New Bobcat Compact Wheel Loader Wins Global Design Award

Posted: 15 April 2021

The new Bobcat L85 compact wheel loader (CWL) has been announced as a Product discipline winner in the 2021 edition of the world-renowned iF Design Awards. The organizer of the awards, iF International Forum Design GmbH, is the world’s oldest independent design organization, based in Hannover in Germany. The L85 succeeded in an Automobiles/vehicles subcategory decided by a 98-member jury, made up of independent experts from all over the world, from almost 10,000 entries submitted from 52 countries.

About the iF Design Award

For 67 years, the iF Design Award has been recognized as an arbiter of quality for exceptional design. The iF label is renowned worldwide for outstanding design services, and the iF Design Award is one of the most important design prizes in the world. Submissions are awarded in the following disciplines: Product, Packaging, Communication and Service Design, Architecture and Interior Architecture as well as Professional Concept, User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI). All awarded entries are featured on the iF World Design Guide and in the iF design app.

Working with Bobcat on the L85 was German design company, Munich-based Lumod GmbH. Jaroslav Fišer, Product Line Director for the Bobcat compact loader range in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said: “We are delighted that the L85 has won in the Automobiles/vehicles subcategory of the iF Product Discipline Award and we thank Lumod for their important role in guiding the design of the new machine. The L85 is a product of the Bobcat Innovation Center on our Dobris campus and has been designed to set a new market-leading performance benchmark in this segment of the market.”

Designed and Built for Market-leading Ease-of-Use

CWLs are often used by less experienced operators, so the machine’s intuitiveness and maximum visibility are key for confident operation. When developing the L85, Bobcat focused on optimizing both of these features – resulting in the short, steep rear bonnet and fully glass doors on both sides, providing best-in-class side and rear visibility. The rear-view camera and LED lights further improve visibility. All of the operator controls are grouped on the side console, with the joystick connected directly to the seat armrest (unique in this size category). This increases ease-of-use and comfort even further.

Jaroslav Fišer added: “The L85 also brings Bobcat’s iconic ‘One Tough Animal’ brand language into the CWL market. Powerful, agile, robust. The prominent tailgate grill frame in Bobcat orange is the unique feature element. Sophisticated 3D-shape artwork – carrying signet, model number and logo – is new and underlines the machine’s robustness. The interior is equipped with strong branding elements that connect the exterior with the interior and give the operator the powerful Bobcat-like feeling.”

Bobcat has the largest loader portfolio

By entering the wheel loader category, Bobcat now has the largest loader portfolio of any manufacturer in the world. The L85 compact wheel loader is ideal for a multitude of tasks in a very wide range of industries. The L85 can be used in construction, landscaping, rental, industrial, waste, recycling and agriculture, but is also ideal for road work, snow removal, maintenance and many other applications.

The L85 model, introduced at the company’s revolutionary ‘Next is Now’ launch event in October 2020, is now in full production at the Bobcat plant on the Dobris campus in the Czech Republic.

To watch the product walkaround video for the L85 click here.