The DAF LF was presented in 2001 as the replacement for the DAF 45/55 and was immediately voted International Truck of the Year for 2002. It was built as a light distribution truck with Cummins engines and a cab shared with Renault and Volvo, and in 2023 DAF renamed the range XB.
DAF LF at a glance
| Maker | DAF Trucks, Eindhoven |
|---|---|
| Presented | 2001 |
| Predecessor | DAF 45/55 |
| Award | International Truck of the Year 2002 |
| Models | LF45 and LF55 |
| Engines | Cummins B series, four and six cylinders |
| Cab | shared with the Renault Midlum and Volvo FL |
| Meaning of LF | Light Forte |
| Number | 45 = 4.5-litre engine, 55 = 6.7-litre |
| Hybrid | shown at the IAA in 2010 |
| Renamed | DAF XB in 2023 |
History of the DAF LF
A new light truck for 2001
The LF arrived in 2001 as the successor to the 45/55 series and completed the family DAF was building, with the CF in the middle and the XF at the top. It was designed as a light truck for city distribution and for use by utility companies, and it was offered with four- and six-cylinder engines. The cab was produced by Renault Trucks in France and the chassis by Leyland in Britain, and the same cab and chassis were later used by Renault, Volvo, Kenworth and Peterbilt, while the Dutch firm Hytrucks built hydrogen-powered trucks on the LF. The automatic gearbox was notable for blipping the throttle on downshifts. The range was an immediate success with the jury of the International Truck of the Year award, which gave it the 2002 title.
LF45 and LF55
The two models were powered by Cummins B series engines. The distribution and pickup versions of the LF45 used the four-cylinder unit, while LF45s with powered equipment such as bin lorries and vacuum tankers used the six-cylinder engine, and every LF55 had the six because of its greater size and weight. The numbers followed the DAF convention of describing the engine: 45 for the 4.5-litre unit and 55 for the 6.7-litre one, which was the same engine as in the CF65.
The LF Hybrid
In September 2010, at the IAA in Hanover, DAF showed a hybrid version of the LF45. The LF Hybrid combined a 118 kW diesel engine with a 44 kW brushless electric motor with permanent magnets, mounted in line between the clutch and the automatic transmission. The motor drew on 96 lithium-ion batteries of 3.4 volts each, 100 kg in total, which let the truck drive about two kilometres with the diesel engine off and store energy recovered under braking for later use. DAF put the hybrid on the market in 2011 as a 12-tonne distribution truck, and practical trials suggested fuel savings of 10 to 20 per cent.
From LF to XB
The LF stayed in production for more than twenty years. In 2023 DAF replaced the name with XB, and the new designation was applied from 6 October 2023; the model itself continued as a redevelopment of the Leyland Roadrunner idea that had started the line back in 1984.
Design and features
- Cummins B engines: four cylinders in the light LF45, six in the LF55 and heavy LF45s.
- Shared cab: the same cab as the Renault Midlum and Volvo FL.
- Award winner: International Truck of the Year 2002.
- LF Hybrid: a 44 kW electric motor and 96 lithium-ion batteries, about 2 km on electric power alone.
- New name: the range became the DAF XB in 2023.
DAF LF versions
- LF45: the lighter model with the 4.5-litre engine.
- LF55: the heavier model with the 6.7-litre engine.
- LF Hybrid: diesel-electric version shown in 2010 and sold from 2011.
- DAF XB: the same range under its name from 2023.
The LF replaced the DAF 45/55 and sat below the DAF CF and the DAF XF. More models are in the DAF collection.
Sources
- DAF LF, English Wikipedia: engines, cab, award, hybrid, XB
- DAF LF, Dutch Wikipedia: presentation, applications, hybrid trials
