IVECO DAILY 35$1311
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Price as tested: £21,761 (ex-VAT) including £20,150 for the basic vehicle; £75 for a full bulkhead; £840 for ABS, ABD and EBD; £200 for headlamp washers; £380 for driver and passenger airbags; and £116 for front fog lights. Engine: 2.8-litre turbo-diesel. OW: 3500kg. Payload: 1,345kg (including 75kg driver). Fuel consumption (laden): 27.5mpg (10.31it/100km).
Thanks to its C-section chassis the Iveco Daily is well known as the van with big-truck pretensions. Initially the heavyweight struggled to gain a foothold in the British mar ket when it was slimmed down for the 3.5-tonne sector. Now the Daily is back, branded as the City Truck and fighting in lower weight categories than ever before.0
veco markets the Daily as the City Truck. "City" to indicate that it's right at home around town; 'Truck" because of its truck-like chassis. While other van manufacturers are expanding their ranges by moving up the GVW ladder, Iveco already has a wealth of experience at the higher weights. The Daily range goes up to 6,5 tonnes and has done very well, particularly on the Continent.
But the lighter end of the Daily spectrum has had a difficult time establishing a foothold in the UK market, initially because Iveco agreed not to import the 3.5-tonne version for some years so that it could avoid a head-on clash with the Transit.
Then the gloves came off. The lighter weight version hit the market.. .but failed to make a significant impact.
The new Daily range is even leaner, coming down to 2.8 tonnes and gaining a commonrail engine. Iveco has renewed its campaign to push it up the rankings.
PRODUCT PROFILE
The choice of vehicles in the Daily range is truly bewildering, but the family falls into three broad classes: • Lighter weight L-class vans range from 2.83.2 tonnes GVW with payloads from 7-rom3.
• Middle-of-the-road buyers can plump for the S-class, as tested here, which is your bread-and-butter 3.5-tonner with volumes from 7m3 to a vast 17m3.
• Top of the class war is the C.-class, with GVWs up to 6.5 tonnes.
So buyers can choose wheelbases from 3-4.75m with three heights-1.6m, 1.9m and 2.I1Th Engines range from 85-125hp with fiveor six-speed gearboxes.
Not that we intend to give a complete rundown of the designation used by Iveco, but we tested a 35513V which translates as a 3.5-tonner with a 3.3m wheelbase, a medium-height roof and the 125 Unijet common-rail turbodiesel. This unit delivers its peak power at 3,60 orpm and develops up to 29 o N m (2r4lbft) of torque at i,goorpm. Being a common-rail engine its fuel efficiency should climb without a reduction in power and with less noise.
All models come with a 12-month unlimited-distance warranty with two years' free repair and maintenance. Retail and local fleet buyers (as defined by Iveco) also get 24-hour Iveco roadside assistance.
PRODUCTIVITY
Fuel consumption is much improved in the latest incarnation of the Daily, thanks to a tall sixth gear and that common-rail engine. Our laden run around Kent gave us 27.5mpg (ro_31it/rookm), while the unencumbered run produced a figure of 3o.5mpg ( 9.31it/ro °km). Both of these figures are pretty good compared with the competition, but remain a fair way behind the Citroen Relay's table-topping results.
The Daily's truck-like chassis is the foundation for a remarkable number of variants. It allows for a huge rear overhang and the cavernous size of some models. Even our middle-of-the road example has a good 12m3 which, considering its much shorter wheelbase, compares extremely favourably with the competition in our table.
Gains in volume with the Daily have long been associated with a drop in weight-carrying capacity. In fact, payload has been increased to 1,345kg thanks to a lightweight chassis section behind the rear suspension. This still loses out to the competition but isn't too bad, while its 39 okg axle tolerance is as massive and flexible as ever.
Other improvements on the new Daily include much better rear doors with sturdier
0 hinges which now open to 27o° and secure to a pair of strong magnets on the van's sides. A step on the back is good where so many others are slippery. Iveco says it also acts as a spoiler, deflecting turbulence from the number plate and helping to keep it clean. Nifty.
The sliding side door is well secured when held by its catch, and the openings are a good size. As always, central locking would be useful, but you can't have everything, can you?
Rear-wheel drive generally means high loading heights and the Daily does nothing to upset this theory at a lofty 695mm (although the step helps). This is lower than the twin-rear-wheel versions thanks to a gooseneck in the frame.
The front bumper features an integral step to help you clean the windscreen, while the entire body shell is surrounded by a ring of plastic. The idea of this 36o° bumper is that it will absorb the knocks of town driving and prove cheaper to fix or replace than dents in metal. Remember that it doesn't turn the Daily into a bumper-van.
