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A Massif step forward
Page 14
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We take a drive in the Iveco Massif, which boasts a revamped interior and engines.
Words: Colin Barnett IN THE BEGINNING there was the Jeep, which inspired the Wilks brothers to invent the Land Rover Then Belgium's Minerva and Spain's Santana built it under licence. Stateowned Santana then went its own way and developed the Land Rover independently. Then in Madrid in 2006 came the bombshell that Iveco was taking over the PSIO product.
More than a year of silence ensued as lawyers, engineers and marketing suits did their own thing. But at Amsterdam's RAI Show last year, the first Iveco Massif broke cover and we have tested it in the Alpine foothills above Verona. Restyled, the Massif will initially come as short-wheelbase (SWB) and long-wheelbase (LWB) station wagons. and LWB pickup and chassis-cab. The pickup's bulkhead has a forwardsloping lower half, which could be usefully ditched for the extra cab space a vertical panel would give. All versions have metre-wide rear openings allowing a euro-pallet to be carried.
The interior has been redesigned since the Santana days and looks as good as its Solihull rival in most respects, although a few items such as the interior door handles and the rear door's external handle don't inspire much confidence. Two three-litre engine options, familiar from the Daily, are the 146hp HPI and the 172hp HPT, the extra coming from a variable-geometry turbocharger. Both have a six-speed main gearbox with two-speed transfer box and selectable four-wheel drive. The flexibility of both is impressive, the I-IPT climbing a 40% slope in second low at tickover. Refinement is also good.
The parabolic leaf springs give ride and off-road ability close to coil-sprung Land Rover levels. Even with the offroad-biased tyres fitted to the launch fleet, handling is acceptable — although the turning circle requires some anticipation in tight spots.
A van version, essential for the utility market, is in planning, as is an optional 3.5-tonne GVW upgrade. By the time the Massif reaches the UK market next year, the full line-up should be available. Iveco UK light vehicle product manager Jon Stokes says: "Pricing will be attractive against the Land Rover."