Iveco Daily review, raising the heavy van and cab ante

Verdict: Smoother, quieter, more car-like to drive  and cheaper to run

What is it?

In case you hadn’t noticed, the Iveco Daily isn’t like any other heavy panel van or chassis-cab on the roads. Look underneath and you’ll find a massive ladder-frame chassis, unlike all the rivals which are of monocoque construction. The Daily at 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight is basically a 7-0 tonne van and truck which has been scaled down in size and thus is much more macho and chunky than the rest. The Daily has been around since 1978 now and when the third generation arrives here in the UK in September, buyers will be pleased to discover that the solid chunkiness of the old model remains but the new boy is much smoother, quieter and more car-like to drive. And by the way, fuel consumption reduces by between 5 and 14% while prices remain the same as with the old models. Result!

As Iveco has invested around 500 million euros in this new van, that price pegging means that the firm is likely to take quite a financial hit in the short term. There are no fewer than 8,000 different versions of the Daily available, from 3.3 tonnes gvw to 7.0 tonnes gvw, which means there probably won’t be any two alike on UK roads. There are vans and chassis-cabs and all sorts of other specialist types. Amazingly there are six wheelbases for the chassis-cab and five for the van (do they really need that many?!) and load volumes now go up to 19.3 cubic metres – around five cubes more than any other rivals at 3.5 tonnes gvw. Engines are either 2.3-litre or 3.0-litres with power outputs ranging from 106bhp to a stonking 205bhp. The 3.0-litre units can be ordered as Euro 6 emissions, which means they will also have an AdBlue tank, and expect a price premium of around £1,000 for these models. All other engines are Euro 5b+. The engines are about the same as the old ones but the fuel economy has been increased with items such as eco tyres, better aerodynamics and a stop-start system.