International Adds Allison TC10 To Prostar

International has announced  it will be  be expanding its use of Allison’s new ten speed TC10 automatic  by  coupling it with the Cummins ISX15 on its  ProStar models in the USA from this December.

The engine/transmission combination will be available for order in the USA beginning in December 2015 with expected delivery dates of early 2016.   Whether Navistar Auspac  offers the Allison option here when the Inter brand returns is yet to be announced.

Navistar Auspac revealed earlier this year that the US engineering release of the Aussie-spec ProStar was made in July this year with pilot builds  scheduled to commence around now (October 2015) with full production scheduled for February 2016 with trucks to arrive down under  and local availability soon after.

With other local brands including Isuzu and Paccar looking at the TC10 it would be interesting to see Navistar’s strategy with the Allison self shifter in Australia.

Jeff Sass, Navistar’s senior vice president, sales and marketing said the introduction of the TC10/ISX15 combination on the International ProStar is another example of how we it is bringing industry-leading solutions to the market quickly for its customers.

“The quality and performance of the International ProStar, coupled with the integrated Allison TC10 transmission/Cummins ISX15 engine combination, will deliver the uptime and fuel efficiency our customers demand,” said Sass.

The Allison TC10, offered with 10 forward speeds and two reverse, uses a patented torque converter and full power shifts to deliver superior performance and productivity when compared to automated manual transmissions. The premium transmission is ideal for prime mover applications and is extremely well-suited for distribution applications where the prime mover-trailer splits its work cycle between city and highway conditions.

“With the TC10, Allison has been able to bring its reputation for smooth vehicle drivability along with transmission reliability and performance to the Class 8 prime mover market,” said Heidi Schutte, executive director of North America sales for Allison Transmission.

“The TC10 maximizes powertrain fuel efficiency while achieving and maintaining highway cruising speeds to save both time and money.”

First introduced in 2014 on International ProStar and International TranStar powered by N13, the Allison TC10 is the first fully automatic transmission for prime mover  on-highway segment. The TC10 transmission’s unique design utilizes a blended architecture with full-power shifts, a torque converter and a twin countershaft gear box. Navistar was the first manufacturer to offer the TC10 as an OE fit in its trucks.

“We set very aggressive performance and fuel economy targets for the TC10,” said Randy Kirk, senior vice president of engineering and product teams for Allison Transmission. “We’re proud to see the TC10 exceeding those expectations with significant fuel economy gains when compared to fleet averages with other transmission technologies.”

The Allison TC10 comes equipped with Allison’s newest generation electronic controls and FuelSense technology which provide added fuel economy features, prognostics to eliminate unnecessary oil and filter changes and enhanced shift selector functionality. A standard five-year or 750,000 mile warranty is also included.