Tractor manufacturers are not only talking about new products on display at this week’s SIMA show, but also providing a hint of a few things in the pipeline. Take Same Deutz-Fahr, for example, which at a packed international press conference revealed two important areas for tractor development are electrification and tractor implement management. And like everyone else the firm is also looking at autonomous solutions, but stresses it will be a few years before we see any results. The company is also working on range extensions and new ranges to plug the gaps in its tractor portfolio up to 250hp. The closest to the market, a new 120 to 170hp range between the existing 5 and 6 Series, is expected next year. There is nothing official, but you can be sure that behind the scenes engineers are working on a solution to fill the gap between the 7 and 9 Series, and while senior management remain tight-lipped on the 11 Series, we expect to have something to report later this year.
Back to the 6 Series (156hp-226hp). SIMA provided visitors with an opportunity to take a peek inside the cab of the new models launched last summer. Customers can now choose from three transmission options – a manual five-speed powershift with six forward and three reverse steps, a fully automatic five-speed transmission with six forward and three reverse steps, and the TTV.
