THE DAF DIMENSION...and driver comfort as inherent DAF attributes Opposite: True believer. DAF...

50 ATN FULLYLOADED.COM.AUJune 2017

THE DAF DIMENSION


TRUCK REVIEWSDAF

51

W O R D S S T E V E B R O O K S

DAF! One of Europe’s most powerful players and on the global front, arguably Paccar’sgreatest success story. Yet it’s a brand which has struggled for recognition almost from the day it fi rst appeared on the Australian market. Why? Many reasons, but more important are

signs of major change as Paccar sharpens the assault to turn potential into reality

The road beyond Mansfield on the cusp

of Victoria’s high country isn’t short of

sharp pinches and tight turns.

Up here, big banger log trucks ply

their trade on roads that demand

respect and skill. It’s not an area you’d

normally fi nd a European cab-over towing a

curtain-sided trailer.

Even so, DAF’s CF85 was making easy work

of it. And why wouldn’t it!

This was, aft er all, the new 510hp (380kW)

version of the versatile CF85 model and,

maiden voyage or not, with a healthy

1850ft -lb (2508Nm) of torque pulsing through

ZF’s slick 16-speed automated shift er, a gross

weight around 32.5 tonnes was hardly enough

to cause even a hint of sweat.

Inside the cab, life was calm. Smooth, quiet,

comfortable, great vision, with handling and

road manners equal to any in the business.

Early days, sure, but even with just a few

hundred kilometres under its belt, this latest

DAF derivative had already given plenty of

indications that fi nesse and fervour would be

cosy partners in an exercise covering more

than 600km of wildly varying country through

regional Victoria.

Yet right at this moment, on the other side

of the cab, Rob Griffi n seemed a tad anxious,

eyes fi xed on his phone, hoping the hills would

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TRUCK REVIEWS DAF

Above: Assets. Easy access in and out of the cab ranks with good manoeuvrability, light tare weight and driver comfort as inherent DAF attributes

Opposite: True believer. DAF Trucks Australia general manager Rob Griffi n. “We’re bringing the right truck at the right price into the right applications, and we’ll continue to do that in the manner Paccar is renowned for”

something better in the wake of a concerted

eff ort to target those market segments best

suited to the Dutch truck, rather than taking a

broad-brush approach.

A determined and occasionally dour

individual, Rob Griffi n hasn’t always driven

a desk. Far from it, and the evolution from

mechanic to senior management has known

its share of lumps and bumps with one

brand or another.

Consequently, the real world is a constant

companion, and recollections of tending to

early DAF models with spanners in hand are

deeply ingrained in the memory bank.

“No doubt about it, the brand got off to an

ordinary start in this country,” he says with

blunt certainty, recalling pre-Paccar days when

Dutch principals saw Australia as just another

market rather than a market with uniquely

rugged requirements.

Even back then, it wasn’t hard to see what

the main problem was. It was the people more

than the product.

They were putting the truck into

applications that just weren’t right for it, and

they brought it here without any real testing,

obviously thinking it could do anything other

trucks were doing.

“It wasn’t a bad truck,” he insists. “In most

cases it was just badly applied.”

STUCK IN THE MUDBut the mud of those formative years stuck

hard and fast.

DAF fi rst came to Australia in 1984 when the

brand was still a Dutch company and, given

the inane attitudes of the time, it was perhaps

inevitable that DAF’s early reputation would

suff er. Severely!

Eventually it all became too hard and, with

bruised egos and battered wallets, the Dutch

took their truck home.

However, in the big scheme of

corporate calamities, DAF’s Australian

adventure was made to look like a boy scout

sleepover compared to the company’s dire

European performance.

Joining forces with the beleaguered British

company Leyland, the combined entity clawed

its way ever closer to economic oblivion.

Yet just when it seemed fi nancial

assailants were warming up to deliver the

fi nal blow, along came Kenworth and Peterbilt

parent Paccar.

Recognising an immense opportunity

to not only join the European truck market

but, vitally, to acquire a company that

made its own engines, in 1996 Paccar paid

open at least enough to let a signal through.

