Western Star Unveils 5700XE
The company’s new 5700XE — the XE stands for “extreme efficiency” — was unveiled at a Sept. 11 press event in this Las Vegas suburb, with executives for the original equipment manufacturer saying they will start taking orders “this fall,” begin limited production around April 1 and full production around July 1.
Western Star will offer in-house powertrain options from Daimler’s Detroit components subsidiary, including three Detroit DD-series engines, the Detroit DT12 automated manual transmission and Detroit-brand axles. While the truck is available only with the Detroit engines — engines from independent manufacturer Cummins Inc. are not offered — Western Star will offer choices with other powertrain components.
“We want this truck to be better-looking than anything else out there, but also for it to have great fuel efficiency,” Western Star General Manager Michael Jackson told editors and reporters. Jackson said the 5700XE will give his brand access to more truck buyers across the United States and Canada as the OEM tries to increase market share.
“We’ve been strong where we played, but they have been extremely small, niche-y segments,” marketing director Ann Demitruk said. She said the 5700XE will allow the OEM to broaden its appeal.
The truck will be produced at Daimler’s Cleveland, North Carolina, plant. Western Star is based in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
The 5700 can be used in a variety of over-the-road applications, including longhaul truckload, less-than-truckload and bulk or refrigerated transport, the company said.
