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oes green mean profit .
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The Iveco Daily van range was revamped in 2007 to keep up with its rivals. This time around it's been given the 'green treatment. Say hello to the EcoDaily.
Words: Ian Tonkin / Images: Tom Lee WITH THE DRIVE FOR lower emissions and fuel consumption gathering pace year-by-year, manufacturers are constantly tweaking and re-tweaking their products to be as efficient as possible. And Iveco is no different, as you can see with its new cleaner, greener van range called surprise, surprise EcoDaily.
The EcoDaily comes with a choice of two engines. a 2.3and a 3.0-litre turbodiesel, and both come in various states of tune. Previously lveco's 2.3-litre engine was only available with 96hp, 116hp or 13611p, hut now customers will have the added option of a 106hp and mid-range 126hp variant. The 3.0-litre is offered at 146hp and 176hp.
The list of clean engines is equally as comprehensive, starting off with bogstandard Euro-4 and Euro-5 engines; then moving up to the ultra-clean EEV (Enhanced Environmentally Friendly Vehicle) unit; and gasand batterypowered models for those that need! want the full eco-friendly experience. With the new EcoDaily range, Iveco has also extended the maximum operating weight from 6.5 tonnes to 7 tonnes, giving the 70E17 model a maximum payload of 4,140kg in panel van form. Prices start at £23200 for the 35S11 rising to £38,050 for the 7-tonne 70C17 EEV panel van. Also there's the Mercedes Unimog-rivalling 4x4 model, which costs £43,350.
That's the range so what's the vehicle like? Legendary Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro is credited with the layout of the interior on the EcoDaily and, by all accounts, we found it to be both functional and spacious
The faux aluminium insert on the centre consul is the standout feature on the dashboard and it manages to break the monotony of the black and grey
plastic. Within the bright surround are the dials for the fan and temperature, which are chunky and solid, while underneath that there's a myriad of switches and buttons that can he a little confusing at first.
For such a big van, all-round visibility is good thanks to a pair of large door mirrors that are split into two: the top mirror for checking obstacles further back and the bottom half for manoeuvring around at close quarters. Speaking of which, our test vehicle came with a neat reversing camera that made parallel and reverse parking a breeze. The image is displayed on a postcard-sized flat screen fixed to the roof near to the top of the windscreen and, in addition to being a top-notch parking aid, it boosts pedestrian safety.
The EcoDaily comes standard with an Isringhausen seat (traditionally fitted on heavy trucks) that's comfortable and supportive, but that ends where the foam-moulded headrest begins. It's hard and uncomfortable and one aspect that detracts from what is otherwise a good interior.
Productivty The combination of medium wheelbase and high roof meant we had as much as 12m3 of load space at our disposal (and this 6ft tester could easily stand up in the back without bashing his head). But for our fuel run we needed weight capacity not volume and the EcoDaily didn't disappoint. Payload stands at 1.36 tonnes, and with the test vehicle fully stocked with test weights, it returned 276mpg at an average speed of just over 40mph on our 89-mile test route.
As we didn't have a forklift at our disposal to remove the ballast, we had to abandon an unladen run, but judging by its initial outing, we fully expect it to exceed the 30mpg barrier. Access to the load area is through two big rear doors that open out a full 270, while for easier on-street access there's a side sliding door with built-in step.
Given Iveco's obvious expertise with heavy trucks, it's not surprising to see it has extended the auto transmission trend to its vans The vehicle is fitted with lveco's automated manual called ACiile. It analyses the accelerator position and adapts to the driver's driving style.
In addition to this, you can select the gears manually if you wish, or knock it over into auto mode and let it do all the work.
the Italian manufacturer has made great strides with this gearbox and overall it's a smooth transmission when it's in motion. However, it takes a full two seconds to swap ratios,-which can be a bit unnerving when you need quick shifts like when joining a motorway for instance. •
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