It was mid-aft ernoon in early April and sales

fi gures for the year’s fi rst quarter were due.

The numbers were important because, as

general manager of DAF Trucks Australia

for the past few years, he’d been carefully

craft ing a new platform for the brand that

has struggled for several decades to achieve

much more than modest acceptance in the

heavy-duty truck market.

The last few years had been typical.

In 2015, DAF notched an underwhelming

2.9 per cent of the heavy-duty category, and

the same in 2016. But 2017 was promising


“Paccar didn’t just buy aEuropean truck brand, it bought an engine maker”

US$540 million for the Dutch company and

followed that in 1998 by taking control of

Leyland’s operations.

Despite the sceptics – and there were plenty

of them – it was an inspired move by Paccar,

and one that eff ectively turned the tables on its

European rivals.

Daimler and Volvo, for example, had already

bought and fought their way into vast swathes

of the US truck market, so what better way to

level the intercontinental playing fi eld than

buy into European markets with DAF?

All Paccar had to do was turn DAF from

an economic basket case into a profi table

performer with signifi cant prospects for

corporate expansion.

Of course, it was easier said than done

given the depth of DAF’s dilemmas, but

as subsequent years would show, Paccar’s

established management skills and economic

smarts were entirely capable of doing exactly

that – turning the otherwise defeated DAF into

a European powerhouse.

As the saying goes, ‘the proof is in the

pudding’, and these days DAF’s success is

unquestionable. A market leader in some of

the continent’s most competitive countries,

its performance is perhaps far beyond even

Paccar’s most optimistic projections.

In the hugely crowded UK market, for

instance, DAF in 2016 continued its 22-year

domination of the commercial vehicle sector

with a thumping 30.1 per cent of the market

above six tonnes.

At this point it’s worth noting that all DAF

right-hand drive trucks – including those

built for Australia and New Zealand – come

from Paccar’s Leyland Trucks assembly

plant, further highlighting the wisdom of

buying the once troubled Leyland facility

despite the early heckles of competitors and

commentators alike.

The story is much the same across all of

Europe, where DAF’s share of the market

above 16 tonnes last year climbed to more

than 15 per cent. Last year alone DAF

registered almost 47,000 trucks in Europe.

So what’s the key to DAF’s modern success?

Well, there are many contributing factors,

not least the fact that with an extensive range

of light-, medium- and heavy-duty models it

is able to meet the needs of most operators

while absorbing the ebbs and fl ows of diff erent

market segments.

Another great strength, at least in the

UK, according to several sources, is a dealer

network consisting entirely of entrepreneurial

independent outlets (much like Paccar’s outlets


TRUCK REVIEWS DAF

that’s why DAF continues to be seen by many

as Paccar’s greatest success story.

Meantime, back in the mountains north

of Mansfi eld, a phone ‘blips’ as a signal slips

through the ether.

FIRM BELIEFA smile told the story. The 4 per cent slice of

the heavy-duty market Rob Griffi n had been

hoping for, indeed expected, for the fi rst

quarter of the year was now confi rmed.

DAF had, in fact, notched 4.2 per cent. Not

record-breaking fi gures by any means, but

defi nitely headed in the right direction and

just a few fractions of a point behind the likes

of Freightliner, Iveco and Mercedes-Benz. Not

only that, but ahead of Western Star, bringing a

shrewd smirk to the Griffi n dial.

More to the point, he quickly remarks,

they’re numbers providing early vindication

that DAF is now moving forward rather than

continuing its long-term stagnation on the

lower rungs of the heavy-duty ladder.

On top of that, the rise was achieved

without this 510hp CF85 model yet being

broadly available.

In fact, the uprated CF won’t be offi cially

released until this year’s Brisbane Truck Show,

so given DAF’s fi rst quarter results prior to

the launch of the 510 version, maybe a dash

of confi dence that this could be a signifi cant

year in the brand’s Australian history isn’t

completely undeserved.

Still, he’s not a bloke to get ahead of himself.

