New Holland Agriculture has offered a glimpse into the future by revealing its innovative Straddle Tractor concept, specifically designed to meet the demanding requirements of the narrow vineyards typical of the premium wine growing regions such as Champagne, Médoc and Burgundy.
These operations produce high-quality, high-value wines from grapes grown in rows less than 1.5m wide, often on steep slopes and in small vineyards. In these conditions, grapes are picked by hand and most of the vine maintenance work is done by means of a tractor travelling over the rows.
To develop the Straddle Tractor concept New Holland partnered with Pininfarina, opening a new era for the narrowest vineyards. Pininfarina developed a futuristic design around a high-comfort, high-safety cab, and ready for the electric traction in line with New Holland’s Clean Energy Leader strategy.
The design of the front of the machine combines function with style. Inspired by the shape of a champagne flute – tall, wide at the top and tapering down at the bottom – it references the premium wine growers that are its main customer base. This shape, together with wraparound glass, provides the operator with exceptional visibility on the vines and all around. The overall exterior design stands out for the flowing and dynamic automotive-inspired lines. The exposed frame confers a sporty look. The shape of the cab, angled in the direction of travel, adds to the vehicle’s dynamism.
The interior, easily accessible thanks to the large single door and rotating seat, offers a supremely comfortable environment. The use of wood contributes to the cab’s plush, luxurious feel, and links again to the customer’s business linking to the wood of wine barrels.
New Holland Brand President Carlo Lambro said the ground-breaking Straddle Tractor concept offered a glimpse into the future that premium wine growers with narrow, high-value vineyards can aspire to.
“It’s the result of New Holland’s long history of excellence in vineyards across the world, combined with the inspired innovation of legendary design house Pininfarina,” he added. “It’s testament to New Holland’s constant striving to develop new solutions to meet the most specialised needs of our customers, and foretells a further expansion of our extensive offering – the widest in the industry.”
The chief creative officer at Pininfarina, Kevin Rice, said the company had worked as a joint team with New Holland to conceive the Straddle Tractor, a concept capable of offering a completely new experience.
“We’ve leveraged our skills gained in more than 90 years of car design, combining a unique and distinctive style and top-level performance, keeping always the human experience at the centre,” he added. “In New Holland, we’ve found a partner that shares our values and our innovation-oriented approach; we’re confident that the new concept will be able to mark the future direction for this sector.”
