Iveco Daily vs Farizon Supervan

What's the difference?

This workhorse combines good cabin comfort and storage with an expansive tray (or other service body if you prefer) and GVM/GCM ratings large enough to cater for a multitude of heavy work requirements. It would be worthy of consideration if you have a car licence and need more than a one-tonne ute or full-size US pickup to get the job done.

You’d think Farizon would be onto a winner given it has created a van with cool looks and the packaging benefits that come with a dedicated EV architecture. However, the SuperVan left a sour taste in my mouth.

There are good bones here, but Farizon has a long way to go with fixing the electric motor whine and safety systems.

It’s great the company is aware of the SuperVan’s shortcomings and is currently working on software updates, but it begs the question, why wasn’t it good in the first place?

The latest Daily E6 range features a revised and more streamlined grille design with more prominent horizontal louvres.

It has also switched from hydraulic to electric power-steering, bringing numerous benefits including steering wheel height/reach adjustment and the new ‘City Mode'.

The latter allows the driver to reduce low-speed steering effort by up to 70 per cent when negotiating tight worksites or loading zones. A welcome feature that allows turning with one or two fingers.

Iveco claims catering for big Aussies was of primary importance when refining its driver seating comfort which includes a taller headrest, longer seatbelts and seat-rails for greater adjustability, plus what it claims to be the first use of memory foam in commercial vehicles.

The only thing missing for RHD markets like Australia is a driver's left footrest, even though LHD markets get them as evidenced by the one residing in the passenger footwell, which is of course the driver's footwell in LHD models.

Passenger seating is often overlooked in single-cab designs but our test vehicle is unusually comfortable, particularly in the central position where even tall people can sit with sufficient knee clearance from the dash and with ample room for large boots on a flat floor.

The steel ladder-frame chassis rides on torsion-bar independent front suspension and a live rear axle, located by substantial double-stacked leaf-spring packs.

Braking is by four-wheel discs and it has a compact 13.5-metre turning circle, which certainly takes the stress out of U-turns, particularly at busy intersections.

The front bumper and lower sections of the doors, where most bumps and scrapes occur, have a low maintenance dark grey finish.

The bumper is now made in three pieces to minimise repair costs, as each section can be replaced independently if damaged rather than having to replace the entire unit.

This electric van makes a fantastic first impression with its design. It’s futuristic and stands out on the road.

I haven’t driven a car that gets this much attention in a fair while, which is wild given this is a delivery van and traditionally they’re some of the dullest vehicles out there in terms of design.

What makes the SuperVan stand out the most is the variety of colours it comes in. Sure, you can get standard white if you want, but there’s also grey, green and blue. Our tester is finished in the latter which looks cool and modern.

The front continues the futuristic theme with a bright LED lighting signature for the headlights. They’re connected by an LED light strip, as well as an illuminated Farizon badge.

Given this van is electric, it doesn’t need a large, traditional grille to keep an engine cool. Instead there’s a small slotted opening at the bottom of the front bumper to cool the electric motor and high-voltage battery. It’s cool Farizon has made this van obviously look electric with this cue.

Beyond the stylish aero covers for the 16-inch steel wheels, there really isn’t much to talk about in terms of side profile design. It’s very slab-sided which is a classic van look.

It also leans into the trope that vans are essentially boxes on wheels. This is no bad thing because at the end of the day, a van is a work vehicle that’s meant to maximise hauling potential.

At the rear, this version of the SuperVan with the ‘Low Roof’ body style is perfectly square. It looks a little funny, but again this is a work-oriented vehicle that’s the opposite of a mullet - business at the back, party at the front.

Inside, Farizon has made a big attempt to make this electric van look luxurious and contemporary. Having synthetic leather seats is a luxury that many vans don’t have, along with the big digital instrument cluster and touchscreen multimedia system.

I’m a fan of the orange highlights around the cabin as they break up the monotonous black finishes.

Once you sit in the cabin, however, the commercial roots do begin to show. Virtually every surface is rock-hard plastic, which in a way is good because it means it’ll be hard-wearing in the long run.