Questions have to be asked about build quality. The winder for a passenger window came off in the hands of one CM tester, while under heavy braking a bottle of water flew off the passenger seat and dislodged a large fascia panel covering lots of electronics. Open up the glovebox (sacrificed if you want a passenger airbag) and you feel as if you could tear it off like a sheet of paper from a pad.
Oil and filter changes now come at 30,000km, which is good and long.
ON THE ROAD
Lots of manufacturers claim that driving their vans is just like driving a car, but in the majority of cases it just isn't true (unless you're behind the wheel of a car-derived van).
So it comes as no real surprise to find that Iveco's numerous brochure promises that driving a Daily is like driving a car need to be taken with a healthy pinch of salt. In fact, the Daily is one of the least car-like drives around. It's not that CM thinks that driving a van should necessarily be like driving a car, but it's annoying to constantly hear the comparison.
For instance, along the motorway a slight cross-wind will cause the Daily to sway on its springs (single leaf at the rear), pulling the wheel in your hands from side-to-side. Overtake a truck and it reacts in the same way from the change in pressure, so it needs constant attention to stop it getting out of hand.
Manoeuvring about town is a lot better, but it suffers from an alarming degree of body lean. You get used to this and soon discover that the Daily is able to corner well; it just does it in its own way. The turning circle is all right, at man) between kerbs with 3.75 turns lock to lock. The brakes feel a little spongy but are capable of stopping the van quickly—just look out for bottles of water on your seat. A full brake test will have to wait for another Daily test as gremlins were infesting our brake testing equipment on the day.
The ZF S6-3oo gearbox is like no other our tester has ever encountered: it certainly fails to live up to its billing of "smooth and precise action" in any way. While it's nice to have an extra ratio for faster cruising, it would be much nicer to be able to find gears when you want them. This box is amazingly reluctant and very rough, in this application, at least.
Feel through the stick is vague and grating in turn. Changing down was at times impossible, leaving us at a standstill on the side of a steep hill trying to select first. We should have gone up in fourth but couldn't select that gear (or third, or second). Not being able to find the gears will affect fuel economy, not only because the van won't be in the right ratio but because it will also wind up the driver.
There were few miles on the clock on our test vehicle, so perhaps the box will sort itself out as it beds in...or perhaps it will get worse. We hope this was just a bad example.
The transmission's shortcomings were particularly frustrating because the 125hp common-rail Uni jet engine is a winner—quick on the uptake with an almighty pulling power from low down. It romped up the (33%) test hill, and the handbrake did its bit by easily holding its own on the same demanding slope. This might sound routine, but it's surprisingly rare on our test vehicles.
In terms of straight-line speed this Daily is best of breed to date. While it might be a little down on the best of the rest, it's quite fast enough for the real world.
Wing mirrors now have blind-spot sections and provide a good view of what's going on behind. The windshield line is a little low if you have the seat cranked up, but this is a minor sacrifice if you want to find a comfortable driving position (most sizes and shapes are catered for).
Controls are well laid out and easy to use, but the dash is poorly designed and set at a difficult angle. Thanks to ultra-deep recesses around the dials it is impossible to find a driving position that gives a clear view of all the available data.
CAB COMFORT
The cab is easy to get in and out of as the door gives good access, even when only partly opened. It feels pretty small but is nonetheless comfortable and quiet. Cross-cab access isn't at all bad, despite the floor-mounted shift and wraparound fascia; you just need to turn a corner to make it to the other side.
A centrally mounted light cluster in the cab is a good touch and features a moveable eyeball light like those found in airliners. There's also a sturdy grab handle in the roof for the centre passenger, which is a thoughtful touch.
Ventilation is good, with some nice vents demonstrating great economy of design and real flair. Recirculation is standard (and much needed if the van is to be at home in built-up areas).
Storage is pretty good, with a door pocket capable of swallowing a big bottle of water, lots of rubbish and plenty of maps; there's also a sprinkling of little cubby holes and some mesh pockets. If you can do without a passenger airbag you'll have the use of a large, lockable glovebox.
SUMMARY
The new Daily is well able to draw on its strongest design elements to provide a pretty good all-round package. It has practicality in bucketloads and a solid new engine that packs a good punch.
But a real dog of a gearbox and nervous handling on motorways let this contender down. While the slimmed down Iveco seems able to hold its own, it will struggle to win many belts in this fierce weight division.
• by Peter Lawton