CLAAS supersized tractor named Tractor of the Year

CLAAS’ XERION 12.650 TERRA TRAC has been awarded Tractor of the Year by a jury of European agricultural journalists at a glitzy ceremony held at the Agritechnica 2023 expo in Hanover, Germany.

The XERION 12 series was officially released in Europe in summer 2023 and is currently CLAAS’s flagship tractor range, offering outputs of up to 653hp. This makes it the most powerful continuously variable transmission tractor in the world.

The XERION 12.650 TERRA TRAC is powered by a Mercedes-Benz OM473 engine featuring a low-engine speed concept 2.0 that develops a maximum torque of up to 3100Nm at 1300rpm, CLAAS said.

It runs a CMATIC continuously variable transmission with a maximum speed of 40km/h, low-engine speed working hydraulics with flow rates of up to 537l/min and newly developed TERRA TRAC triangular crawler tracks.

But its 50:50 weight distribution is what gives the XERION 12.650 its superior pulling power, which when combined with the four crawler tracks gives it maximum traction while minimising soil compaction.

“Despite the immense power at its disposal and its massive dimensions, the XERION is very easy to handle, thanks to the latest generation of the CMATIC continuously variable transmission with four mechanical ranges, assisted by the CEMOS learning-based assistance system and information input to optimise transmission, traction, and ballasting, with clear benefits in terms of performance and fuel consumption,” the jury said.

“Naturally, the new XERION models are also much smarter thanks to customisable packages for ISOBUS applications and precision agriculture. Customers can choose between GPS Pilot automatic guidance with various correction signals, online and offline activity management, and precision farming applications with section control and variable rate application (VRA). All of this is displayed on a 12-inch CEMIS 1200 terminal using the well-known CEBIS control concept.”

CLAAS Group Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Martin von Hoyningen-Huene, said the award is a great achievement for the company.

“With the XERION 12 Series, we have taken the well-known strengths valued by XERION customers from all over the world, further developed them and combined them with more than 25 years of TERRA TRAC development and production experience into a strong, convincing overall concept,” he said.

“The fact that the XERION, whose existence we owe personally to Helmut Claas, is now receiving the TOTY Award for the first time in its 25th year of market presence, is a great success for the entire development team.”

There are two models in the XERION 12 Series - the 12.590 with 585hp and the range-topping 12.650, which are produced for the global market in both TERRA TRAC and wheeled TRAC versions at the main CLAAS plant in Harsewinkel, Germany.

The XERION 12 also features the largest cabin in its class, the company claims, alongside a range of precision technology such as automated steering, section control, variable rate and automatic documentation, as well as optimisation of machine and process performance.

From the end of 2024, the XERION 12 Series will also be even more connected with the addition of the new CLAAS connect, which will provide further automation of work processes and even autonomy, CLAAS said.

The CLAAS XERION 12 is confirmed for the Australian market but local distributor, Landpower, said the range is not expected to arrive on our shores until 2025.

CLAAS beat out some other big names in the tractor market including Massey Ferguson, Valtra and Fendt to claim the top gong.

In addition to the main award, three other accolades including Best Utility, Best of Specialized and Sustainable Tractor of the Year were also handed out at the ceremony.

The winners of the Tractor of the Year 2024 awards are: