Iveco Daily 4x4 2017: Review

Name: Iveco Daily 4x4 2017: Review
Brand: Iveco

A new cab, greater comfort and more safety bring a touch of class to Iveco's go-anywhere off-roader, the Daily 4x4

Double-takes, craning necks, broad smiles and the occasional thumbs-up – it's hard to fly 'under the radar' in Iveco's imposing Daily 4x4.

For those unaccustomed to this towering, rolling metal monolith, the Daily 4x4 arrived Down Under in 2012 and in the years since it's been making its mark with emergency services, in mining and energy infrastructure roles, and even with the recreational vehicle set (for those intent on getting way off the beaten track).

We first reviewed the Daily 4x4 in mid 2015, and again at launch when the model recently underwent revisions, but we thought we'd plunge into the scrub once more and put its off-road ability to the test.

As the decals show, our test vehicle came to us fresh from duty as a support vehicle for Daryl Beattie Adventures. The former 500cc motorcycle GP racer now spends his time leading two-wheeled tours through the Aussie outback, and the Daily 4x4 has been supporting these trips along with an Iveco Eurocargo truck. Click here to find out more about the firm's epic outback adventures.

Rugged focus

With a car-licence-friendly GVM of 4495kg, the Daily 4x4 falls into the LCV category, but there's really nothing else to rival it and it has significantly more off-road ability than the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4x4 we recently put under the microscope.

Want proof? How about triple diff locks (centre, front and rear) and two reduction gears with a crawler gear ratio of 1:101. Then there's the 300mm of ground clearance, a 660mm wading depth, tough parabolic spring suspension (with shocks and stabiliser bars) at all four corners and approach, rampover and departure angles of 48 degrees, 153 degrees and 39 degrees respectively.

Throw on our test vehicle's 37x12.5R17 off-road rubber – some Hankook DynaPro MTs – and some serious front underbody protection, and the Daily 4x4 is up for some serious fun.

The camo-wrapped vehicle pictured here sports an aftermarket Narva LED lighting setup and a tray and towbar setup from Melbourne-based firm, Trojan. The latter also supplied the 37-inch tyre and wheel package, which requires the speedo to be re-calibrated at the dealer.

The Daily 4x4 comes as a bare cab/chassis in single or dual-cab formats, but Iveco dealers work with outlets like Trojan, EVA, Travel Trucks and Earthcruiser to arrive at a variety of highly professional fit-outs.

Latest update

What's new? While the tough, truck-style C-section chassis and suspension remain unchanged, the new Daily 4x4 receives a new ECE-R29-rated cab and the engine now meets the Euro 6 standard thanks to the addition of an SCR system (requiring AdBlue) in addition to the existing EGR system. Peak output of 125kW and 400Nm remains unchanged, as does the sole choice of a six-speed manual transmission.

The disc brake setup (front disc, rear drum) is said to offer enhanced stopping power while the Daily 4x4 now benefits from Iveco's ESP9 stability control program, which includes stability control, traction control, adaptive load control, rollover mitigation and more.

To put our dual-cab model to the test, we headed to the bush to Melbourne's northwest, where a selection of fire trails, tracks and an old quarry provided a great range of terrain to assess the vehicle's ability.

We didn't test the Daily 4x4's load-lugging prowess, but rest assured this vehicle can handle a hefty load. Iveco says the body and payload capacity of the dual-cab Daily 4x4 is 1505kg, while the single-cab can handle up to 1795kg. However, that's for the standard 4495kg GVM Daily 4x4 – opt for the 5500kg plated GVM, which requires a light rigid truck licence, and payloads increase to 2510kg and 2800kg respectively.

The Daily 4x4 has a maximum braked towing capacity of 3500kg.

Off-road ability

The 3.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel seems a bit underdone in comparison to the Daily 4x4's tough, monster-truck looks. A V6 or a V8 would seemingly be more like it, but in reality the four's output and flat torque curve are entirely sufficient both on and off-road.

With the centre diff lock and the first of the vehicle's two reduction ratios engaged, the Daily 4x4 walks up steep and rutted inclines, with little wheel slip even at standard road pressures.

In normal running, the full-time four-wheel drive Daily 4x4 has a 32/68 front/rear drive split, while engaging the centre diff lock switches this to a 50/50 split. We stuck with centre diff lock engaged for our time off-road – in dry conditions that was all we needed.

