Price: £62,730 (ex-VAT). Includes Space Cab (23,730), full air management
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kit (21,790), measuring fifth wheel package (21,180), seat belts (£185), Philips stereo radio/cassette and six-disc CD autochanger (2450).
Engine: 11.6 litres, 315kW (422hp).
GCW: 38.0 tonnes.
Payload: 23.62 tonnes.
Speed: 73.4km/h (45.7mph).
Fuel consumption: 38.11it/100km (7.42mpg), iI seems that the truck manufacturers have called a truce in the power war," we said when we tested the Foden 4450 last year (CM 15-21 Aug 1991). That was before we all got used to Yugoslavian truces of course. And now it seems that they're at it again with 390kW (523hp) for the latest Renault Magnum launched at the Paris Show, while in the same week, Scania was predicting 410kW (550hp) by 2000.
Scania's crystal ball-gazing referred to use in hilly country and at high gross combination weights, but for UK-type terrain, the company reckons that 317kW (425hp) is a more practical figure. Right now there aren't too many contenders at that rating. The MAN 19.422 springs to mind, others include the 320kW (429hp) ERF E14.465 and the Mercedes-Benz 1844 we tested recently (CM 1-7 October). Newest on the
UK market is the Leyland Daf 95.430, subject of this week's roadtest.
The 95.430 was launched earlier this year and is now the flagship of Leyland Daf's range, sharing the 11.6-litre engine with its lesser powered 95 stablemates. By this time next year, the 95 will have been joined by the 85 and 75 ranges. The 85 will share the 95's 11.6-litre motor but the 75 will be powered by an all-new 8.62-litre lump. If Leyland Daf is to join in with its 500hp-plus rivals, it will need more cubes than its venerable 11.6-litre block can provide and we understand that development of a larger engine continues.
Under the 95.430's floor however, the 11.6 litre is right in there with current thinking, producing a relatively high output from a comparatively modest displacement. MAN is happy with 12 litres in the 422, as is Volvo in the F12 400, while Scania makes
do with 11 litres in the R113/400. That might not be enough to power the turbocompound-engined Swede into Scania's UK price list yet, but it makes the ERF E14.465's 14-litre Cummins and Merc 1844's 14.6-litre blocks look unfashionably large.
• PRODUCT PROFILE
The 95.430's WS 315 engine was developed before the pending Euro-1 emissions limits were made known last year. Consequently it doesn't meet the Euro-1 requirements in its present form, unlike the latest Mercedes 1844. Even so, with less than a year before the new regulations come into force, the Euro-1 version can't be far off.
Power is up 6.8% over the previously most powerful 95.400, to 315kW (422hp) at the same 2,000rpm. Torque increases by a similar amount, up 7.6% to 1,765Nm (1,301lbft), but 200rpm further down the rev range than the 400, at 1,100rpm. Despite its smaller capacity than either the 465 Cununins in the ERF or Mercedes' veeeight in the 1844, it is not disgraced by its torque output. The Mercedes offers 6.5% more and the Cummins 5.4% more, while both the turbo-compound Scania and the MAN are close behind it.
The 95.430 uses the same transmission system as the 95.400; ZF Ecosplit 16S-220 16-speed synchromesh range-change and splitter box, driving a Leyland Daf 1346 single-reduction rear axle. Designed for 44 tonnes GCW, the drive axle is rated at 13 tonnes, comfortably exceeding the UK's permitted 10.5 tonnes. UK and design weights coincide at 7.1 tonnes for the steer axle.
Our test vehicle was fitted with the optional high-roof Space Cab, giving the fiveyear-old Cabtec cab standing headroom. The £3,730 option includes four-point air suspension, air-suspended seats, a second bunk, electrically operated windows, roof hatch and Leyland Daf's Integrated Temperature Control (ITC) system. Our test vehicle was also fitted with seat belts and a Philips CD player with six-disc autochanger — good enough to hear van Beethoven or Van Morrison.
Apart from the Space Cab, there are day, sleeper and top-sleeper cab options available. A five-year corrosion warranty and two-year paint warranty come as standard. There's a choice of wheelbases too, at 3.25m, 3.5m and 3.8m — our test vehicle was a 3.5m version.
• PRODUCTIVITY
Tipping the scales at 7.38 tonnes, the 95.430 is not the lightest in class but it is competitive with its close rivals. In our Eurotest earlier this year (CM 30 Jan5 Feb), the MAN 19.422 tipped the scales at 7.41 tonnes and the turbo-compound Scania at 7.08 tonnes. As our comparison chart shows, the 1844 Mercedes pays the price for the high-roof cab and big vee-eight.
For owner-operators working abroad, the differences are largely irrelevant. The Leyland Daf was running on steel wheels and was also equipped with a "fifth-wheel" distance measuring device, so there was plenty of weight saving potential.
The extra power should have given the 95.430 the speed edge over the 95.400. Overall, the 95.400 returned a faster average speed — just (74.3km/h to 73.4km/h). The marginal difference is probably due to the 95.430's speed limiter, set just below the 96km/h (60mph) motorway speed limit. A glance at the track results shows that the 430 has the edge on acceleration, reaching 80km/h (50mph) almost five seconds quicker from rest and similarly reducing the rolling acceleration increments: this is reflected in the hill-climb times out on the road, where the 95.430 was significantly quicker than the 95.400.
