One of our German iepieleaks fans sent us some nice comments on the photo’s we published so far.
It will not take long before we can see the new generation of DAF long-distance trucks without any camouflage. From the pictures we know so far, some interesting details of the new long-distance cabins can be seen. Some of them may not have been highlighted in previous articles. Here are a few pictures on which I will comment.
The new cabs seems to be very much inspired by the Scania design. Indeed, with the camouflage still on, it is hard to distinguish them from an equally disguised Scania, except for the more rounded front and the longer front overhang. This must be considered a quantum leap, with the old XF cab being in production with only minor changes since 1987.
Inspired by Scania may also be the modular concept, from which a variety of cabins can be created. Most likely not all of these will be available at the time when the first units are sold. Some variants that are possible in theory may not even be available at all.
Like on the previous model, different roof heights will be available. Unlike Scania, DAF sticks with the tradition of having a maximum and a medium high roof. These two are pictured in the first picture above. I have highlighted the different lines of the roofs in blue. The high roofs come with a big glass panel in it, like it became fashionable for all new long-distance truck models introduced during the last years. Like in other manufacturer’s models, also this glass panel will most likely only angle a few degrees up and down. It can not be opened completely (except for emergency purposes maybe, like in the Volvo FH).
Copied from Scania, this biggest cabin will be available in a high and a slightly lower mounting position. The first one will offer a flat floor inside, compared to a small engine tunnel in the latter. Whether in the future, even lower mounting positions will be offered (like in the Scania “G” and “P” models) remains to be seen. The differences of the two mounting positions can be seen in the second picture above. While the grille will be identical for these two, the panel below the windscreen will be different to compensate for the different heights (marked in green). On the doors, this compensation will be in the panel below the door handles (marked in yellow). These two details make the two variants easily distinguishable even with the camouflage still on.
Also the spoilers on the roof are different. The one on the lower mounted cabin strongly resembles the part which is currently used for the normal SpaceCab model. It seems to me that this truck does not have the big glass roof, as it would be completely covered by the spoiler.
As has been stated in various sources, the new DAF XG will be the first truck to benefit from the new EU rules on cabin dimensions. The tractor units with the biggest cabins show a longer wheelbase (said to be 400 cm for a 4×2 unit) and also a longer front overhang with rounded corners. This will produce bigger interiour volume, unprecedented among the standard models of european long-haul tractor units. Just how exactly DAF will use this extra space is not yet known. Will the bunks be (at least slightly) larger? Most likely, yes. Will there be extra options, like an office compartment, water tap and sink, or even a small kitchen? We do not know, so far.
What – to my knowledge – has not been noticed yet is that DAF is not only developing these new extra-long cabins. There will also be a shorter version of the sleeper cabin, maybe with the length that is the current standard in european long-distance trucking (approx. 2,30 m). The difference between extra long and standard length can also be seen in the second picture above. Both share the same long front overhang. But by looking at the lower aft end of the cabin this difference in length can be distinguished (marked in red).
These two different lengths were visible even at an early stage of development, as the following picture shows. I have marked the different lower aft corners of the cabins in yellow. At that stage, no side fenders were mounted, also not on the extra long cabin in the
We have only seen pictures of the medium high roof on the cabin with the standard length. Will there also be a “Super SpaceCab” for this one? Quite obviously, the name would have to be changed. But it may as well be that DAF will offer the maximum high roof only for the extra long version of the cabin.
Also, I am sure a low roof version – at least for the standard length cabin – will be presented, even though the cameras could not catch one so far.
Likewise, so far we have only seen the high mounting position on cabins with the extra length. Will DAF also offer a standard length cabin with the high mounting position? We do not know yet.
Finally, how about the weight distribution? The tractor units with the standard length cabin will most likely come without the extra long wheelbase. But still, they have the longer overhang in the front. Will that lead to even higher front axle loads than we know today? Maybe these models will only be offered with the smaller (and lighter) engine.
Or will the model with the lower mounted cabin without the extra length even be a replacement for the current CF model? Thus, a new CG model maybe….? We shall know in a few weeks time. Two mounting positions, two cabin lengths (not counting additional ones for short-distance jobs) and three roof heights (including a low roof), that means in theory 12 different cabins could be created – and this count is sleeper cabs only! It remains to be seen which of these will come into existence in real life.
The pictures of the dashboard are a little bit older, at that time the cabins were still covered with black plastic panels on the outside. There will be new as well as proven elements as it seems. At least as an option, there will be a full digital instrument panel as we know from Mercedes-Benz or the new MAN model. The screen to the right of the steering wheel will most likely be a touch screen. Still, all basic functions like cooling and heating, lights etc. will be operated by separate switches. This leads me to think that the mentioned touch screen will also be just an option. Like in the XF the new dashboard will feature the popular pop-out table, situated in the middle of it. These interior shots are showing the lower-mounted cabin, having a small engine tunnel. It can be expected that in the flat-floor version, there will be an additional locker below the stowing compartment that can be seen in the picture.
Obviously there will be a choice between conventional mirrors or a camera system. It will be interesting to see if the displays for this system offer the same low resolution as those in Mercedes-Benz trucks, or if there is some improvement and thus competition.
