You can’t ignore the fact that this XF model has a clear lineage from the 95 series, launched in 1987. Extended development is far from a handicap in the automotive world, though. And in reality, all of the DAF XF from the cab floor down, and most of what’s above, is new, the most recent major redesign coming with the advent of Euro-6.
The Paccar MX-13 is effectively a true global engine, with minor changes for local emissions rules, sold from North America to Australia in DAF, Kenworth and Peterbilt vehicles. The 510hp rating under review in this XF in the latest OBD, Step C version is the highest available in the DAF range, which also includes 410hp and 460hp ratings, its creators still resisting any urge to join the power race. By current standards, the MX-13’s architecture is conventional, with six in-line cylinders and rear-mounted timing gear operating four valves per cylinder. Fuelling is by 2,500 bar common-rail injection and a single variable geometry turbocharger.
Where the engineers have refined the basics is in efficiencies such as the engine’s lightweight composite sump, the cast-in fluid pipework and encapsulated engine electrics. The efficiency drive also extends to chassis packaging, such as locating the AdBlue tank under the cab floor.
One of the issues associated with most of the latest engines equipped with diesel particulate filters (DPFs) is what happens when they get clogged during certain urban operations. Operating temperatures don’t reach the level required to burn off the soot automatically. Although the DAF isn’t immune from this characteristic, the driver is supplied with a comprehensive guide to the different kinds of regenerative process, including a QR code linking to an online instructional video, so there’s no excuse for not understanding the issues. Unless the last driver kept the guide, of course.
DAF engineers are traditionally conservative when it comes to adopting new technology, but on the upside, when they do adopt something it tends to be established as fad-free. One area where the XF is up to date is its use of LED lighting, with headlamps, daytime running lights and tail-lamps featuring the technology. However, we think they can happily sign off one-touch indicators, not just because they are useful but because drivers now expect them to be on most vehicles they drive.
The exterior of this review XF 6x2, 1 DAF, is quite restrained, white with fairly discreet graphics with only two shades of grey and a touch of DAF orange. Climb aboard, though, and you could be in the bedroom of a Dutch teenage football supporter, as the very orange shade of brown pervades.
Seats, door trims, steering wheel and even the curtains feature the Dutch national colour. The leather trim is an option in the XF, though, unlike the wood dashboard trim, which comes as standard.
As well as the colour scheme, DAF’s Xtra Leather Air super luxury seat includes a three-part backrest, heating and cooling and adjustable cushion length, ensuring it lives up to its description. The big news from the driving position is that the archaic frame-within-a-frame on the side windows has been consigned to history – yippee for that. Now, every driver can see all the mirrors. A previous experience of driving an XF in the dark revealed that the model has an issue with the reflections from the dash in the rear-view mirrors being a distraction, but now a black screen feature extinguishes all dash illumination apart from a faint speedo display, operated by a single switch press or automatically when reverse is engaged. Night-time visibility is further enhanced by low-level cornering lamps that illuminate the ground right back to the front wheel centre.
The mirrors on the XF are generously sized but spaced far enough away from the body and from each other to minimise blind spots. They are adjusted from a panel at the front of the door panel top edge. As well as a green translucent external visor, the main front sun shielding is from a full-width manual roller blind, whose release mechanism appears to be a development of Arkwright’s till. The side blinds have a rather more finger-friendly push-pull operation.
The seating position in the XF is rather embracing, surrounded by the wrap-around dashboard and the 150mm engine hump, but far from claustrophobic. As has been DAF’s style in recent years, the instrument panel is a long way from traditional truck style, making good use of colour in its high-resolution graphics.
If you’ve never driven a DAF before, it’s worth reading the handbook, although another quick-start guide covering driving controls is provided. Accessing some features on the Driver Information Display (DID), for example, is not exactly intuitive. Usefully, in these days of multicultural driver pools, the DID defaults to the language of the truck’s country of registration, but changes to the driver’s home language as picked up from the driver card.
The double-DIN audio and sat-nav unit has a small but perfectly formed 7in touchscreen, but the labelling is small and faintly marked. This is out of character with the rest of the XF’s dash, where everything else is big and chunky, and marked clearly enough even for older eyes. Gadget fans are well catered for on the dashboard, with two USB sockets and an auxiliary input, 24V DIN and 12V lighter sockets, plus another 12V socket in the bunk’s magazine rack. A SIM card holder is provided for a dedicated hands-free cab phone system.
An area where the XF deserves the highest praise is its noise insulation, which at tickover is measured at 47.2dB(A), probably lower than the ambient noise outside.
One of the XF Super Space Cab’s features that drivers appreciate is its storage and, of course, this is one of the benefits of the extreme box-like design, with no wasted corners. With two bunks specified, high-level storage is obviously limited to the front, but that doesn’t mean you’re left short of space. There are three generously-sized lockable lockers above the screen, although on our review truck the one on the left contained an optional microwave, and a smaller open-fronted tray in the middle.
Below the centre of the bunk in our review vehicle were a 42-litre fridge drawer, whose top can be used as a table but not a step, and a 65-litre storage drawer, both with configurable dividers.
