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Test driving PACCAR’s new powerhouse – the DAF XG+

It has been a long time coming. However, now the wait is over for the DAF XG and XG+ 660.

We first saw the DAF XG+ at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show, and it really drew some attention on the PACCAR stand.

I got up close and personal with the display truck and was immediately impressed by its level of sophistication, as well as its fit-and-finish. But it was when I found out it was powered by a 660hp Cummins with 3200Nm of torque, I really wanted to get behind the wheel.

Ample space, a comfortable seat, and good functionality appealed to our test driver. Image: Geoff Middleton

It took 18 months, but finally I got steer in the XG+ 660. The execs at PACCAR were generous too. Letting me have the truck for a couple of days in loaded B-double form to go wherever I wanted. And that I did.

But first, let’s take look at what makes this truck tick.

The big news is the heart of this truck. It’s a 15-litre Cummins that has be tweaked and “PACCAR-ised” if you like. Called the PX 15, the ‘new’ engine puts out more power and torque than the regular X-15 that are familiar with in PACCAR’s Kenworth trucks.

The PX-15 has been developed by PACCAR and Cummins in China but will be sourced from Columbus, Indiana. It puts out 660hp (485kW) and 2360 lb/ft (3200Nm) of torque as opposed to the 550hp and 2050 lb/ft in the X-15 as it sits in a K220.

The PX-15 is also lighter by 225kg and more fuel efficient than the X-15, we were told.

The new PX-15 is mated to a ZF 16-speed TraXon auto transmission and Meritor 3.42 diffs. Holding up the rear end is Electronically Controlled Air Suspension (ECAS) Airglide 460 suspension, and the brakes are discs all round.

The PX15 six-cylinder engine offers 660hp at 1800rpm. Image: Geoff Middleton

Chief Engineer at PACCAR Australia, Brad May, said that the DAF XG+ with the PX-15 engine was very much an ‘Australia only’ truck, however its development was very much global project taking in expertise from DAF head office in Eindhoven in The Netherlands, China, Cummins in the US and Australia as well as PACCAR Australia.

“For a long time in this country we’ve prided ourselves on being Aussie engineers for Aussie trucks and doing it our own way. But the nature of product development and the nature of the complexity of new products means that we, as PACCAR Australia, need to be more global in the way we approach product design,” May said.

“This engine had to sit in a truck so that the truck was a DAF in every sense of the word.

“So there has been a lot of development in collaboration with Cummins to develop the software to suit the DAF truck… which is very different from the software that is used in a Kenworth truck.”

A lot of work has gone into getting the engine cooling right for Australian conditions.
Image: Geoff Middleton

May said that was also a lot of development done at PACCAR Australia in Bayswater, Victoria.

“Our guys did what we do really well, which is to create an overall truck configuration that is appropriate for this market.

“It’s a bigger task than it looks. So, the engine installation was done here, all the cooling development and testing with Cummins was done here. This engine needs a lot more air capacity than the 13 litre does so a lot of work has gone into air-intake management and how we deal with that.

“Then you’ve got all the frame packaging around the exhaust and the after treatment and you need more urea and a bigger fuel capacity.

“We set 1100 litres as a minimum, as we wanted this truck to be able to do all the major East Coast routes. We’ve found that important so the fuel and urea capacity can do that. So, you can see that there is a lot that we had to do here on the project.”

All new cab

The new XG and XG+ get entirely new cabs that have been designed with aerodynamic efficiency in mind. In fact, the new cabs are 22 per cent more efficient than the previous cabs.

In European testing with the 13-litre engine, the new cabs proved to be 11 per cent more fuel efficient than the existing cabs.

The design of the cabs aimed at getting better vision, more room and better ergonomics with a low floor and full-standing height.

The cabs will be imported from Eindhoven, and then the trucks will be built at PACCAR Australia’s manufacturing plant in Bayswater.

The XG+ has a more spacious bunk than the XG. Image: Geoff Middleton

The differences between the XG and XG+ are that the XG+ is taller and features a double-bunk layout whereas the XG has a single bunk.

The XG+ also has two fridges as standard and both seats are air-suspended while in the XG, only the driver gets the good seat.

Both feature full-standing height in the cab with the XG at 2040mm and the XG+ offering 2170mm of headroom.

The XG+ gets an electrically-raising DAF Relax bed and both feature a multi-function rear wall panel that controls everything including lighting, temperature, windows and even the roof hatch.

There is an abundance of storage in the cab with three big lockers up front and plenty of other storage areas including a handy pull-out tray as well as a charging slot for your phone. There are numerous USB ports around the cab as well as 12-volt plugs.