Traversing a steep, rocky and rutted descent in crawler gear also posed no problem – the Daily 4x4 just potters along at under walking pace, the driver in complete control from their towering viewpoint.

The diff locks are actuated by pushbuttons on the dash. Simply press the appropriate button, drive forward a few meters and an audible alert signifies the diff lock has engaged. They automatically disengage at designated speeds to prevent any inadvertent damage, too.

Engaging a diff lock or the reduction gears also automatically disengages the truck's ABS and traction control, and the two reduction gears can only be engaged in neutral.

It takes only a little while to get your head around how the various off-road systems work but it strikes us as a robust and fairly foolproof setup – provided you select your appropriate ratios and diff lock combos before you commit.

On the bitumen the Daily 4x4 is now a far better proposition. A new cab mounting system affords a smoother ride and while things can still get a bit bumpy without a load, the road shock isn't too severe given the rugged commercial foundation.

It is a tall beast, however – Iveco quotes a travel height of 2629mm for the dual-cab – and so the body roll is reasonably pronounced. No surprises there. And the brakes, although improved from the previous model, could still do with a little more power. They're adequate, but by no means exceptional.

The shifting on the six-speed manual is on the heavier side but it works well enough.

Interior upgrade

The cab's sound suppression is vastly improved; it's still noisy by passenger car standards but quiet enough to enjoy the stereo or comfortably hold a conversation, even despite our test vehicle's off-road rubber.

The plastics and the styling of the new dash also represent a big improvement, and it's now far more attractive than its more utilitarian predecessor.

The driver and front passenger both score air suspension seats with electric heating. The steering wheel is adjustable for reach but not tilt, although this doesn't seem to hamper achieving a comfortable drive position.

The large colour touchscreen is easy to use and has all the mod-cons, from Bluetooth telephony to satellite navigation. The sat-nav was particularly good, showing not just the tracks in Wombat State Forest but also limited topography too.

There are twin 12-volt auxiliary power outlets either side of a USB outlet down low on the centre stack and the climate control dials are easy to reach and use, but their small digital readouts are tricky to read in certain light.

The Daily 4x4 doesn't fair too badly for storage, courtesy of overhead shelves, three dash-top compartments, a long tray on the passenger side, generous front door side pockets and a cavernous area underneath the rear bench seat.

Speaking of which, the back seat can accommodate up to four people. The cloth-upholstery seating is comfy enough and there's reasonable legroom, but the seat back is quite upright.

Back-seat passengers will struggle a bit getting into or out of the Daily 4x4; the door opens wide but a grab handle either side of the aperture sure wouldn't go astray. Matters don't improve much for the driver and front passenger. There's a grab handle on the A-pillar but a second on the B-pillar would be a major help. The footsteps front and back are sturdy and grippy but, at 530mm off the deck, they're a stretch for most.

Other issues? There's no dead pedal for the driver's left foot; it can be hard to read the touchscreen in direct sunlight; the view afforded by the reversing camera was hampered by the aftermarket towbar assembly and forward three-quarter vision is restricted by the width of the A-pillar and the aft upright of the quarter window. Having said that, vision in general is excellent; in fact the high ride height puts drivers level pegging with those of most prime movers.

As for fuel, after around 800 kilometres of both off-roading and getting around town, our Daily 4x4 returned a fuel economy of 15.0L/100km. That gives a safe range of 550 kilometres from the standard 90-litre fuel tank, or – says Iveco – around 1000 kilometres from our test vehicle, which had been fitted with an aftermarket long-range tank.

Summing up

Anyone with even a passing interest in off-road vehicles will be impressed with Iveco's Daily 4x4. It captures plenty of attention but more importantly it has the capability to back up its aggressive looks. If you have lofty off-road ambitions, Iveco's Daily 4x4 will take you places a standard four-wheel drive would fear to tread.

2017 Iveco Daily 4x4 dual-cab pricing and specifications:

Price: $96,000 plus on-road costs ($90,000 plus on-roads for single-cab)

Engine: 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel

Output: 125kW/400Nm

Transmission: Six-speed manual

Fuel: 15.0L/100km (as tested)

Safety Rating: N/A