Nothing is being taken for granted. Nor is

Griffi n ignorant of a few salient facts.

Such as, it’s almost 20 years since Paccar

brought DAF back to the Australian market and

in that time he has had plenty of predecessors

who have struggled to make much headway

with the brand and, equally, shake the

shackles of perception and reputation which

have dogged DAF from its earliest days here.

Actually, it makes you wonder why he willingly

agreed to make the move to DAF at all.

With almost 10 years in the Paccar fold,

Griffi n admits the easy thing would have

been to continue as national sales manager

of Kenworth.

Aft er all, it’s a premier brand which

continued to do well during his tenure,

comfortably maintaining the heavy-duty

market leadership it still enjoys.

It is, however, an adamant Griffi n who asserts

he welcomed the off er to lead DAF.

For starters, the step up to general manager

was an advance through the professional ranks,

but, when it’s all boiled down, he’s under no

in Australia) armed with factory-backed service

schemes frequently cited by customers as a key

reason for buying the brand.

Critically, it’s also a brand with a solid

reputation for fuel effi ciency from its own

MX11 and MX13 engines, endorsing again the

long-term reasoning behind Paccar’s decision

to buy DAF in the fi rst place. Clever!

But here’s where the DAF purchase really

hits a home run: At the end of last year there

were more than 135,000 MX engines powering

Kenworth and Peterbilt models in the US.

On the local front, the numbers are

miniscule in comparison, but Paccar’s

local leaders say the 510hp MX13 continues

to do good business in Kenworth’s popular

T409 model.

Again, Paccar didn’t just buy a European

truck brand, it bought an engine maker and

Above: Drive time. The critical component is getting people behind the wheel to assess the truck on merit rather than mindset

Opposite: DAF CF85 at 510hp will target metro and regional roles in 4x2, 6x4 and 8x4 confi gurations up to 70 tonnes. Line-haul work will be left to the fl agship XF105 model


illusion it’s performance that counts. Above all,

though, it’s a convincing Griffi n who declares

a fi rm faith in DAF, citing again an opinion

that much of the brand’s reputation and sales

mediocrity are based on aged perceptions

rather than modern realities.

“We’ve done a lot of work behind the scenes

and the way DAF was in the past belongs to

the past. Paccar has owned DAF for more than

two decades, so all the production and design

principles that apply to Paccar worldwide have

migrated across to the DAF product.

“Like I said, much of DAF’s reputation

was created by putting trucks into the wrong

applications and that’s something we won’t do.

“There’s a bright future for this brand,” he

says with absolute certainty. “Our job is to do

the right thing by the truck and the customer.”

OUT OF THE SHADOWSAs for the suggestion that DAF is oft en

perceived in this country as a poor cousin to

big brother Kenworth, Griffi n doesn’t mince

his words.

“That’s how some others may see it,

“The way DAF was in the past belongs to the past”

but they’re wrong. We take the Kenworth

association as a bonus,” he says. “We’re

setting up this business to complement what

Kenworth brings to the market, not to take

anything away from either brand.

“The simple truth is that there are some

applications best suited to a European cab-over

and that’s where we’re aiming with DAF.”

With his corporate cap pulled tight, a

succinct Griffi n adds: “We’re bringing the

right truck at the right price into the right

applications, and we’ll continue to do that in

the manner Paccar is renowned for.”

On the inference that some of DAF’s

issues revolve around the fact that it’s a lot

easier for dealerships to sell a Kenworth than

its continental counterpart, he quickly fi res

back: “DAF strengthens our dealer network,

not weakens it, so commitment to the brand is

not an issue.

“In fact, we’re gaining plenty of momentum

in that respect because when you bring

something new into the product range like this

CF85 with an MX13 engine at 510hp, it creates

an entirely new focus for the brand.”


TRUCK REVIEWS DAF

56

Quiet for a few moments, a thoughtful Griffi n

continues: “It won’t surprise anyone to know

that DAF has been fl at-lining in the market for

a couple of years, but an MX13 engine at 510hp

with this smaller CF cab opens us up to sections

of the market we haven’t had before.

