On The Road
Although not the most powerful model in the range, the E24 performs more than adequately. The tacho trace along the M4 from Chievely to Magor only shows two hill-induced blips from the cruise control’s straight line, and then by no more than 2km/h.# At 5.63:1 the diff ratio is relatively short but it’s well matched to the engine. Even in the overdrive top gear, 40mph has the rev counter at the bottom of the green sector at 1,400rpm, and when the road heads skywards it’s happy to lug away at 1,250rpm and peak torque.
The lever for the six-speed Eaton gearbox features a widely spaced gate with fairly long but precise lever throws and a strong bias to the third/fourth plane. Changes in the lower three ratios are slightly notchy, but on the other hand the lever moves through the higher gears like a well Vaselined ferret.
The only time the gearing let us down was on the 25% (1-in-4) test hill where first gear was simply too high to give us any chance of restarting.
To its credit there was no other moment on the test when we felt the need for the nine-speeder.
The cruise control is slightly lagging behind current thinking, as gear changes and over-speed check braking causes it to disengage. It does have a visual conformation of its setting status and speed, however. The useful exhaust brake is linked to the cruise control and operated by a three-position switch on the dash. The top position activates it when the throttle pedal is released; the lower when the brake pedal is touched; and the one in the middle restricts control to the floor button.
Ride quality is excellent on all surfaces. Handling feels secure, with progress in tight spots only marred by the slow (but precise) steering, which takes nearly six turns from lock to lock.
Cab Comfort
Larger Eurocargos have higher mounted cabs than the 7.5-tonner with one extra step but access is easy, with well placed grab handles. How many 18-tonne drivers need a full sleeper cab is debatable, but it’s nice to have the choice.
The upper half of the cab is trimmed almost exclusively in grey, with a black lower half. Compared with some Ivecos the colour relief is modest, with the soft furnishings in a restrained blue.
The driver’s seat is a middle-of-the-range Isri air-suspended item with integral belts, while the passenger seat reclines but has no head restraint. Cross-cab access is perfectly feasible. As well as the gear lever and park brake, the quadrant beside the driver’s thigh carries the same master control system for the electric mirrors as the Stralis. Pressing the select switch brings up a picture of the mirror layout on the dash data display, then you toggle through the various mirrors before adjusting the highlighted one. The mirrors, with main, wide-angle and kerb lenses on the nearside, are only spoiled by the fact that the main nearside mirror arm is located far enough out for a proper view down the side of the body. Wipers have two speeds and intermittent, with the washer jets on the wiper blades.
Our test truck was fitted with a low-mounted single bunk, but the 5ft of headroom above it is wasted space. The high-mounted bunk that comes with the optional deluxe pack has the dual benefits of being usable as a seat and having more storage space beneath it. The mattress is split a third of the way from the right-hand end to allow access to a storage bin. The same space on the left houses a dirty locker with outside access only.
There’s a large netted bin above each door, with a deep, full width shelf across the top of the rear wall. A glass roof hatch is electrically operated and incorporates a tidy black-out roller blind.
The adjustable steering column sports Iveco’s usual three stalks. The two on the left control lights and horn leaving the one on the right to look after the wipers and cruise control. And take our word for it, there’s no excuse for not hearing the indicator bleeper.
The dash has four conventional dials and an electronic display. The dials are the usual speed and revs, and fuel and water temperature. We discovered an intriguing feature of the speedo, in that the kilometre and mile scales didn’t match up – 100km/h lines up against 64mph.
The information display is black on a grey background which suffers from a lack of contrast in some light functions. Its functions are accessed by a bank of five buttons on the top right corner of the instrument panel.
Positioning of most minor controls suggests they were either located by a deranged Feng Sui expert or just thrown in by a blindfolded Italian, but once you remember where everything is, it works OK.
There are lots of spare switches in the centre of the dash; you even get a spare ashtray. Only one of them has a 24V lighter socket though, and a 12V socket on the gearlever quadrant is an option, which seems a bit mean this age when even the most confirmed Luddite has a gadget to charge. The hazards switch is easily accessed to repel traffic wardens during urban deliveries. An effective heater has a four-speed fan, recirculation and six adjustable air vents.
Storage in the daytime part of the cab is very good. Between the seats is a useful two-part locker which is open at the front with a lidded bin behind. Both sections have non-slip, non-rattle linings and both will swallow a larger-than-A4 clipboard.
In the overscreen area of the medium-height sleeper cab are two large lidded and soft-lined lockers.
Beneath these, from left to right, is a smaller lidded locker, an open bun and four DIN audio housings. On our test truck two of these housed a tachograph and the radio/cassette (now superseded by a CD player). Large door pockets include space for two-litre bottles and there’s a glove box which is quickly removable to reveal the electrics.
We found the cab acceptably quiet in all conditions, although the peace was disturbed by an unidentified buzz from the dash area.
