Iveco Daily | Review

The Iveco Daily is more than a van as, unlike its competitors, it employs a separate chassis and body construction, unlike the unibody construction of rivals like the Mercedes Sprinter and Ford Transit. The result is a tough, heavy-duty van that almost moves into truck territory. With gross vehicle weights ranging from 3.5 to 7.2 tonnes, and body lengths that can run up to 6.75m, there are few jobs the Daily won't be able to cope with, but that comes with compromises elsewhere.

Chief amongst those is payload limits at the lower end of the range. Driving a 3.5-tonne vehicle on a car licence makes life easier for many businesses, but the heavy-duty nature of the Daily means that, while you can have load volumes as large as 19.3m3, the heaviest payload you'll be able to carry (in a much smaller volume) is just 1,362kg -- almost 300kg lighter than a Renault Master can cope with. Three wheelbases, five body lengths, three roof heights and countless gross vehicle weights all combine to leave you picking between an astonishing 8,000 potential models.

The most compact model is just over 5m long, with a cargo bay measuring 2,610mm long and 1,450mm high, giving 7.2m3 of load volume. The longest model, at 7,540mm from bumper to bumper, offers 19.6m3 of volume in its 5,125mm by 2,000mm load box. You'll also find chassis cabs, box vans and crew vans alongside the panel van, as well as a rugged and raised 4x4 model.

Power comes from a wide range of engines, from a 2.3-litre diesel offering 116, 136 or 156hp, through a 3.0-litre option with 160, 176 and 207hp options, to another 3.0-litre model fuelled with compressed natural gas. There's also a pure electric model, the eDaily[1], with multiple battery options and a range of up to 186 miles in some configurations, and as low as 75 miles in others. The 156hp 2.3-litre diesel with a six-speed manual gearbox delivers solid performance in town and on the motorway. There's new electric power steering, added in the most recent facelift, which isn't particularly communicative at high speeds but is a boon for urban driving.

Ride quality is fine -- and, as with all vans, improves with some cargo in the back -- but it's not as refined as the Mercedes Sprinter or Volkswagen Crafter, even with 'Air-Pro' pneumatic suspension. The manual gearbox feels strong but lacks definition and is a little notchy, which makes the slick eight-speed automatic a better choice for most. Compared to the Dailys of old, the latest version's cab is positively luxurious.

Memory foam-covered seats, steering that's adjustable for rake and reach, a DAB radio, and air conditioning are all fitted as standard. You'll need to move from the entry-level Business spec to Evolution or top-spec Connect to gain access to potential essentials such as adaptive cruise control, climate control, automatic lights and wipers, and even the 7.0-inch infotainment centre that comes with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. More connectivity is offered with the Iveco On pack, which sees your Daily talking to Iveco's HQ in Italy.

A range of data options are available, but the full package will provide weekly reports on the vehicle's and driver's performance, safety on board, remote monitoring of fuel consumption and driving style to allow optimisation of your fleet's performance, and planning and booking of service appointments to maximise uptime. A driver app allows the person behind the wheel to view the driving style evaluation, access the vehicle's diagnostics info, and activate Iveco assistance when necessary. There's also vehicle monitoring and remote assistance, with a proactive approach enabling remote diagnostics tools and over-the-air software updates to anticipate and resolve issues before they arise, reducing downtime.

All of this comes at a cost, but Iveco is always cagey about revealing list prices. Don't expect any change from GBP30,000 plus VAT at the lower end of the range and more than double that by the time you hit the top models. This makes it a rather expensive option, but one that will work very well if it suits your specific business needs.

The Iveco Daily isn't for everybody, but it is efficient, loaded with helpful tech for fleet managers, and can carry load volumes others can only dream of.

References

1. ^ There's also a pure electric model, the eDaily (www.fleetnews.co.uk)