The top of the XF dash has a generously-sized flat tray area with a rubber mat, and a pair of pop-out cup-holders and a pull-out table beneath. The door pockets include small bottle holders and a combined rubbish bin and 2-litre bottle holder next to the driving seat. If you die of thirst in this truck, it won’t be DAF’s fault. But seriously, dehydration while driving is as great a danger as driving while drunk, so you can’t have enough liquid to hand.
The remaining space beneath the bunks offers further generous storage, with a mix of internal and external access. The exception to the XF’s sensible storage remains the external locker design, where the large lid promises much but delivers an aperture barely large enough to take a pair of boots.
This review XF comes with those two bunks, a feature that still seems to divide UK operators. Access to the top bunk is by a clever alloy ladder that slides across into the most convenient position. If you use it for storage instead of sleeping, there’s a restraint net built into the front edge, and a pair of coat hooks at each end of the bunk.
Downstairs, there is a couple of useful storage racks, almost 1m wide, on the rear wall, together with a basic control panel for roof hatch and blind, interior light, and night heater, and a reading lamp. The lower bunk has an Xtra Comfort mattress, 150mm thick and pocket sprung, which features an air gap below to prevent any condensation from the fridge. Extra peace of mind contributing to a good night’s sleep is provided by DAF’s Night Lock on the doors, which should keep out all but the most determined intruder armed with a sledgehammer and angle grinder.
Moving off in the XF 6x2 involves giving the 12-speed ZF AS-Tronic its marching orders via the dial in the centre of the dash and releasing what we thought was one of the last of the old-fashioned handbrakes, until we discovered Scania had kept it for its new model. Almost every other control you will need in normal driving can be accessed by stretching a finger.
The review truck follows the standard DAF approach of defaulting to Eco mode, which reduces power by 10% in all gears apart from top. It can be turned off, but re-engages after the throttle is lifted or after 60 seconds. While we stay in Eco mode at all times except when advised not to by DAF’s co-driver, its effects on performance are graphically shown at the proving ground, where turning it off sees a three-second reduction in the XF’s standstill to 80km/h time. It’s your choice, but Eco mode is one area that will benefit from proper coaching.
As we’ve come to expect, the ZF box gets on with its job, efficiently and without any fuss. The review truck has the optional predictive cruise control (PCC), and unusually, although the required speed limiter is set at 56mph, cruise control is capped at 53mph. The PCC overspeeds downhill if a run-up is needed on the other side, or backs off before the crest of a hill. It has three stages of tolerance, at 6mph, the default of 4mph and 2mph (one, two or three ticks on screen) and the driver always has full control. The familiar eco-roll is complemented by the subtly different fuel shut-off where appropriate, taking advantage of the fact that an idling engine still uses a little fuel, while one over-running uses none.
The DAF MX engine brake, with three stages of operation, 40%, 70% and 100%, needs plenty of revs to be most effective, but downshifts are easily made with the flick of a finger, while both cruise control and downhill cruise control are easily set with the right thumb. The service brakes on our XF 6x2, as we have come to expect from all trucks now, quietly get on with the job.
The review truck we are in has the full complement of active electronic safety aids, but the XF’s passive safety is good to start with. The ride in this 6x2 is firm and the steering precise, although a little bit sensitive to severe cross-winds, but good in ruts. When any of the safety systems drop out for any reason, unmissable visual and audible warnings let you know. Once again, we had a false alarm from the AEB system, this time caused by a van negotiating the roundabout at Hexham ahead of us. We can’t help feeling that, virtuous as it is, the system has the potential to actually cause a collision in some situations, a comment aimed not just at DAF.
Finally, the Stoneridge tachograph in our review XF deserves a mention, having some useful functions, including its handling of WTD rules and its large, clear countdown display of driving time remaining.
In the course of this review, the journey is marked by poor weather, in particular a steady south-west wind on both days, and an hour of heavy rain through Westmorland. As a result, our interim readings show that the XF 510 6x2’s fuel figures, while perfectly acceptable at 8.09mpg overall, would almost certainly have nudged 9mpg if the review had been carried out in more neutral weather.
The DAF brand gives truck operators what they want. It has an effective dealer network, consisting in the main part of relatively small, locally-based independent outlets with close connections to their customers. When things go wrong, as they will, the DAFAid support network is a consistently well-regarded backup. And despite its actual ownership, DAF is still seen as being the nearest thing to a British truck brand, partly thanks to the significant output from the factory at Leyland, and partly because many of the people buying trucks can still remember when the brand was Leyland.
As for the XF itself, while DAF won’t claim to be at the cutting edge of technology, that isn’t a bad thing for conservative truck buyers. Predictability is a great asset in an unpredictable world and road transport, mixing tight margins with fluctuating costs and changeable customer fortunes, is as unpredictable as they come.
There’s an old saying in business; that no one ever got sacked for buying IBM, and the same can be said for DAF. And it’s not meant to be damning with faint praise when we say that the DAF XF 510 FTG 6x2 is a competent all-round truck.
Images: Tom Lee
