LF's new Lease of Life
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New-look Euro-6 Daf LF looks good and impresses on the road By Will Shiers
DAF HAS DONE a fantastic job of giving its 7.5to 18-tonne GVVV LF range a facelift: the new grille gives this lightweight truck a strong family resemblance to the heavier CF and XF, and disguises the Renault-sourced cab's age. But then Daf is a master at this process, the LF cab being the youngest in its range by about a decade.
It is a similar story inside the cab, where a new dashboard, instruments and switchgear give the truck a new lease of life.
The instrument binnacle, which is identical to that in the Euro-6 CF and XF, is large, and easy to read. It incorporates a Sin Driver Performance Assist (DPA) colour screen, which monitors the driving style, and gives real-time results. Scores are awarded for anticipation and efficient braking, and Daf expects drivers to use it
as a coaching tool, challenging themselves to beat their own best scores, improving fuel economy in the process.
There is a new multi-function steering wheel too, with infotainment controls grouped on the left, and speed controls (cruise/limiter/engine brake) on the right. Hard worker
We spent an hour behind the wheel of a fully laden 12-tonne LF in Belgium's hilly Ardennes region last week. It is fitted with the top horsepower rating (210hp) of the 4-cylinder 4.5-litre, Euro-6 PX5 engine.
The Cummins-supplied PX5 makes the LF's cab noticeably quieter, even when working hard. There is considerably less diesel knock than before, even when tackling the steepest inclines. The downside to a quieter engine is that wind noise has become slightly more pronounced.
Our truck is equipped with a six-speed ZF AS-Tronic automated gearbox, which remains an optional extra. Only 40% of UK operators specify it over the manual option, but Daf believes this will change as more contract rental and leasing companies start to realise its benefits.
The transmission has new software for Euro-6, which makes gear changes quicker and more precise.
Although there is a manual override, Daf chose to put the controls on the floor, out of harm's way. It's not a convenient location, and is a good indication that the manufacturer would prefer drivers not to touch them. This decision makes sense to us, as having experienced it over some pretty tough terrain, we struggle to see why anyone would The DPA can be set to one of more than 30 languages
ever need to use the manual override facility.
The engine brake is more than adequate, and works well with the transmission and speed limiter.
From the driver's seat the new LF has a definite 'big truck feel' to it, which, in our eyes, is a good thing. After all, gone are the days when most 7.5-tonne drivers were predominantly van drivers. • The market
Euro-6 7.5-tonners are more expensive and heavier (between 15% and 18% and 150kg in the case of the LF) than their Euro-5 predecessors, which is likely to have a detrimental effect on the size of the sector in the UK. Daf marketing director Tony Pain believes these factors could cause the market to shrink by as much as 10%, as more operators turn their backs on 7.5 tonnes in favour of 10 or 12 tonnes. But he says the decline is likely to bottom-out, and the 7.5-tonne sector will remain a significant one for the time being.