Road Tests: Iveco Daily 35S13V

Iveco markets the Daily as the City Truck. “City” to indicate that it’s right at home around town; “Truck because of its truck-like chassis. While other van manufacturers are expanding their ranges by moving up the GVW ladder, Iveco already has a wealth of experience at the higher weights. The Daily range goes up to 6.5 tonnes and has done very well, particularly on the Continent. But the lighter end of the Daily spectrum has had a difficult time establishing a foothold in the UK market, initially because Iveco agreed not to import the 3.5-tonne version for some years so that it could avoid a head-on clash with the Transit. Then the gloves came off. The lighter weight version hit the market…but failed to make a significant impact. The new Daily range is even leaner, coming down to 2.8 tonnes and gaining a common-rail engine. Iveco has renewed its campaign to push it up the rankings.

The choice of vehicles in the Daily range is truly bewildering, but the family falls into three broad categories: -Lighter weight L-class vans range from 2.8-3.2 tonnes GVW with payloads from 7-10m. -Middle-of-the-road buyers can plump for the S-class, as tested here, which is your bread-and-butter 3.5-tonner with volumes from 7m3 to a vast 17m3. -Top of the class war is the C-class, with GVWs up to 6.5-tonnes. So buyers can choose wheelbases from 3-4.75m with three heights – 1.6m, 1.9m and 2.1m. Engines range from 85-125hp with five or six speed gearboxes. Not that we intend to give a complete rundown of the designation used by Iveco, but we tested a 35S13V which translates as a 3.5-tonner with a 3.3m wheelbase, a medium height roof and the 125 Unijet common-rail turbo-diesel. This unit delivers its peak power at 3,600rpm and develops up to 290Nm (214lbft) of torque at 1,800rpm. Being a common-rail engine its fuel efficiency should climb without a reduction in power and with less noise. All models come with a 12-month unlimited-distance warranty with two years’ free repair and maintenance. Retail and local fleet buyers (as defined by Iveco) also get 24-hour Iveco roadside assistance.

Fuel consumption is much improved in the latest incarnation of the Daily, thanks to a tall sixth gear and that common-rail engine. Our laden run around Kent gave us 27.5mpg (10.3lit/100km), while the unencumbered run produced a figure of 30.5mpg (9.3lit/100km). Both of these figures are pretty good compared with the competition, but remain a fair way behind the Citroën Relay’s table-topping results. The Daily’s truck-like chassis is the foundation for a remarkable number of variants. It allows for a huge rear overhang and the cavernous size of some models. Even our middle-of-the-road example has a good 12m3 which, considering its much shorter wheelbase, compares extremely favourably with the competition in our table. Gains in volume with the Daily have long been associated with a drop in weight-carrying capacity. In fact, payload has been increased to 1,345kg thanks to a lightweight chassis section behind the rear suspension. This still loses out to the competition but isn’t too bad, while its 390kg axle tolerance is as massive and flexible as ever. Other improvements on the new Daily include much better rear doors with sturdier hinges which now open to 270o and secure to a pair of strong magnets on the van’s sides. A step on the back is good where so many others are slippery. Iveco says it also acts as a spoiler, deflecting turbulence from the number plate and helping to keep it clean. Nifty. The sliding side door is well secured when held by its catch, and the openings are a good size. As always, central locking would be useful, but you can’t have everything, can you? Rear-wheel drive generally means high loading heights and the Daily does nothing to upset this theory at a lofty 695mm (although the step helps). This is lower than the twin-rear-wheel versions thanks to a gooseneck in the frame. The front bumper features an internal step to help you clean the windscreen, while the entire body shell is surrounded by a ring of plastic. The idea of this 360o bumper is that it will absorb the knocks of town driving and prove cheaper to fix or replace than dents in the metal. Remember that it doesn’t turn the Daily into a bumper van. Questions have to be asked about build quality. The winder for a passenger window came off in the hands of one CM tester, while under heavy braking a bottle of water flew off the passenger seat and dislodged a large fascia panel covering lots of electronics. Open up the glovebox (sacrificed if you want a passenger airbag) and you feel as if you could tear it off like a sheet of paper from a pad. Oil and filter changes now come along at 30,000km, which is good and long.