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NEW BLOCK ON THE KID

We've been waiting to get out hands on the new Daf XF105 for quite a while now — and our first 44-tonner at Euro-4 hasn't left us disappointed.

The battle for the Euro-4 hearts and minds of UK 44-tonne tractor buyers begins here. Our ears are still ringing from the salvoes exchanged between the European truck makers —but judging by their forward order books, most operators appear to be saying 'thanks, but no thanks', Of course, if you have picked up a new tractor in the past few weeks you have had no choice but to choose between Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) or Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) technology, Lining up in the SCR camp are Daf, Renault, Iveco, Mercedes and Volvo: the EGR 'renegades' include MAN and Scania.

It's an interesting coincidence that CM's first Euro-4 44-tonner should be Dais XF105.510 because its predecessor, the XF95.530, held our top-weight artic fuel consumption record at Euro-3 with 8.14mpg.

A 530hp tractor top of the fuel league? Yes, you read it right.The only rival to come close was the MAN TGA-430 with 8.07mpg — a truck that also did well in our recent 1,000-mile Euro-4 GroupTest (CM 28 September).

So what is the difference between an XF105 and an XF95 apart from SCR? Well, the 12.6-litre XE diesel has been replaced by the 13-litre six-pot MX,complete with wet liner. compound graphite iron block, gear-train relocated at the back and a one-piece head featuring an integrated inlet manifold.

The MX has 25% fewer parts—the oil filter, thermostat and cooler are combined into a single module — and the cable harness is coated by a rigid foam so there is no weight hanging on connectors.

Inside it has had a full makeover (the XF95 was looking a bit dated) with new trim, revised storage, redesigned hunks and relocated controls — in particular the ASTronic auto selector controls have moved from the floor to the dash, improving crosscab access. Outside, the )(F's distinctive 'big black gob' of a radiator surround extends even deeper into the new and rather more shapely front bumper.

Up top, the Super Spacecab roof profile has been made smoother (it looks a little like the Topline Scania to us), and for £610 you can spec integrated spotlights (called 'Skylights') into the corners. Finally, while the most powerful MX engii is rated at 510hp (although at 2,500Nm it actually offers more torque than its more powerful predecessor),a 560 is on the way.

On the road With little change to the XE chassis and suspension, you won't find any real different when it comes to the 105's handling and row manners.

OK,it can't quite match the smaller CF85 when it comes to cornering, but cab roll is well controlled and apart from the odd bit of skittishness on greasy road surfaces (probab down to us pushing on a bit) the twin-steer XF's ride was very stable, aided by light but direct steering.

Of course the real difference is under the hood — in particular when hill-climbing, where the MX engine's extra torque is clearl noticeable as it digs in at 1,000-1.400rpm.

We think the extra grunt saves at least half a gear compared with the old XE diesel and it is delivered with the minimum of bother 01 noise.Throw in the optional AS-Tronic and you've got a lazy man's drive. In the past we have tended to let the ZF auto do all the work.Th is time we drove it more like a clutchless manual, using the new flipper paddle mounted on the right of the steering column to shift up or down.

The advantage of DIY is that you can hold a gear when cresting a hill whereas the auto might drop a cog unnecessarily.To revert back to full auto, simply press a button on the end of the stalk.

In any case, you can shift manually in auto so you can play as many tunes on AS-Tronic as you like. In fact the only time we left it alone was in busy traffic (where we had other things on our mind) and up the worst of our hill climbs, Castleside on the A68 (where it took away the stress of missing a gear).

In full auto the MX 510 is nicely matched to the AS-Tronic.The fuel sweet spot is at 1,200-1,400rpm and it is gratifying how often you find yourself in it. Block shifts on steep hills or when pulling away in busy traffic are no problem to the AS-Tronic, but where things really become enjoyable is when you put it all together with the optional Intarder and MX engine brake.

In full auto when you've reached your desired velocity running downhill just press the 'Bremsomat' button On the steering wheel and the system automatically dials in the necessary braking.'This is provided via the three-stage retarder, the engine brake or both, and the right gear and engine revs are chosen along the way to keep your fully laden 44-tonner at the required speed.

