A jackpot for Valtra at Agritechnica trade fair

Valtra wins the ‘TRACTOR of the year 2018’ and ‘Best design 2018’ awards at AGRITECHNICA

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The Valtra T254 Versu featuring the SmartTouch armrest has won the world-renowned ‘Tractor of the Year 2018’ and ‘Best Design 2018’ awards at the Agritechnica trade fair in Hannover. Further, the Valtra A114 model of the brand new A Series was among the five finalists in Best Utility category.

The selection was made by 23 independent journalists representing 24 European agricultural magazines. ‘Tractor of the Year’ is one of the most prestigious awards within the industry, recognising innovation, technology and performance. It´s the first time Valtra wins the main award of the ‘Tractor of the Year’ competition.

The jury justified their decision of the ‘Tractor of the Year’ award as follows:

“Valtra sets a new standard in intuitive operation; the tractor in general offers high level of comfort, performance, efficiency and versatility. The standard fitted SmartTouch armrest with the 9 inch touch screen, the intelligent multiuse drive lever and the new hydraulic joystick give the best and most straightforward user interface in the industry. It allows the driver to control and adjust almost any setting of the engine, transmission, hydraulics, AutoGuide, Telemetry etc. As a matter of fact, it´s a new way of working with tractor terminal.”

And continuing further about the Best Design award of the model, the jury says:

It´s amazing how a brand can change (looking 10 years back), when the right designers take care of the style. Valtra Versu T254 with SmartTouch represents a very cool looking, modern and elegant tractor.

“Receiving these important awards and finalist recognition is amazing and a great continuation to the numerous acknowledgements and awards that our 4th generation models have received since they were first launched in 2014. The Valtra T254 featuring the SmartTouch armrest demonstrates our continuous development work at Valtra focusing on reliability, ease of use and intuitive solutions so that farmers can enjoy working with Valtra products and get the maximum benefit from the rapidly developing technology,” comments Mikko Lehikoinen, Marketing Director, Valtra Inc.

The latest model of the T Series, the Valtra T254 Versu was launched in June this year and customer deliveries began in August. The Valtra T254V is a true arable working machine, and with SmartTouch it brings all the latest precision farming tools to the same user interface as the tractor controls. SmartTouch further enhances driving with the powershift transmission, making it possible to drive like a CVT tractor. With a maximum output of 271 horsepower, the T254 Versu is the most powerful model in the T Series.

Valtra SmartTouch – easier than your smart phone

The Valtra T254 Versu comes with the new easy-to-use SmartTouch user interface. SmartTouch was designed and engineered in Finland, and it was awarded the Red Dot design award in April 2017.

SmartTouch features fully integrated technology: Guidance, Isobus, AgControl and TaskDoc. The new armrest increases the productivity of any tractor-implement combination and lightens the workload for the driver. Separate profiles can be set for each individual driver and task, and configurations can be made in seconds using the touchscreen. All settings with the exception of changes to the terminal’s settings are automatically saved to the active profile.

The 9-inch terminal has been designed to be easier and more intuitive to use than a modern smart phone. All the functions on the terminal can be accessed with a maximum of two swipes or taps, and the design makes it impossible to get lost in the menu. Anyone, whether they have used a touchscreen before or not, can operate this terminal with little or no practice.

Intelligent drive lever – drive a powershift like a CVT

Valtra’s Versu models revolutionise the way powershift tractors are driven. The speed can be increased by pushing the hand-operated drive lever and decreased by pulling it, keeping acceleration in full control at all times. There is no switch to change between lever and pedal mode, as they work in prefect sync all the time. Driving with the drive lever is a new feature that provides more flexibility for the operator. Valtra’s Versu models are the only powershift tractors in the world that enable full operation using only the drive lever.

The 5-step Powershift transmission features four main and two creeper ranges for a total of 30 speeds in both directions. Shifting is precise and effortless whether operated fully automatically or manually with the drive lever. The T254 Versu also features Valtra’s Hill-hold feature, which enables easy starts using just the accelerator pedal, even uphill, as well as Valtra’s revolutionary, patented hydraulics assistant. This innovation provides more hydraulic output automatically, either stationary or when driving, with no effect on driving speed.

As with all of Valtra’s 4th generation models, the T254 Versu offers the highest levels of comfort, durability, versatility and Scandinavian design with optimal functionality and great visibility. The T254 Versu has features like no other powershift tractor. It can also be tailored to meet the needs of each individual customer, not forgetting Valtra’s TwinTrac reverse-drive system or the SkyView cab with ultimate rear side visibility.