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Performance: Expectations for a Eurocargo are bound to be high;
Page 47
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after a, if this truck were a radio station it would be Radio 2... "the nation's favourite. A major factor in this runaway success is the rector engine— its performance is definitely class leading.
The 170hp developed by the biggest engine in this group is channelled through a five-speed transmission. Bottom gear is extremely low and in this case came complete with a flat spot, which definitely slowed progress. All our testers preferred to pull away in second gear for the excellent reason that it got the truck up to speed that much quicker, though there will doubtless be a price to pay in terms of clutch life.
Further up the box the Eurocargo's synchro appeared to be weaker than those of its competitors and its gearstick felt pretty sloppy, with play either side of the position for each gear. Fortunately its plentiful horsepower made up for any overall weaknesses in the transmission.
An extensive green band allowed our drivers more than enough scope to drop into the bottom end of the box, regardless of whether they were hill climbing or dawdling in urban traffic.
Operating eflidency: With five different drivers at the wheel the Iveco, despite that class leading horsepower. turned in 13.6mpg which put it in third place. Or the other hand it averaged just over 45rnph which made it the quickest overall; it was also fastest up the long climb into Telford.
Braking and handling: Out on the read the steering wheel was way off centre, and we do mean way off —the wheel had to be pointed 45 to the left to hold the plot in a straight line. While this didn't take long to get used to, it was somewhat unnerving and would hardly make a novice feel at home.
The handling was impressive at lower speed but once up past 55mph on the dual carriageways and motorways it didn't feel so self assured. No doubt this was partly due to the tramlines created by larger vehicles but, as mentioned, it was also sensitive to crosswinds. And that wonky steering wheel didn't help.
The brakes worked well and coped In all situations. The action of the brake pedal was good and had a much nicer feel under foot. In this group the lveco was one of the better in terms of braking.
Driver comfort: The seat in the lveco appeared to be designed for drivers with a small back. While its condition was very good for the age of the vehicle, it offered minimal support. The seat squab was too narrow and too thin and became uncomfortable after anything more than 40 miles in the saddle.
The interior was showing signs of age, with the sunvisors starting to droop and the air vents struggling, and eventually failing, to hold a selected angle or position. As a result air came straight out rather than being directed where the driver wanted it.
There were also signs of wear on the controls for the electronically controlled windows—since the lveco's arrival at Hill Hire many thumbs and forefingers have pushed the logos into the centre of the button. Not a problem, but it didn't look too clever.
SPECIFICATION Engine type Maximum power Maximum torque Transmission Rear axle ratio Cab type Body manufacturer Fuel lank size