Once you are back on the level, the regular cruise control cuts back in automatically so you don't have to keep resetting it.

Similarly, touch the engine brake button with your left foot in auto and the engine automatically downshifts for maximum backpressure.

The upshot of all this extra retardation is that you hardly need to use your service brakes, especially when running into a roundabout or junction. However, the combined Intarder/MX engine brake package will cost you a cool £5.130, so do your sums to see if your mileage and brake relining intervals justify it.

In fact there was nothing particularly cheap (or indeed 'standard') on our test truck,so you might have to carefully work out what is a 'must-have' and what is merely a 'wouldlike' for your new XF105.

Productivity

Considering all the hype, there is no doubt that any operator looking at SCR at Euro-4 will be looking for fuel savings. However, on CM we are far more pragmatic when it comes to seeing major changes out on the road.

For example the XF105 returned what we consider to be an impressive overall figure of 7.93mpg.Yes. that is worse than the Euro-3 XF95.530 without SCR (by 2.58%), but things were different this time around.

Back in 2005 the XF95 ran with a more slippery box-bodied trailer (our current CM/Hill Hire curtainsider test trailers weren't available then), And throughout its test the summertime temperatures were way above those we experienced with the XF105 in November.

Excuses? No, just a fact that it's going to take a lot more than one test around CM's test route before we can categorically say whether SCR delivers fuel savings against a Euro-3 truck let alone an Euro-4 EGR rival.Mat said, we are more than pleased with the new MX engine's economy.

A quick look at our comparison charts also shows the cost of AdB We. Around our 760km route the XF105 used just nine litres of the stuff -delivering a cost of f28.34/1()Okm.Again we'll need many more 44-tonne SCR tractor tests before we can put that into perspective.

If the XF105's economy was good,so was its performance—another key part of productivity.Average speed and hill-climbing times are well up with its (in some cases) more-powerful rivals while on outright acceleration it is less than two seconds behind the XF95.530.

Last but not least,the shift to Euro-4 hasn't had much impact on the XF's kerb weight.At 8,580kg with a brim-full 580-litre fuel tank, full AdBlue tank and aero kit it compares well with its Euro-3 predecessor's 8,405kg -especially as the latter hada smaller 500-litre fuel tank.

That said,the big Daf has never been the lightest on the block and losing a few pounds wouldn't hurt.

Cab comfort We have spent quite o lot of time in the XF105 recently nd consider the layout of the Super Spacecab to be an excellent template for all long-haul flagship tractors. Above all. the latest revisions have put the big Daf right hack in contention with the best of the Swedes. --.1.1•111r The build quality is rock solid (the only rattle throughout our two-day test came from a divider in the fridge). And when it comes to under-bunk storage, Dal has got it 100% right with the double pull-out drawer and fridge.

The headliner lockers deliver oodles of room but in terms of driver appeal the XF105 scores highest when it comes to attention to detail.

Examples of this include: the pull-out tray and red 'night running' interior lights;the switch control panel in the driver's window arm rest: the`big bottle' holder next to the driver's seat; being able to get to at least one under-hunk locker from inside the cab: and the fact you can sit on the bottom bed without don king your head on the top one when it is stowed.

We would suggest all truck makers also look at what Daf has done in terms of the X.F's control layout in particular moving the gear selector from the cab floor and putting it in the dash. Result? Easy cross-cab access into the bedroom.

Is there anything we don't like about the XF105's interior? Well, there are a few minor niggles. For example, night heater/light controls are on the offside when most UK drivers sleep on the nearside. And you have to get out of bed to reach the electric roof vent switch.

There is no smoke alarm either (unlike in a Volvo or Scania), and the lower mattress, while comfortable, is solid foam rather than 'sprung'.

Then there's that gap in the corner between the front and slide blinds, which is irritating in low sunlight, and the new Ei; mirror clusters have created lateral blind spots—but Daf isn't the only one to suffer from that and is by no means the worst.

But once you are sitting in the (optional) Super Luxury driver's seat you will be prepared to forgive all those little aberrations. It is supremely comfortable longer-legged drivers have maximum and the bunk cut-out behind ensures that rearward travel.Together with the excellent adjustable wheel it also ensures the perfect 'man/machine interface'. •