“It will be enormous for us, particularly with

fl eets. Price-wise it will be very competitive.”

Even so, he’s not blind to the extreme

competitiveness of the market.

“We’ve done our homework and we know

where we need to be in price terms … we’re

confi dent we have it right,” he says earnestly.

Yet Griffi n is quick to cite the suitability

of the new model as a prime factor in

DAF’s re-emergence.

“The 510hp CF is a really important truck to

our growth,” he emphasises.

“As it stands at the moment, the CF at its

460 rating is DAF’s best seller, but for local

and regional B-doubles the industry has a

psyche around 500hp and that’s where the 510

rating under the CF cab opens up new market

segments to DAF.”

It’s no secret, of course, that the 510hp

version of the MX13 also powers the fl agship

of the DAF range – the higher, heavier and

more expensive XF105. Unlike its big brother,

though, the CF85 “defi nitely won’t be aimed at

line-haul work”, says a succinct Griffi n.

“The XF will continue to be our long-haul

interstate truck but the CF 510 is our suburban

and intrastate model for either single trailers or

B-doubles up to 70 tonnes.

“We’ve specced it that way,” he continues,

“with a 16-speed automated [ZF AS-Tronic]

transmission for the fl exibility to fl ow with

Above: Paccar MX-13 engine. At 510hp under the versatile CF cab, it gives DAF opportunities it has never had before


SPECSDAF FTT CF85Heavy Rigid, Heavy Combination, Multi Combination Rear Axle: Meritor MT23-165Rear Suspension: Paccar Airglide 400Front Axle: DAF 152NFront Suspension: Parabolic leaf springsBrakes: Front discs, rear drumsEngine: Paccar MX375Power & Torque: 375kW (510hp)/ 2500NmTransmission: ZF AS-Tronic 16-speedDrive: 6x4GVM: 24,000kgGCM: 70,000kgWheelbase: 3900mmWheel Type: Alcoaaluminium discEmission Control Type: SCREmission Control Standard: Euro 5

FULL SPECS @fullyloaded.com.au

Likewise, it’s a confi dent Griffi n who says:

“We’ve done a lot of testing to verify that the

ratios we’ve chosen for urban and intrastate

applications will provide the best balance

between performance and economy.”

Cooling capacity also went under the

microscope, he explains, confi rming that

despite the CF’s marginally smaller cooling

package compared to the XF105, tests revealed

that Paccar’s demanding parameters for

cooling under Australian conditions were

comfortably achieved.

“The CF 510 puts us in applications and

segments of the market we haven’t really been

in before,” Griffi n continues, confi rming the

model will be off ered in 4x2, 6x4 and 8x4

confi gurations, and citing tare weight, cab

entry and exit, vision and manoeuvrability as

inherent assets of the CF.

Similarly, he lists low service costs, a

competitive warranty package and the support

of Paccar’s fi nancial arm, PacLease, as critical

factors to the brand’s growth prospects.

First and foremost, however, is getting

backsides behind the wheel.

“This truck will defi nitely surprise people

but it’ll be critical to get people into it, to drive

it and assess the truck on merit rather than

mindset,” he emphasises.

“We’ve found time and again that once

a prospective customer actually drives a

DAF, they come away with an entirely new

appreciation for the truck.”

Indeed, it’s a resolute Griffi n who concludes:

“We have very few problems with our trucks in

the fi eld and we’re in no doubt the product is

the best it has ever been.

“We have all the right systems and packages

in place so now we just have to keep getting

people behind the wheel.

“The truck will do the rest.”

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suburban traffi c and provide the right balance

between performance and fuel.”

Fuel economy will obviously be a major

factor in the model’s future prospects but

there are already ample indications from

Europe and in local Kenworth T409 and

DAF XF105 installations to suggest the 510hp

MX13 will at least rival any engines in the

same class.

THE DAF DIMENSION...and driver comfort as inherent DAF attributes Opposite: True believer. DAF...

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Transcript of THE DAF DIMENSION...and driver comfort as inherent DAF attributes Opposite: True believer. DAF...