Test drive: Pete Model 567 Heritage

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Peterbilt Model 567 HeritagePeterbilt debuted its Model 567 Heritage two years ago as a modernized throwback to the working trucker.

With its bling-heavy and blocky exterior, the vocational workhorse blends classic Pete styling with modern comforts and efficiencies.

The exterior is a truck stop showstopper with subtle Heritage badging a much less subtle use of chrome. A chromed air intake bezel and hood latches; mirror-finish bright bright bumper, grille bars, exhaust stacks, mirrors and sun visor; and polished rocker panels, quarter-fender closeout panels, fender brace and brackets, battery boxes and fuel tanks give the truck a strikingly unique visual profile. Headlight pods make bulb replacement easier while also contributing to the classic look.

Inside, the truck features Heritage Brown interior with a black dash top and wood-finish trim, rich brown leather seats with accent stitching and door pads with brown wood trim.

The truck is configured with a 121-inch BBC set-forward front axle to optimize payloads and weight distribution and is available as a day-cab or with a 72- or 80-inch sleeper. Trucks equipped with a sleeper include wood trim accents on the sleeper cabinets and storage spaces.

With its ultra-plush premium cabin, the Model 567 Heritage appeals heavily to drivers who want to play long-haul cowboy trucker but don’t want to sleep fireside in the tent.

From the outside the truck looks like a classic, but with its smooth on-road mannerisms it certainly don’t feel like one.

Model 567 Heritage decalMy test unit for a rainy, roughly 60 mile jaunt from Columbus to just outside Starkville, Miss., featured Paccar’s MX13 with an output of 510 hp and 1,850 lb. ft. of torque. I’ll get a few cowboy points deducted for the Eaton Ultrashift Plus automated manual transmission – but it was an 18 speed!

Steering was tight and easy and shifting was seamless with precision timing. The transmission’s Electronic Clutch Actuator makes for smooth engagement.

The Skip Shift feature automatically jumps over unnecessary gears as the truck builds speed, helping increase acceleration to achieve cruising speed quicker and more smoothly. It also lets the driver begin acceleration in the best-possible start gear based on load and grade.

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Another benefit of the Ultrashift is that it takes the gear-shifter off the floor. Replacing the stick with dash-mounted selector buttons opens a lot of room between the front seats for a cooler and allows easier access to the refrigerator and the sleeper.

Old-school-cool trucks typically feature split windows but the Model 567 Heritage uses a panoramic single-piece windshield that provides a superior field of view.

Air disc brakes on the front and rear, SmarTire Tire Pressure Monitoring System, and SmartLINQ Remote Diagnostics add modern elements of safety and efficiency.

The factory-installed SmartLINQ provides drivers with an instant looks at the truck’s health with detailed diagnostics and recommended actions through a companion mobile app and a web-based portal. The system monitors more than 750 engine and aftertreatment diagnostic codes.

Trucking is an industry with a rich – almost legendary – history, and the Model 567 Heritage is a comfortable way to embrace the most modern parts of the legacy while still acknowledging the heritage of yesteryear.