One thing is for certain – you won’t miss our Iveco Daily test van if it happens to pass you on the road.
Clad in bright green paintwork and liberally plastered with huge Iveco Daily logos, this van make an impressive sight.
Iveco has recently launched this upgraded Daily and our test model is the 3.5t gvw medium wheelbase model with 12 cubic metres of loadspace and a payload of 1,440kg.
Under the bonnet is a 2.3-litre turbodiesel offering 126bhp at 3,050-3,500rpm and 214lb-ft or torque at 1,650-3,050rpm.
There’s also an Agile six-speed gearbox which can be used in fully- automatic mode or can be nudged up and down by hand with no clutch action. Price is £24,900 ex-VAT.
The Daily is a pretty macho van made for hard work. It is the only 3.5-tonne panel van on the market to feature a proper ladder frame chassis and looks much tougher than its competitors.
It’s also liberally swathed in plastic to protect it from knocks and scrapes.
It’s a big climb up to the driver’s seat but inside the cab is functional and the Daily features a big steering wheel to give a big truck feel.
The seats are hard and supportive but slightly narrow.
The new Daily comes fairly well-specced with standard goodies such as ABS brakes and remote central locking and it’s top marks to Iveco for adding electronic stability control as standard across the range. Certain other manufacturers take note!
Despite its size, the Daily is a bit of a gentle giant on the road.
Gearchanges are a trifle laborious and not instant, which means that rapid progress in the lower gears is a bit of a problem.
The power steering is also a tad on the light side for my liking.
But once in top gear and out on the road, our Daily fairly blasted along – there’s no lack of power, even up the hills and with a half load on board.
The Daily is also offered as with CNG and electric power.
Verdict
While the local baker and florist might not be interested, fleets with heavyweight needs could well find the new Daily an ideal solution.
Standard traction control is the icing on the cake.