2017 Iveco Daily update: Review

Name: 2017 Iveco Daily update: Review
Brand: Iveco

An update has given the Daily a more professional appeal while also making it quieter and more efficient

As we reported last month, Iveco has recently made some running changes to the Daily range. And while the changes aren’t ground breaking, they do make the popular vans and cab/chassis models more livable and actually cheaper to run.

The current Daily has been on sale since 2015 and has had a few updates along the way which have no doubt increased its popularity.

As we haven’t been behind the wheel of a Daily for some time, we were glad to be offered the opportunity at the launch to go for an extensive drive program in and around Melbourne.

Inside

The ambiance of the Daily has been improved with the inclusion of two-tone interior rather than just the bland grey previously. Iveco execs told us that this gives the vans and trucks a more ‘professional’ feel.

Also enhanced is storage with redesigned and extended storage compartments. According to Iveco’s Marco Quaranta: “It’s important for the driver to have a quiet environment and lots of storage. Storage is a safety issue where the driver doesn’t have things loose in the cabin that can fly around in an emergency,” he said.

Drivers now have the option of a fully-adjustable suspension seat and there is also one available for the passenger for those longer hauls.

Getting in and out of the Daily is a breeze with wide doors and big accommodating steps for safety and convenience.

The introduction of ‘value packs’ to the range further enhances the interiors where owners can opt for the things they want and opt out of the features they don’t. The packs include Business Premium, Comfort and Efficiency and they can be ordered separately or together to customise your Daily.

Driving Miss Daily

The seating position in the Daily is upright but comfortable. Vision is excellent from the high perch and the ergonomics are basically sound, except I’d like dead pedal for the left boot in the auto versions – there is one in the passenger’s footwell which is a legacy of the left-hand drive origins of the Daily.

The Dailys are available with three engines, 126hp, 170hp and 205hp with either single or twin turbos. Transmissions are either an eight-speed auto or six-speed manual and GVMs range from a car-licence friendly 4495kg up to 5200kg for the cab/chassis and from 3800kg up to 7000kg for the van. Interestingly, the Iveco executives told us that uptake on the auto was about 80 per cent, whereas the six-speed manual accounted for just 20 per cent of sales.

Van volumes range from 7.3 cubic metres up to 18 cubic metres and they can be ordered with opening doors on both sides or just one.

We had a good selection of vehicles on test with varying loads but most were loaded to around 80 per cent of their GVM.

The first thing I noticed about the Dailys when we pulled out of the carpark was that they didn’t struggle with the weight. My first vehicle was a van with the smaller-output engine, mated to the auto gearbox and it handled the like it wasn’t there. In fact, I had to ask the Iveco co-pilot I had on board what the load was. Had I got the wrong vehicle? Nope. She was loaded alright.

The eight-speed ZF auto is a beauty. It’s seamless in its changes and easy to use in either in full auto or switching to manual mode. It also has power and economy modes which move the shifts around in the rev range. I found the economy mode was great for urban running and actually preferred it to the power mode.

I found dragging the gears down manually a couple of gears on descents gave us pretty good engine braking – not as good as a manual but it’s there nonetheless. There is no exhaust brake on these Dailys which raised an eyebrow, but really the engine braking is sufficient.

Speaking of braking, the Dailys all have four-wheel disc brakes with 300mm rotors on the front and 296mm on the back. ABS and EBD are standard and there is a hill-holder function as well as pad-wear warning lights for the front and rear brakes.

We did some hilly work around Mount Macedon north-west of Melbourne and the brakes and engine braking got a good workout and came up trumps.

We switched from vehicle to vehicle during the day, and I found them all identical in the cabins (apart from manual and auto of course) which would be great for fleets with vehicles of different ratings. Drivers can jump in and out of differently-rated Dailys and they’re all the same inside.

At one stage I was asked which one I liked best and really, there was very little difference. Sure, I preferred the manual, but that’s just a personal thing as I like the control a manual gives – and it’s a good 'box too. It’s slick in its changes and the gears are well spaced with no apparent ‘holes’ in the gearing.

Iveco offers an optional rear diff lock which would be a handy inclusion if you work on building sites or in slippery conditions. We didn’t encounter any, so we didn’t get to use it, but I reckon if I was buying a Daily it’d be a box I’d tick just for the comfort of knowing it was there.

We drove around for a full day from an early start through peak-hour traffic to meandering country road and up to the afore-mentioned Mount Macedon, and through it all I thoroughly enjoyed driving the Daily. What we did was tantamount to a day of inter-urban delivery driving, and I never once got tired of driving, cramped or a sore bum.

The Daily is really a well thought out, competent load-hauler that would not disappoint the fussiest driver. We didn’t get to drive the biggest of the fleet, the 70C seven-tonne GVM van which I was hoping to get a drive of, but the upside of that is that I was promised a drive in the near future, and we’ll bring it to you when I (happily) grab the keys.

Specifications: Iveco Daily

Engine 170 hp: Iveco FIC (EURO 5) – Four-stroke diesel with direct-injection, variable geometry turbocharger and intercooler

Optional: 205 hp: Iveco FIC (EURO 5) – four-stroke diesel with direct-injection, twin stage turbo and intercooler

Maximum power: 170hp at 2900-3500rpm

Optional: 205hp at 3100-3500rpm

Maximum torque: 430Nm @ 1500-2600 rpm

Optional: 470 Nm at 1400-3000rpm

Emissions Technology: Exhaust gas recirculation system

Total Displacement: FIC: 3.0 litre

Transmission: ZF eight-speed automatic or six-speed manual

Brakes front: Ventilated discs 290mm (28mm thick)

Brakes rear: Discs 290mm (22mm thick)