trio grand - motor transport tests/2007 1000...volvo fh400 globetrotter volvo d13a-400 euro-5...

For today’s news visit www.roadtransport.comCOMMERCIAL MOTOR | 29 NOVEMBER 200744

OPERATIONS1000 Point Test

TRIO GRANDFor this 1,000 Point Test our Continental counterparts comparedthree tractors: the Daf XF105, the M-B Actros and the Volvo FH400

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For today’s news visit www.roadtransport.com 4529 NOVEMBER 2007 | COMMERCIAL MOTOR


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A s usual, all seven major truck manufacturers were invited to participate in the latest running of the international 1000

Point Test. This year, the specifi cation called for tractors with around 400hp on tap and cabs one step down from the top-of-the-range models. In keeping with the Continental norm, they were all 4x2s.

We had been expecting four trucks but on the day there was one less, the fourth presumably staying at home to watch the rugby.

Three contenders So that left three: Daf, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo. Emissions standards at either Euro-4 or 5 were invited and all contenders came with SCR, with only Mercedes choosing not to take the obvious Euro-5 choice for

German operations. Last time a little trouble was experienced with over-enthusiastic Maut toll enforcement offi cers, but this year careful communi-cation with the authorities backed up by ‘test’ signs in the windscreens kept them at arms length.

Bad weather on a couple of runs was the same for all, but the delays caused by an accident affected the contenders differently so one of the four test runs was discounted from the results. ■

“We had been expecting four trucks, but on the day there was one less, the fourth presumably

staying at home to watch the rugby”

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Daf made a welcome debut in the 1000 Point Test. Various domestic marketing issues had prevented the brand’s appearance in previous years, but the test’s growing status as the most signifi cant European group test fi nally convinced the Dutch giant to participate.

Much has been written about whether the XF105 visually differs enough from the XF95 to qualify as a new model, but Daf’s evolution-ary process seems to be satisfying the market more than headline hungry journos. In any case, once inside the Daf’s cab there’s no disputing its position at the top of the driver-appeal league. Of the three contenders here, it certainly goes the furthest towards helping the driver forget he’s in a truck, despite the relatively restrained trim (in which the lack of wood panelling stands out to British eyes).

Points for position The driving position and storage capacity helped the Daf on its way to the top score in the cab section. The driving controls are well thought out, especially the logical and easy-to-use steering-wheel and column-stalk controls. The master gear position dial backed up by fi ngertip controls of the optional functions serves as proof that there’s no need to clutter the centre of the cab with gear-changing paraphernalia. In fact the only signifi cant criticism of the cab was an uncharacteristic level of wind noise, which served to highlight how quiet everything else was. Good equipment levels included the fi rst sampling of lane control on a Daf.

Dynamically, the Daf didn’t set any standards although the engine’s fl exibility was praised. In pretty well all the objective testing, the XF sat fi rmly on the middle ground. It’s a sign of the times that compared with the in-house ‘vertically integrated’ automated manuals of its rivals, it was the Daf’s bought-in ZF AS-Tronic that earned the highest score, by a small margin. Economy was on a par with the high standard of the competition, although its AdBlue con-sumption was around 20% higher than the other two.

4729 NOVEMBER 2007 | COMMERCIAL MOTOR


Manufacturer: DAF

Model: FT105XF

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ModelEngine:Bore/stroke: Capacity: Maximum power: Maximum torque: Transmission: Gear ratios:Final drive ratio: Secondary braketype/power: Brakes: Suspension:Unladen weight as tested: Unladen weight* Service intervals UK warranty:Dealers (UK/W Europe):UK basic list price:

Daf FT XF105 Space CabPaccar MX300 Euro-5130x162mm12.9 litres402hp (300kW) at 1,500-1,900rpm 2,000Nm (1,475lbft) at 1,000-1,500rpmZF 12AS2130 12-speed automated manual15.86-1.00:12.93:1Paccar MX brake/500kW at 3,200rpmDiscs front and rear, ABSFront, parabolic; rear, four-bag air7,459kg7,480kg150,000km2 Years136/1,010£88,000

*adjusted for spec

SPECIFICATIONS




Manufacturer: MERCEDES-BENZ

Model: ACTROS 1841LS


Mercedes-Benz Actros 1841LSMB OM 501 LA Euro-4130x150mm11.9 litres402hp (300kW) at 1,800rpm2,000Nm (1,475lbft) at 1,080rpmMercedes PowerShift G211-12 14.93-1.00:12.85:1Constant throttle exhaust brake/325kW at 2,500rpmDiscs front and rear, ABSFront, two-leaf parabolic; rear, two-bag air7,371kg7,410kgn/aTwo years, unlimited 94/1,730£62,385

*adjusted for spec

SPECIFICATIONS

Once again, the Mercedes-Benz entrant in the 1000 Point Test majored on its core values rather than trying to dazzle the assembled specialist journalists with novelties. And for the second year running the Actros was rated at Euro-4.