Sitting behind the wheel, my immediate feeling was one of space. This is a really roomy cab and there is plenty of
adjustment in the seat for even the biggest of drivers.

Hands on the wheel, eyes on the road is the philosophy at DAF. Image: Geoff Middleton

The steering wheel is multi adjustable and can be pushed right forward to the dash for more ease of movement around the cab.

Vision from the driver’s seat is among the best we’ve seen with the dash pushed down and the waistline also dropped to give really good view.

Conventional mirrors have been retained for the time being but they are beautifully mounted with a nice gap between the regular mirror and the lower convex mirror.

Of note is the ‘corner cam’ which is an external camera on the left-hand side that relays to a screen on the top-left of the cab showing the front and the left-hand side of the truck.

It’s handy when parking and can show vehicles, pedestrians or bike riders on the left of the truck. The screen is photo-sensitive so that it dims at night so as not to be a distraction to the driver.

The steering wheel is multi-functional with cruise control buttons on the left and audio and screen controls on the right. The fully-digital dash can be set up in different configurations so the driver can select how he or she wants it to look and what information is displayed.

However, this dash setup can only be done when the truck is stationary. DAF has a philosophy of ‘hands on the wheel, eyes on the road’ which also means there are no touch screens.

The rainy day offered a chance to try out the wipers, and they proved to be more than up for the task. Image: Geoff Middleton

On the road

Startup is via a conventional key and the transmission is controlled on the right-hand stalk. Flick off the electronic park brake and we’re off.

Our test truck was setup with a B-double set of trailers and weighed in at 57 tonnes on the weighbridge.

First impressions were of quietness. DAF has done a wonderful job of insulating the cab from the engine noise. Sure, there is a bit of a rumble from the big PX-15, but the quiet, smooth ride is up there with the best of the Euro trucks on the market.

We’ve mentioned the effort DAF has gone to improve vision and this is really evident. The deep windscreen and low height of the doors mean that the vision is better than most trucks on the road.

The wipers got a workout on our test run and they’re fantastic. The broad sweep leaves a vast amount of the screen clean and the washers flood the blades before they start and give the screen a thorough soaking.

The TraXon transmission is terrific with quick shifts and smooth downshifts. There is a three-stage engine brake which works well under load and I found that along with a couple of hits on the stalk to downshift can almost bring the rig to a stop.

Torque from the big six-cylinder is fantastic and a look at the torque curve sees that the maximum torque is held from 900rpm right through to 1400rpm which is really impressive.

This means that the DAF will haul up hills in the overdrive top gear and lug right down to near 1000rpm before downshifting. In many cases on our test, the truck just marched up hills in top gear without shifting. And this was at 57 tonnes!

Cruising on the highway the PX-15 is spinning at just a smidge over 1400rpm at 100km/h which is still in the max torque range, so the DAF is really well geared.

All the controls are well placed and easy to get used to with a couple of exceptions, one being the position of the horn and washer buttons – both found on the end of the left-hand stalk. I found that going for the angry button could mean cleaning a bug off the screen, but I guess you’d get used to that…

Steering is another good aspect of the DAF. It’s light and direct on the highway and very easy and manoeuvrable at low speeds.

Driver comfort is right up there with the best. The seat is great with two arm rests and a stack of adjustment. I spent two days behind the wheel and never felt uncomfortable or sore. It really is a great workspace.

Our test took in a bit under 700 kilometres around Victoria and a bit of NSW including a short run on the Hume from Seymour.

All up we achieved fuel economy of around 2.2km/litre which is commensurate with the test trucks that have been in fleets for a year or so. They recorded between 2.1 and 2.2km/litre.

DAF and PACCAR Australia has done a great job on this truck, and hopefully with the new Cummins/PACCAR 15-litre engine, the XG and XG+ will gain a strong level of acceptance in this country.

It will be well deserved.

Specs at a glance

Engine: PX15 six-cylinder in-line 14.5 litres

Power: 660hp (485kW) at 1800rpm

Torque: 3200Nm between 900 to 1400rpm

Transmission: ZF TraXon 16-speed auto

Diff ratio: 3.42

Brakes: Ventilated discs front and rear PX engine brake

Park Brake: Electro pneumatic

Suspension front: 7.5t parabolic leaf spring, DAF 165N steer axle

Suspension Rear: 20.9t Electronically Controlled Air Suspension (Airglide 460) Meritor MT21-165 drive axles

Fuel: 725L and 425L(total 1150L)

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The post Test driving PACCAR’s new powerhouse – the DAF XG+ appeared first on Big Rigs.

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