With its 2135kg tare weight and 4495kg GVM, our test vehicle offers a substantial 2360kg payload rating, which is about double that of the sturdiest one-tonne cab-chassis models.

Even after you deduct the 304kg weight of its aftermarket aluminium tray from that figure, you're still left with 2056kg or more than two tonnes of payload capacity.

It's also rated to tow up to 3500kg of braked trailer and with its 7995kg GCM that means it can legally tow its maximum trailer weight while carrying its maximum GVM.

In other words, this jigger can legally haul just under 8.0 tonnes of combined payload and trailer, which opens the door to many working tasks requiring big load capacities.

The aluminium tray has a sturdy bulkhead with rear window protection and pivoting load retainers up top to ‘book-end' long lengths of pipe or timber.

It also has side-steps up front plus external rope-rails and internal load-anchorage points along each side.

There are two drop-sides along each flank separated by short and sturdy pillars to boost strength and rigidity.

According to our tape measure, this tray's internal work surface is 4070mm long and 2055mm wide with a drop-side depth of 330mm.

There are plenty of places to store things in the cabin starting with three tiers of storage in each door, with the largest equipped with small and large bottle-holders. There's also a full-width shelf at roof height.

The top of the dash has two large bins with clamshell lids, plus a central bin with two USB ports. There's also cup/small-bottle holders on each side of the dash and an open shelf and small glove box on the passenger side.

In the central dash there's a pop-out cupholder, shallow drawer for small items and a larger swing-open bin below them.

The centre seat's backrest folds forward and flat to provide a small work desk complete with a spring-loaded document clamp.

This desk can be raised to reveal a padded compartment below that's ideal for storing pens and slender electronic devices (phones, iPads etc).

Both base cushions in the passenger seat can also be tilted forward to access a large hidden area beneath, so there's good use of limited cabin space to maximise storage.

While good looks can get you so far, cabin practicality is where things are a little mixed for the SuperVan.

The driver’s seat is generally comfortable, offering a decent amount of support and a centre armrest, but the driving position is heavily compromised.

The worst offender are the pedals as they’re mounted so high that I need to take my foot off the floor to press them. Then the steering wheel only offers tilt adjustment and not reach.

As a result I need to have the seat pushed further back than I’d like to make sure I can press the pedals without making my right ankle hurt in stop-start traffic. Then even with the backrest virtually upright I still need to have arms extended almost fully to reach the wheel.

It’s not the kind of place I’d like to spend a considerable amount of time, which is disappointing because many people who drive this van will likely spend hours behind the wheel at a time.

Thankfully both seats offer both heating and ventilation, which is rather luxurious.

Ahead of the driver, the steering wheel is wrapped in buttery soft synthetic leather, like the seats, and is nice to hold. I appreciate the amount of physical buttons on it. They’re all clearly marked and easy to click.

The steering wheel is also heated and gets hot super quickly. There’s only one setting – on or off.

The digital instrument cluster looks flashy and has a range of informative pages you can cycle through. One even displays a vehicle weight page which is great if you’re unsure if you’re close to the gross vehicle mass (GVM).

Moving across, the touchscreen infotainment system looks glossy and high-definition, but there’s not much to do on it. This also means it’s hard to get lost and even if you do there are shortcut buttons on the right-hand side of the screen.

As standard there’s wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity which is great if you’ve got an iPhone, but terrible if you have an Android phone. This car has no Android Auto support whatsoever.

It’s great to see a continued use of physical switchgear around the cabin for things like the drive modes, regenerative braking settings and most notably the climate control settings. The latter are big and chunky, meaning they’re hard to miss.

In terms of storage up front, it’s fairly mediocre beyond big door pockets. There’s a slide out drawer with two cupholders and another small storage section, as well as another small storage drawer and a glovebox.

Around the side you'll find one of this van's most unique features. When you open up the passenger side front door and slide open the side cargo door, you’ll see this van doesn’t have a B-pillar. There’s only a plastic partition between the passenger and cargo areas.

