Better all round

Headnote

We drove a range of MX-11-powered Euro-6 Daf CFs around Europe's biggest port, and were impressed with how they performed

IT'S EASY to assume that the latest incarnation of Dafs bread-and-butter fleet tractor has received no more than an attractive facelift, but it is a very different story under the skin. For a start, there's the new 10.8-litre MX-11 engine, which is claimed to be 3% thriftier and 180kg lighter than the 12.9-litre MX-13 option. The chassis, axles and suspension are entirely new, and the AS-Tronic's software has been enhanced. The icing on the cake is a revised interior, with new seats, steering wheel and Driver Performance Assist driving aid. So what does all this mean for the person behind the wheel?

On the road

Driving a Euro-5 Daf CF used to be a bit like wearing your favourite work boots - practical, functional and comfortable. Now imagine that someone has treated those same boots to new laces, given them a polish and lined them with alpaca fur - that's what it's like to drive the Euro-6 version. The Euro-5 CF was already a perfectly competent truck, but the Euro-6 version is just that bit better all round.

We were particularly impressed with a pair of 40-tonne CF440s (an artic and a drawbar) we drove around the...