The only signifi cant cab options were integrated sat-nav, automatic climate control and the exotic blue ‘Ambient’ cab lighting package. It’s no secret that the current Actros is entering its fi nal months, as the scoop pictures in CM last week revealed. Mind you, the replacement will have a hard act to follow as this model doesn’t do anything badly.

Strangely, given that it was unburdened by the extra tier of emissions control and had the same 2,000Nm of torque to play with as the other contenders, it was only in the performance section that the Actros scored badly.

Slug on Prozac The fact that it produced easily the best fuel economy while simultaneously performing like a slug on Prozac can almost certainly be attributed to its very long-legged 2.85:1 fi nal drive. The Powershift 16 automated gearbox’s electric arm must have been rather tired, having made 43 shifts on the hills compared with the Volvo’s 29. However, the overall driving experience was marked only slightly behind the Volvo.

One area where Mercedes has little work to do is cab quality and fi nish, although it has the scope to improve storage capacity and general ambience. Driving controls have their usual feeling of being solid, possibly too solid, but will probably still be capable of working long after the world’s diesel has disappeared. One feature we hope to see the back of is the armrest-mounted gearshift, which brings back too many memories of the semi-auto Telligent and simply gets in the way. A dash-mounted knob and better secondary controls than the current row of rocker switches would do nicely.




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Manufacturer: VOLVO

Model: FH400 GLOBETROTTER


Volvo FH400 GlobetrotterVolvo D13A-400 Euro-5131x158mm12.8 litres394hp (294kW) at 1,400-1,800rpm2,000Nm (1,475lbft)at 1,050-1,400NmVolvo VT2512AT I-shift 12-speed automated manual14.94-1.00:13.10:1Volvo Engine Brake +/370kW at 2,300NmDiscs front and rear, ABSFront, single-leaf parabolic; rear, four-bag air7,614kg7,620kg100,000kmn/a89/900£86,976

*adjusted for spec

SPECIFICATIONS

With their automated transmissions, electronic brakes and all the other refi nements taken for granted today, none of the test trucks was lacking in toys. However, Volvo managed to raise the stakes by presenting us with the fi rst opportunity to try its second-generation adaptive cruise control (ACC2) in real-world conditions. The concept of fi rst-generation ACC is familiar, with a grille-mounted Doppler radar unit detecting vehicles ahead of the vehicle and reducing speed as appropriate.

The system is intelligent enough to know if the vehicle in front is moving away, as would be the case with an overtaking car. The gap between the two vehicles can be adjusted via a pictogram on the dash informa-tion panel with settings from two to eight seconds. While the fi rst generation relied on backing off the power and applying the engine brake, the ACC2 can bring the service brakes into play, to provide full stopping power up to a maximum of 2m/s.

All three trucks came with direct-top transmissions, so much of the Volvo’s dynamic behaviour was infl uenced by the 3.1:1 fi nal drive ratio fi tted, compared with the Daf’s 2.93 and the Merc’s 2.85.

Identical torque peaks Not surprisingly, given that all three have identical 2,000Nm torque peaks, the Volvo gains on the performance front but it loses out on economy; at a steady 50km/h it gives away nearly 2%. However, driveability is signifi cantly enhanced; it accelerates from 60-85km/h

in top gear nearly 10sec faster than the Merc and six seconds faster than the Daf.

Not that it matters too much with the automated transmission, but it saved over a third of the gear shifts needed on the hills.

The test marked another Volvo fi rst, the fi rst time we have sampled the new mirrors, and we have say they are resounding success; the gap created by the slimmer mountings gives signifi cantly reduced blind spots.




VITAL TEST STATISTICS

OVERALL RESULTS SCORED OUT OF 1,000 POINTS

CAB DAF M-B VOLVO Daily checks and cab tilting 8/10 9/10 8/10 Access 9/15 10/15 10/15 Standard specifi cation 18/20 18/20 18/20Storage compartments 35/40 31/40 31/40Cab dimensions 18/20 18/20 19/20Driving position 32/40 30/40 31/40Bunks 19/25 19/25 14/25Overall quality and fi nish 12/20 14/20 12/20Subtotal 151/190 149/190 143/190

DRIVING Ride comfort 42/60 48/60 53/60 Drivebility 34/40 34/40 33/40 Brakes 47/55 48/55 49/55Practicality 37/45 38/45 36/45Subtotal 160/200 168/200 171/200

PERFORMANCE Engine characteristics 18/20 14/20 17/20Gearbox 23/25 22/25 22/25Retarder 30/35 30/35 30/35Rear-axle ratio 18/25 17/25 21/25Driveability 34/40 33/40 37/40Performance 44/50 42/50 48/50Subtotal 167/195 158/195 175/195

FUEL CONSUMPTION 85km/h constant 30/35 30/35 29/35Full throttle/uphill (average 10 hills) 15/15 15/15 13/15Overall 78/85 80/85 77/85Subtotal 123/135 125/135 119/135