Did we pay for the extra horses in DERV? Happily no, the 95,430 returned an excellent 38.1ht/100km (7.42mpg), just bettering the 95.400's fine 38.31it/100km (7.38mpg). It's also only a whisker behind the 1844 — kitted out with a 3.8m high aerodynamic test trailer. And the result is better than some tractive units with 100 less horsepower. So you can have your cake and eat it, faster journey times and lower fuel consumption with more power.
• ON THE ROAD
There's little to distinguish between the 95.430 and its lesser-powered siblings in terms of road behaviour. The Space Cab brings with it air suspension for the cab and air-suspended driver and passenger seats. Add in the air-suspended rear axle and it gets close to the proverbial magic carpet.
Handling benefits too. As cab movement is so well controlled, cornering is less dramatic and inspires confidence.
The extra power undoubtedly improves driveability, as our hill-climb times show. Driving over the A68 was considerably less effort than in lower-powered vehicles; we had to drop into low range only on the steepest gradients.
The ZF Ecosplit gives a good even spread of ratios as the sawtooth diagram shows. We found that on the flat we could pull away in 3L, then take a gear and-a-half to 4H, whole gears to 6H and split from there. The solid green "economy" sector on the rev counter runs between 1,300rpm and 1,750rpm, with the shaded green spanning 1,100rpm to 1,300rpm. At its restricted top speed, the engine is turning over at 1,660rpm, comfortably inside its optimum performance band. In top 64Iun/h (40mph) corresponds to around 1,150rpm, close to peak torque, so there is little need for gear changing on the open road.
The gear lever can be hustled through the gate fairly quickly, although it is possible to beat the synchromesh if you rush it. We never failed to find a gear and with so much power and torque available, there is less of a tendency to grab for a gear climbing the hills, than in lower-powered vehicles. We like the single-H pattern gate with the lift and twist collar for range and split, it feels so much more positive than the same box with a double-H pattern gate.
We were unable to carry out our usual brake testing at MIRA because of the damp track. We couldn't carry out the hill restarts for the same reason. Even so, the brakes gave no cause for concern out on the road, proving to be powerful and progressive. The exhaust brake also showed its worth on long downhills, given a swift enough down change to keep engine revs up.
Like other 95s we have tested, noise was well suppressed in the 430, complementing the ride in providing a relaxed driving environment. Only when revs dropped to around 1,200/1,300rpm or below did the engine begin to growl.
• CAB COMPORT
The Space Cab is essentially unchanged from previous models, but Leyland Daf has changed the trim in the 430 cab. Gone is the wall-to-wall grey of other 95s, replaced by a pleasing dark blue. As we know from our experiences with the Seddon Atkinson Strato and Pegaso Troner, a change in trim can make a great deal of difference to the Cabtec interior and the blue is a change for the better.
Other changes include better support from the lsringhausen seats and thicker foam in the lower bunk — 12cm instead of 7cm.
The cab also includes two external lockers, useful for gloves, suzies, rope and the like. Entry is from outside through opening flaps in the cab sides. The flaps must be released from inside the cab to give secure stowage. The under bunk stowage is smaller as a result but it's a reasonable trade-off. There's plenty of other storage space too. Over the windscreen there's a tray in front of the driver and to the left two large locking compartments. By the gear lever there's a moulded tray for cassettes and recess for a flask. There's another oddments bin over the ventilation controls with a recessed top and door bins each side.
Getting in and out is relatively straight forward. The broad steps are illuminated when the cab doors are opened and there are grab handles in all the right places.
Once inside, the driving position can be tailored to suit most shapes and sizes. The steering column is adjustable for height and reach, while the driving seat can be adjusted in all the usual directions. On top of that, there are two adjustable lumbar supports which can be inflated or deflated at the touch of a button. Like all other 95s, the steering wheel boss opens out to give a flat surface for filling in the tacho chart.
The Space Cab is fitted with Leyland Daf's ITC air-conditioning system, which was a boon on our sunny run around Scotland, Even though it was past the summer peak, the temperature in the cab climbed with the sun on all that glass. International drivers will certainly find this an appealing feature. It also answered our criticisms of the feeble ventilation in the 95.400.
Visibility is hard to fault. Large heated door mirrors give a good rearward view, while a kerb and long distance mirror on the nearside help to position tractor and trailer.
• SUMMARY
At 38 tonnes, the 95.430 has as near as dammit the same power-to-weight ratio as a 373kW (500hp) truck at 44 tonnes. Until the UK bows to higher gross weights, this power rating appears to offer the optimum speed/fuel compromise. Larger engines with more torque, like the Cummins 14-litre 465 in the ERF, can't compete on fuel and in our experience, won't make a truck go any faster. Leyland Daf might not be able to compete with its 373kW (500hp) rivals yet, but that's the least of its troubles at the moment. This time next year, the top power rating might be the only sector of the market it hasn't covered, assuming the AngloDutch combine is still with us.
We think the 95.430 has a lot going for it. Fine performance, handling and fuel consumption, a modern cab offering a good driving environment and an attractive price tag. Several rivals don't offer a high-roof cab in the UK either Mercedes-Benz and MAN to name two. For anyone who spends much time away, the 95.430 should certainly be on their shortlist.
LI by John Kendall