Vintage Whines

All the pre-launch excitement was tempered when Daf’s ‘New Generation’ heavy trucks were unveiled but, luckily, the changes are more than skin deep. Like fine wines, the CF and XF just keep getting better with age.

- Will Shiers

There was an air of excitement as the press gathered on Daf’s stand at this year’s CV Show. We’d been told to be there at 9am for the unveiling of two new trucks, and the anticipation in Birmingham was almost unbearable.

As we jostled for space, pointing our cameras at the two covered tractor units, there was a great deal of speculation. “I reckon there are two entirely new cabs hidden under those,” declared the man next to me, who had just spotted Daf Trucks president Preston Feight waiting in the wings. “They wouldn’t have brought him over for anything less.”

We sincerely hoped he was correct; after all, the timing certainly seemed right – the CF cab is 25 years old, the XF dates back to 1987. Suddenly the sheets were ceremoniously yanked and there in front of us, in their splendid new blue paintwork, stood exactly the same old Daf CF and XF!

Actually, that’s a slight exaggeration, as the “New Generation” Dafs have redesigned sun-visors. “They should have called them ‘Same Generation’”, said the bloke next to us, shuffling off despondently. In Daf’s defence, there is far more to these trucks than just new sun-visors, and the headline story is improved fuel economy to the tune of 7%. So how has this been achieved?

Although it’s not immediately obvious, both cab exteriors have received a mild facelift, this resulting in better aerodynamics. The gaps in the grille have been closed up slightly and the cab split now features a rubber air deflector, channelling air down the side of the cab and reducing wind turbulence in the process. Together with the sun-visors, these changes account for a 0.5% improvement in fuel economy. The keen-eyed among you will no doubt also spot a modified Daf logo and a lower-bumper aluminium insert.