MULTI
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WHEELERS
SHORTLIST Leyland Daf 30.30 Renault G260 Seddon Atkinson 3-11
TESTERS' CHOICE LEYLAND DAF 30.30
• In the multi-wheeler section we have grouped sixand eight-wheel rigid chassis together, reflecting movement in the market where the sales of 8x4 models now exceed those of 6x4s.
With a total of no less than 10 30tanners on offer, Leyland Daf is the market leader, Its position has been sustained by the introduction of the Constructor 30.30, powered by the Perkins Eagle 800 engine rated at 207kW.
Its payload is slightly less than for the lower-powered, narrow-cabbed 30.26 Constructor, equipped with the TL11C engine, but it is with the much older Seddon Atkinson 3.11 eight-wheeler and the more recent Renault G260 sixwheeler that we made our short-list comparisons.
The Iveco Ford 2421, specified with Cummins' latest C-series engine, is more highly-stressed and provided less powerper-tonne than others in our shortlist.
While the Leyland Daf s fuel consumption did not match up to the others in the shortlist, it made up for its shortcomings on payload and journey times to give the best overall productivity performance. Unusually the 30.30 was specified with single wheels on the rear bogie, saving some 367kg on tare weight and 275 on initial tyre cost.
Understandably the shorter-wheelbased Renault allows tighter marioeuverability than either of the eight-wheelers.
On both acceleration and gradeability we return to the Leyland Daf 30.30, closely followed by the Renault G260 which offers slightly more power and torque-per-tonne than either the Leyland Daf or the Seddon Atkinson.
Despite the lower engine speed, at which the Perkins Eagle engine achieves maximum power of 207kW, its 12.17-litre capacity is offset by higher piston speeds when compared against the shorter stroked 10-litre Cummins L10 unit, specified with the Seddon Atkinson 3.11.
Its high torque output of 1,303Nm at an exceptionally low 890rpm makes for easy starts, excellent gradeability and fast acceleration through the constant-mesh gears of the Fuller transmission.
Noise levels recorded at 76dB(A) inside the cab at 80km/h must be considered high for a relatively new model when compared alongside the ageing cab of the Seddon Atkinson, which was only ldB(A) louder. The 3.11's cab has done good service and still provides a good environment for the driver, but can't match up to either the Renault G260 or the Leyland Daf 30.30. The recently-launched Strata cab will be extended down the model range in due course.
While recognising that the Leyland Daf 30.30 is not better than the other vehicles in this last category, it still performs well enough in all respects to become our Testers' multi-wheeler Choice of vehicles evaluated last year.