As a result, the seatbelt for the passenger is mounted on the door. This feels a bit weird in the passenger seat because the seatbelt cuts across more than usual and doesn’t rest on your shoulder.

The SuperVan only comes with a single sliding door. You can’t opt for one on the driver’s side in Australia which is a little disappointing from an ease-of-use standpoint.

At the back there are rear barn doors that have stops at 90 degrees and 180 degrees, before opening all the way up to 270 degrees. This is great because you’ll be able to put whatever is on a forklift into the cargo area.

Speaking of the cargo area, it’s massive. This SWB Low Roof version measures in at 2690mm long, 1795mm wide and 1440mm tall. This equals 6.95 cubic metres, which is considerably more than any similarly sized van, whether that be diesel or electric.

It’s another major benefit of this van being built on a dedicated electric vehicle architecture, rather than a combustion platform that needs to take drivetrain and exhaust components into account.

Payload is 1300kg which is fairly standard for mid-size electric vans.

I like how low the load lip is at the back. This means you don’t have to lift things too high in order to get them in the cargo area.

In terms of amenities there are some lights, tie-down points, as well as three powerpoints for vehicle-to-load (V2L) support at up to 3.3kW. Disappointingly the latter didn’t work in our tester no matter how hard I tried…

Surprisingly under the cargo area is a full-size spare wheel. This is incredibly rare for an EV, especially one that’s all about maximising cargo capacity. It’s great peace of mind if you do long-distance travelling.

The Farizon SuperVan is being offered in Australia in three trim levels. On test here is the entry-level short-wheelbase (SWB) Low Roof option.

Pricing for this variant starts at $71,490 before on-road costs. It’s worth noting that this is for private buyers. If you’re an ABN holder or are buying a fleet of SuperVans, pricing will likely be different.

This is more affordable than the Ford E-Transit Custom, Peugeot E-Expert and Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo, but the LDV eDeliver 7 is cheaper again. However, that rival Chinese electric van isn’t built on a dedicated electric platform and doesn’t offer as much range.

As standard the SuperVan comes with a plastic cargo partition, a single sliding side door, as well as rear barn doors that swing up to 270 degrees. You can’t option any other configuration, currently, beyond different wheelbase lengths and heights.

Standard equipment across the line-up includes LED headlights, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay, a heated steering wheel, as well as heated and ventilated synthetic leather seats.

This is generous for a commercial vehicle that’s going to be a workhorse and will need to stand the test of time.

Iveco's 180EVID F1C is a heavy-duty 3.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel with variable geometry turbine technology and tough Euro 6 emissions compliance using AdBlue.

It produces 132kW at 3500rpm and 430Nm of torque at 1500rpm.

The optional ZF eight-speed torque converter automatic sends drive to the rear wheels and offers a choice of 'Eco' (Economy) and 'Power' drive modes plus the option of sequential manual-shifting, all using the stumpy dash-mounted shifter.

It also has overdrive on its seventh and eight ratios to optimise fuel economy, particularly at highway speeds.

All versions of the Farizon SuperVan in Australia are powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor that produces 170kW and 336Nm.

This is fed by an 83kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery which is sourced from Chinese battery producer CATL.

Farizon doesn’t quote an official 0-100km/h time, though it claims the top speed is 135km/h.

When we stopped to refuel at the completion of our 303km test, the dash display was claiming average consumption of 11.3L/100km, of which about one third of that distance was hauling a heavy payload on a mix of city and suburban roads plus some highway travel.

Our own number, crunched from fuel bowser and trip meter readings, came in slightly lower at 10.9, which is excellent economy for a vehicle weighing more than 2.4 tonnes unladen and almost 4.0 tonnes for part of our test.

So, based on our figures, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 900km from its 100-litre tank.

Claimed range for the SuperVan depends on the body configuration, but it’s up to 376km according to WLTP testing for the SWB Low Roof body style.

