Trumpeted as "the best of the best," Freightliner's Cascadia conventional – the biggest-selling truck in North America – is now on sale here.
The right-hand-drive Australasian Cascadia, which was developed in an  $AUS100million project, was launched in Sydney in November – with Daimler Truck & Bus Australia Pacific announcing that "the conventional revolution is under way."
The order book opened for the Cascadia, which is reckoned to be "the most advanced conventional truck" in this part of the world, in an unveiling that was given rock-star status with the presence of Daimler Trucks global boss Martin Daum and the head of Daimler Trucks North America Roger Nielsen, plus a group of senior Freightliner execs.
The reveal of the Down Under Freightliner – the same model as the current North American Cascadia – was witnessed by Aussie and Kiwi dealers, customers and journalists in a two-day launch that included a customers' Sydney harbour cruise, an Opera House media conference and a spectacular showbiz-style dinner reveal. 
The final unveiling saw eight Cascadia tractor units, accompanied by a laser light show, driven through the midst of a hall filled with hundreds of invitation-only diners.
The Cascadias now on sale are 6x4s (twin-steers will follow, but with no projected timeframe), powered by two new-generation Detroit engines that comply with the US GHG 17 exhaust emissions standard (which Freightliner says exceeds the Euro 6 standard), using an enhanced SCR system and upgraded common rail injection.
The new 16-litre DD16 comes with up to 600 horsepower/447 kilowatts and 2050 lb ft/27790 Newton metres of peak torque, while a new 13-litre DD13 has up to 505hp/376kW and 1850 lb ft/2508Nm. The Detroit DT12 automated manual is the standard transmission, with an 18-speed Roadranger manual optional.
Initially the Cascadia is available in 116-inch or 126-inch bumper to back of cab units, with five cab options.
The Cascadia bristles with new technology, its Detroit Assurance 5.0 safety suite (which is offered here as standard spec) including adaptive cruise control, active emergency braking, rear-end collision avoidance, lane departure warning, intelligent headlight high beam control, automatic wipers and headlights…and more.
GPS-assisted cruise and intelligent powertrain management combines with smooth aerodynamic design for what Freightliner says is class-leading fuel efficiency.
The new Freightliner models also come with Detroit Connect, delivering NZ buyers remote vehicle updates, fault code diagnosis and repair recommendations, OEM analysis of fuel economy and safety performance, as well as traditional telematics services such as GPS route tracking and incident alerts.
It makes it, says Daimler, the most advanced conventional truck on the market here.
A dedicated fleet of nine trucks running the Australasian spec have been exhaustively tested in Australia and the US – in addition to "millions of miles of on-highway testing" already conducted for the North American model.
Daum said at the launch that "there is no such thing as a world truck. We listened to our customers in Australia and NZ and developed this great truck specifically for them."
Freightliner Australia Pacific director Stephen Downes said the company has "worked tirelessly to ensure this is the right truck for NZ and Australian operators and is ready for uniquely tough local conditions. 
"We run our trucks hotter, harder and longer so we needed to make sure the Australian and NZ Cascadia would be up to the task."
New safety features include optional Sideguard Assist, which warns if the truck's trailer could hit objects such as power poles when turning left or if the truck is about to merge left into an occupied lane. A radar/camera system can even detect a pedestrian and autonomously brake the truck to a halt to avoid an accident. There's also a head-protecting airbag.