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First Drive: Iveco Daily

SECTOR Large van   GVW 3.5–7.2 tonnes   FUEL n/a   CO2 n/a

The onward march of the Iveco Daily continues with the launch of the latest version, bringing a number of revisions to the ‘Bullnose’­­­ Daily launched in 2014. While the latest revisions are concerned with introducing the Euro-6 engine line-up, the company has taken the opportunity to bring in some fairly significant revisions.

Iveco claims reductions of up to 8% for fuel consumption compared with Euro 5 models and reductions of up to 12% in maintenance and repair costs. In-cab noise is said to have been lowered by 4dB – meaning it has been more than halved. The Hi-Matic eight-speed ZF automatic transmission is now available with all variants of the 2.3-litre and 3.0-litre four cylinder engine families, except the 150hp unit.

From 2017 all Daily engines will be equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) using the AdBlue urea additive.

Iveco has also launched the Daily Business Up Mobile App for Android and Apple iOS smart phones and tablets, which offers a useful package of fleet management and telematics possibilities. Daily will be available with a new 5,100mm wheelbase chassis for 7.0-tonne GVW variants and the revised range will be available from June.

New power ratings replace those for the previous models with the 2.3-litre engine offering 120hp, 140hp and 160hp, while the 3.0-litre engine comes with 150hp, 180hp and 210hp. In addition there will be natural gas and electric versions. Service intervals have been extended up to 50,000km when using synthetic oils, while Iveco says that SMR costs can be cut by a further 10% for those choosing the Hi-Matic transmission.

The Daily Business Up App leads where others are likely to follow, by making a range of telematics information available via the driver’s smartphone or tablet. All UK Dailys will come with the new DAB radio that is needed to link with Business Up. With it, drivers can see a real-time assessment of their driving style with acceleration and braking monitored. For manual transmission models, gear selection is also recorded. The app can offer extra information not shown on the vehicle dashboard. Business Up also includes an interactive User Handbook with links to pages and a dealer locator.

Other functions include radio, music, and a phone manager to handle calls and messages. Iveco has partnered with Sygic to deliver a fleet management package offering tracking, navigation and routeing and scheduling with job dispatch. The driver can obtain customer signatures on the smart phone or tablet to close the delivery. All data can be downloaded by the fleet manager.

Inside the cab, there’s a new leather covered steering wheel, blue seat covers and textile foam headrests. Up to 18 storage compartments are now included. On the road the reduction in noise is immediately noticeable, making the Daily cab an even more pleasant place to work. I drove a 2.3-litre 140hp version on the launch with the Hi-Matic transmission, which would be a real help to drivers on multi-drop routes. Our route included twisting mountain roads and the ZF gearbox always picked the right gear even on steep climbs with hairpin bends.

What we think

The latest Daily is an impressive development, with lower noise, reduced running costs and the Business Up app.

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