New IVECO Daily 4x4 range released in Germany

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter’s control of the Australian 4x4 van market is about to end, with the introduction of new Iveco Daily 4x4 models at the recent IAA Show in Hanover.

They’re due for release Down Under in 2019, so watch this space for expected dates.

Unlike the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter range that’s built by Daimler-accredited contractor Oberaigner, the Daily 4x4 models are produced by Iveco.

The current Daily 4x4 is a military-style, high-mobility vehicle with live axles front and rear, high ground clearance and three-speed transfer case. And while that’s fine for those who need to conquer extreme terrain, the configuration has some limitations for those who want a less ambitious vehicle.

Put a motorhome body on this truck and it develops a high centre of gravity that’s not desirable in side-slope conditions. Also, ride quality is truck-like and the only transmission is a manual.

Enter the additional 2019 variants that are built around a dual-wishbone, independent front suspension and a chassis that’s much closer to the ground. In place of the three-three-speed transfer case with an ultra-low-speed bottom ratio is a more conventional two-speed transfer.

Standard is a six-speed manual, but there’s an eight-speed Hi-Matic automated manual transmission option as well.

Billed as the most comprehensive lineup in its class, the 2019 Daily 4x4 range includes cab/chassis, van, chassis/cowl and crew-cab versions, with a choice of single wheels all around or duals at the rear.

Also, there are GVMs up to 7.0 tonnes, with 4.3-tonnes payload, maximum load of 2700kg on the front axle and 5000kg on the rear.

All variants are powered by the current 180hp, three-litre engine and come with four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and Electronic Stability Program (ESP).

Traction gear includes centre, front and rear differential locks, which is a huge advantage over the seriously under-equipped Sprinter 4x4.

The Daily 4x4 vans are 5.5- and 7.0-tonnes GVM models, with a choice of manual or auto boxes. Cargo volumes are 9.0 to 18 cubic metres for the single-wheel off-road models and from 16 to 18 cubic metres for the dual-rear-wheel, all-road models.

The dual wishbone suspension isn’t a new design, having been seen here years ago, on a limited number of Daily 4x4 vans and cab/chassis. The cab/chassis went mainly to local shire and council fleets and the vans were converted to campervans for Britz.

There are still a few of them around: We saw an ex-Britz campervan on the Pacific Highway in mid-2018 and there was still a cab/chassis working for the local council at Nukurr in Arnhem Land in 2012.

I drove one of the early Britz camper vans around the Cairns hinterland and was most impressed with its fire-trail capability.

The front ends were bullet-proof, but these vehicles had snow-plough final drive ratios that meant the engine was spinning at flight revs at 100km/h, so most of them blew up. As a result, the Daily 4x4 was abandoned for Australian consumption, until the live-live-axle model was successfully released in 2013.

We’re looking forward to providing more details of this 2019 Daily 4x4 range and an on- and off-road test.