PRODUCTIVITY Payload 36/40 37/40 33/40Maintenance costs/intervals 30/30 28/30 27/30Depreciation 54/60 55/60 55/60Specifi cations available 23/30 23/30 24/30Subtotal 143/160 143/160 139/160

SAFETY Power of engine brake 33/35 33/35 34/35Safety features 20/20 20/20 20/20Lights and visibility 43/50 46/50 43/50Seat-belts 13/15 13/15 13/15Subtotal 109/120 112/120 110/120

PRODUCTIVITY Cab 151/190 149/190 143/190Driving 160/200 168/200 171/200Performance 167/195 158/195 175/195Fuel consumption 123/135 125/135 119/135Productivity 143/160 143/160 139/160Safety 109/120 112/120 110/120

TOTAL 853/1000 855/1000 857/1000

THE TEST PROCEDURE

The 1000 Point Test is now fi rmly established in its current format and location in the Hunsruck region of south-west Germany.

Based at the Rasthof Hochwald services, just south of the A1 autobahn’s crossing of the picturesque Mosel valley, the test is decided on circuits of a hilly all-autobahn route that runs back and forth along the A62 and A1.

Once again, circumstances have dictated minor changes to the turning points. A truck overtaking ban on the most northerly sector has caused the whole route to be shifted south by one junction compared with the original route; the

distance is now exactly 175km per circuit.

Four circuits were run over two days. One accident-affected run was discounted, leaving one circuit with each tractor/trailer combination.




VITAL TEST STATISTICS

OPERATIONAL TRIAL RESULTS

LAP ONE DAF M-B VOLVO Km/h 81.5 81.8 81.4Mpg (lit/100km) 7.70 (36.7) 7.83 (36.1) 7.41 (38.1)

LAP TWO Km/h 81.0 80.0 81.3Mpg (lit/100km) 7.51 (37.6) 7.34 (38.5) 7.41 (38.1)

LAP THREE Km/h 80.1 80.9 81.2Mpg (lit/100km) 7.04 (40.1) 7.36 (38.4) 7.21 (39.2)

OVERALLKm/h 80.9 81.0 81.3Mpg (lit/100km) 7.41 (38.1) 7.49 (37.7) 7.34 (38.5)

FUEL ECONOMY Consumption at constant 85km/hMpg (lit/100km) 13.45 (21.0) 13.45 (21.0) 13.20 (21.4)Consumption at full throttle over hills Mpg (lit/100km) 2.91 (97.0) 2.92 (96.6) 2.87 (98.4)Average speed over hills km/h 63.9 63.1 64.8AdBlue consumption lit/100km 2.43 2.09 2.03

PERFORMANCE Acceleration 0-60km (sec) 39.4 41.1 37.0Acceleration 0-85km (sec) 66.0 69.1 63.560-85km/h in top gear (sec) 46.8 50.0 40.8Number of gearchanges 38 43 29caused by hills max gradient in top gear (%) 2.74 2.67 2.90

VISIBILITY Surface covered by A-pillar left (m²) 0.76 1.43 1.69Surface covered by A-pillar right (m²) 6.25 3.83 5.13Forward view (meters) 3.08 2.92 3.00Side view right (meters) 7,28 4,90 6,5

IN CAB NOISE LEVELS 85km/h on fl at road dB(A) 65.0 64.6 63.5Climbing 5.0% hill dB(A) 70.0 69.0 65.0

CAB DIMENSIONS DAF M-B VOLVO A External width 2,490 2,480 2,495B External length 2,250 2,277 2,230C Cab fl oor height 1,445 1,345 1,485D Interior length 2,087 2,080/1,975 1,938E Interior width (between windows) 2,380 2,374 2,254F Interior height - maximum 1,900 1,915 1,945G Internal height above engine hump 1,817 1,740 1,844H Engine hump height 140 310 170I Engine hump width 1,000 920 1,020J Lower bunk length (upper) 2,103 2,070 1,995 Bunk area total (m²) 2.79 2.94 1.42 Interior volume (m³) 7.83 7.80 8.12 Total interior storage (litres) 840 523 864

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OUR VIEW

Colin Barnett has the last word

THEVERDICT

The fi rst thing you will notice from the bottom line is that the results of this test are so close that it would be hard to describe any of the trio as a loser. Just four points separate the highest and lowest scores, but in the fi nal rankings the order is Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Daf.

Some of the dynamic issues were rather muddied by the extremes brought on by something as fundamental as the manufacturers’ choice of fi nal drive ratios, with Volvo and Mercedes going to opposite extremes as they traded economy against performance.

The Daf trod a central path; its most signifi cant variation from the norm was its highly regarded cab, which was all the more impressive given its length of service. The real conclusion from this closely fought contest is that the overall standard of trucks has never been higher – a fact to be celebrated by operators and drivers alike.


trio grand - motor transport tests/2007 1000...volvo fh400 globetrotter volvo d13a-400 euro-5...

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