The battery pack can be DC fast-charged at rates up to 140kW, which would see the battery charge from 20 to 80 per cent in 36 minutes.

The battery pack can also be AC charged at rates up to 11kW, which would see the battery charge from 15 to 100 per cent in seven hours.

The SuperVan also offers vehicle-to-load through Australian domestic household plugs at up to 3.3kW of continuous power. This allows you to use the van’s battery pack to power appliances, tools, or other emergency backup systems.

Farizon doesn’t quote an official energy consumption figure for the SuperVan, but during my unladen testing I saw an average of 23.5kWh/100km, which would give a theoretical range of 350km. This would likely drop with a heavier load onboard.

It's easy to find a comfortable driving position given the memory foam bucket seat has adjustments for lumbar support, base-cushion rake and driver weight for its inbuilt suspension.

The fold-down inboard armrest, in partnership with the door's armrest, ensures balanced elbow support to reduce neck and shoulder strain.

There are good eyelines to the big door mirrors, with the bottom thirds of each offering wide-angle views. However, with the seat in its most rearward position, the slim column that separates the fixed and sliding glass in the driver's door slightly obscures the outside edge of the driver's door mirror, which suggests the single-cab has more rearward seat travel than the van version we've previously tested.

The electric power-steering is nicely weighted (particularly the new ‘city mode' in tight spots) and the four-wheel disc brakes have good stopping power.

It's a no-brainer the ride quality is harsh over bumps when unladen, given it's designed to cope with 8.0-tonne GCMs.

Fact is, in a working role, this vehicle would rarely if ever be driven without a substantial load to engage its big rear springs, which we did when forklifting 1.3 tonnes onto the tray. With driver this payload totalled 1.4 tonnes, which was still more than 600kg below its peak rating (with tray).

Even so, it was enough to make the ride much smoother, which is most relevant in this context. The 3.0-litre turbo-diesel maintained good performance hauling this load in city and suburban driving, displaying useful flexibility either side of its 1500rpm torque peak in Eco mode.

We did sample the Power mode, but found the engine was more than capable of handling this task in its economy setting, with the eight-speed auto doing its best work if left alone without the need to manual shift.

The engine only requires 2000rpm to maintain highway speeds, so engine (and tyre) noise is low at 110km/h. The most cabin noise comes from wind-buffeting around the mirrors, bulkhead frame and payload hanging in the breeze.

In Eco mode it performed well on our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h, comfortably hauling this load to the summit in third gear without the need to select Power mode.

Engine-braking on the way down, in a manually-selected second gear, pegged the road speed at 50km/h without the brakes needing to being applied for most of the descent, until it overrode our manual gear selection and shifted up to third when the engine was approaching its 4500rpm redline on overrun.

In our experience, these engine-protecting protocols are common in European commercial vehicles. However, it can spring a surprise if you're leaning on the engine to help restrain a big payload on a steep descent and it suddenly changes up a gear.

Even so, the engine-braking performance was good given its sizeable payload.

Driving this van is punishing. It’s quite unlike any other modern van I’ve experienced as they can be fun to drive. This SuperVan, however, leaves me feeling like a lot of the elements need finessing.

First up there’s the electric motor. It makes a decent amount of power and easily gets this big box on wheels moving. In Sport mode the front wheels can get overwhelmed if you’re not careful.

However, this van has an incredibly loud electric motor whine. It builds as you gain speed, then once you reach your desired speed it hovers at an annoying high pitch. Some extra sound deadening would likely help.

Additionally, there’s a pedestrian warning sound that plays under 25km/h, as well as a beeping tone when reversing. While this is common for EVs, this one feels like it’s louder on the inside rather than the outside. This somewhat defeats the purpose.

There are three levels of regenerative braking as standard and all of them require you to use the brake pedal to come to a complete stop. This means there’s no one-pedal driving mode.

With all the settings the regen braking is either completely on or off. There’s no in between which creates a thrashy feeling in the cabin, especially when travelling down a hill and you’re trying to coast along without activating regen braking too much. As a result, I like the weakest regen setting the most.

