More power and Euro-5 compliance for new DAF LF range

DAF Trucks has boosted the appeal of its popular LF middleweight range with a revised interior, new higher-power engine options for Euro-5 and chassis improvements.

Inside the latest 'Edition 2009' LF cab there are new trim materials while all LF models now come with a low tyre pressure warning system. Higher-horsepower versions of the LF's four and six-cylinder FR and GR engines have been added to the current Euro-5 engine line-up with the four-pot now available at 210 hp and an extra 300hp six-cylinder diesel developed for the 18-tonne LF55 chassis.

Pressure within the common rail injection system on both power units has also been raised to 1,800 bar, while the adoption of an improved engine control unit (ECU) and redesigned pistons leads to even better combustion and improved fuel efficiency, the manufacturer says.

Neither engine range requires a soot filter to comply with the forthcoming new Euro 5 regs, while DAF says its four-cylinder FR engine also meets the standards of the even lower EEV emission values without one.

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is considering new proposals which could require truck operators to retrofit SCR systems to pre Euro-5 vehicles, at a cost of thousands of pounds per vehicle.

On the new DAF LF, chassis enhancements include a new engine PTO option and, for controlled temperature operators, there's a preparation for a refrigeration block generator on all six-cylinder LF models. For fuel tanker and tipper hauliers there's also a new optional silencer package which provides easier chassis mounting of ancillary pumping equipment and higher ground clearance. To help reduce maintenance and brake wear, the LF's load-sensing brake regulator is now controlled electronically while the new unitised wheel bearings of the LF45 are virtually maintenance-free.