Driving impression: Case IH Quadtrac 485 Steiger has marketed a wheeled articulated tractor for over 50 years. Meanwhile its grandchild — Case IH’s Quadtrac — has notched up more than ten years of service on the world’s arable ground. To celebrate we drive the latest STX 485, featuring Iveco’s Turbo Compound motor, on a farm in eastern Germany
Put a STX 485 alongside the old STX 500 (tested profi 03/06) and one difference stands out: The exhaust and inlet stacks have swapped sides. Whip out the Sherlock Homes glass and you might also spot that the trademark ‘STX’ tag has gone from the badge; otherwise not much else seems to have changed.
Yet under the massive 1.3m wide bonnet, all is not what it was. The reason behind the stack shuffle is a 12.9-litre Iveco Cursor 13 powerplant, which replaces the 500’s 15-litre Cummins QSX, an engine now reserved for the flagship Quadtrac 535 model. The new lump may displace rather less but it’s certainly not weaker, summoning a mighty 2,442Nm torque (1,801lbf ft) at the crank — more than the STX 500.
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