Surprisingly the interaction between the regenerative braking and the traditional friction brakes is rather seamless. Even the brake pedal feels relatively normal, compared to a regular combustion vehicle, which is sometimes uncommon for EVs.

As standard there’s an electric power steering system which, unlike some other new Chinese vehicles, feels like it’s actually connected to the wheels. While you can tell the steering is electrically assisted, you can still feel what the wheels are doing.

Thanks to the dedicated electric architecture, the turning circle is surprisingly good for such a large vehicle. It measures in at 12.2 metres kerb-to-kerb.

Like many commercial vans, the SuperVan has a double wishbone independent front and a rear leaf spring suspension setup. This typically prioritises cargo-carrying ability rather than on-road comfort.

When unladen the SuperVan’s suspension is incredibly jittery and harsh. You can feel every single bump in the road and crossing a speed bump makes me grit my teeth. It doesn’t help that the tyres need to be pumped up high. As standard the rear tyres need to be pumped up to 61psi.

With some added weight onboard the SuperVan’s suspension does settle, but it’s still quite choppy. We didn’t get a chance to test this vehicle at the full GVM, but it would be interesting to see whether the rear springs get a little more compliant then. Range would likely plummet though.

In terms of visibility, you sit up high in the cabin and there’s a large windscreen. These are both big ticks. It also helps there are large side windows and side mirrors that make seeing kerbs easier.

Like many vans however, over-the-shoulder checks aren’t possible in the SuperVan as there are no rear windows, plus seeing out the back through the tiny envelope is virtually impossible.

Thankfully there are front and rear parking sensors as standard, as well as a surround-view camera that has good quality but a choppy camera feed. Having the standard sensors and camera system is great while doing tricky parking manoeuvres.

Lastly, let’s talk about the chimes… They are some of the loudest and most incessant I have ever experienced in a new car. They’re so loud that they honestly scared me at first.

There are a variety of different tones for all the different safety systems. One that grates the most are the intelligent speed limit assist which bongs each time it detects a new speed limit, then again if the system thinks you’re travelling over that limit. It’s particularly annoying because it picks up 40km/h school zones even when it’s not school zone times.

Another chime plays for the driver monitoring system when it can’t detect your eyes. This is annoying if you want to wear sunglasses while driving.

You can turn off these settings in a menu on the touchscreen, but they all default back to on when you restart the car.

Other loud bongs play when you change the drive mode, the regenerative braking setting, even when you turn on the adaptive cruise control. You just can’t escape it.

The Farizon SuperVan hasn’t been crash tested by ANCAP just yet, however it was awarded a five-star rating by Euro NCAP earlier this year.

As standard there’s autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, intelligent speed limit assist, a driver monitoring system, front and rear parking sensors, as well as a surround-view camera.

This is a lot of safety kit, especially for a commercial van, but as mentioned above a lot of safety systems are rather intrusive and have obnoxiously loud chimes.

Thankfully Farizon is currently working on a software fix that’ll see all the chimes reduced by 20 decibels. It’s also planning some tweaks to the lane-keep assist and reverse camera which may form as part of the same update.

Standard warranty is three years/200,000km (three years is short) but the option of up to five years/300,000km is available at extra cost.

Scheduled servicing is every 50,000km/12 months whichever occurs first.

Iveco offers a range of maintenance agreements to help owners manage maintenance costs.

The Farizon SuperVan is covered by a five-year, 200,000km warranty, while the high-voltage battery pack is covered for eight years or 200,000km.

There’s also five years of complimentary roadside assistance.

Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 30,000km, which is relatively standard for commercial vehicles.

The first five services are capped and all up cost $2730. This averages out to around $550 per service, which is a little on the expensive side for an EV. However, diesel vans can be much more expensive to maintain in the long-term.

Farizon currently doesn’t have a dealer network in Australia and only sells vehicles in Queensland through its website. The company is working on setting up a dealer network in the coming months and is prioritising the eastern seaboard.