publications from the most important markets in Latin America.
The prestigious award was received by Christian Levin, global CEO of Scania and the TRATON Group (the holding company that brings together the Scania, Volkswagen Truck & Bus, MAN Truck & Bus, IC Bus, Volkswagen, Traton Chargin Solution and RIO Logistics Flow brands), Christopher Podgorski, president and CEO of Scania Latin America, and Simone Montagna, president and CEO of Scania Commercial Operations Brazil. The executives received the trophy from Josué Araújo, Director of Technology and Innovation at Noma do Brasil, the supporting company.
The competitors
With 17 votes, the Scania R Euro 6 truck for heavy road transport beat off strong competition from the finalists: Volvo FH, Mercedes-Benz Actros, DAF XF, Iveco S-Way and Volkswagen Meteor.
The jury assessed technological innovations in energy efficiency, safety and driver comfort applied to lorries over the last 12 months. Only models on the market competed.
The Scania R represents a family of road trucks that include a variety of engine options for decarbonising transport, such as diesel engines with Euro 6 technology, pure biodiesel (B100) and engines powered by CNG (Compressed Natural Gas), LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) and/or renewable biomethane. In addition, the R line includes the R Super, the only completely new Euro 6 powertrain launched in Brazil, and the Plus range (450 and 540 horsepower).
How it started
"This is the second edition of the Latin American version of the International Truck of the Year (IToY). I started coordinating the Latin American edition in 2018, at the invitation of the organisation's global president, Gianenrico Griffini," explains Marcos Villela, member representing Brazil at IToY.
IToY began in Great Britain in 1976, when the first editor of Truck Magazine, British journalist Pat Kennett (in memoriam), was testing the then new Seddon Atkinson SA200 in the north of Great Britain. He found it highly innovative and ahead of its competitors when it came to comfort and safety. And so the idea was born to create an award that would recognise the latest technical developments in new commercial vehicle designs and truck technology, especially with regard to the benefits they offer operators and drivers. Pat's idea was enthusiastically supported by Truck's editor, Andrew Frankl, and together they decided to create the "Truck of the Year" award.
According to the Truck of the Year Latin America (ToYLA) rules, the annual award goes to the truck launched in the previous 12 months that makes the most significant contribution to road transport efficiency. Judging is based on a series of critical criteria, including technological innovation, comfort, safety, driveability, energy efficiency, environmental footprint and total cost of ownership (TCO).
This is the second time that the Scania R has won the Truck of the Year Latin America award, which is in its second edition and is the Latin American version of the renowned International Truck of the Year (IToY), which dates back to 1977. What's more, the five contenders are all Euro 6 Premium trucks that have received major renovations to comply with Proconve's P8 environmental legislation (equivalent to Euro 6).
In Europe, Scania has won the IToY five times: 2017 (New Generation Scania), 2010 (Scania R), 2005 (Scania R Series), 1996 (Scania 4 Series) and 1989 (Scania 3 Series).
Judging panel
To choose the winning trucks for the Truck of the Year Latin America and Truck Innovation Award, the organisation invited journalists with credibility and experience in covering the truck industry in Brazil: Aline Feltrin (Transporte Moderno), Andrea Ramos (Estradão), Daniela Giopato (O Carreteiro), Décio Costa (Autoindústria), Graziela Potenza (Revista Caminhoneiro), Ivo Mattos (Rede do Transporte), João Geraldo (Transporte Mundial), José Augusto Ferraz (Frota&Cia), Leonardo Andrade (Agência Transporta Brasil), Pedro Bartholomeu (Revista dos Transportes), Pedro Trucão (Pé na Estrada), Sérgio Kaskanlian (Planeta Caminhão) and Zeneto Furtado (Canal Tá Valendo); Argentina: Ricardo Docimo (Planeta Camión); Chile: José Ignacio Gutiérrez (Ruta Motor); Colombia: Alícia Torres (Carga Pesada); Mexico: Ricardo Lira (Transporters); Paraguay: Fernando Berdichevsky; Peru: Jose Marin (Automundo TV); Paraguay: Fernando Berdichevsky (Amigo Camionero) and Uruguay: Claudio Techera (Transporte Carretero).
About IToY today
The IToY (International Truck of The Year) was created in 1976 in England as a non-profit body for professional journalists in the land transport sector, and since then it has been the most prestigious award in Europe. With associate members from countries outside the European Community, it already has local versions in Russia (Eastern Europe), China (Asia), Australia, among other countries, and in Latin America, coordinated by journalist Marcos Villela, Brazil's representative in the organisation as an associate member.
ToYLA was created in 2019 in Brazil as an extension of IToY to go beyond promoting the Truck of the Year award, but also to promote the exchange of information from the press specialising in commercial vehicles.
About Noma do Brasil
Founded in 1967 in Maringá (PR), Noma has become one of the leading manufacturers of road equipment in Brazil. With a constant focus on innovation, the company launched the Áquila line in 2007, which stood out with implements such as bitrem, tank and sugarcane rodotrem, introducing LED lighting. In 2011, the Fênix line brought improvements such as the EcoTech cover, combining lightness and strength.
In 2019, Noma launched the Titanium Generation, recognised for its robustness, durability and reduced need for maintenance. The attachments of this generation have been developed with a unique visual identity and incorporate advances such as Carbon Fiber brakes and the Safe Light system, reinforcing safety.
With a 175,000 m² structure and almost 1,000 employees, Noma maintains a wide distribution network, reaffirming its commitment to innovation, trust and leadership in road haulage.