Driving this Daily
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A more testing route along the coast of Portugal confirmed what we previously thought: the new Daily is a great improvement over the existing model, and with the new common-rail injection turbo-diesel it could well become a class leader.
First we went along a particularly tortuous, bumpy single-track hill road in a 35513 van. The Unliet engine is exceptionally smooth and flexible, and most of the route was despatched in fourth gear—though the six-speed box has a nice light action and a short throw.
The conventionally fuelled 105hp engine is less impressive: it is noticeably noisier and rougher, though it provides plenty of torque, and the five-speed gearbox is easy enough.
Ride quality in all models is exceptionally good, and the quick steering gives a very good turning circle. The full-height side loading doors are a welcome development which brings the possibility of walk-in controlled-temperature delivery vans.
The chassis-cab models are particularly quiet and lack the body boom that the vans exhibit, even with the standard full bulkhead.