Iveco Daily vs Ford Transit Custom

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.

Does the world need a pair of electrified Transit Custom vans? It’s not as simple a question when it comes to commercial vehicles like these, because there’s a fair chance the last-mile delivery sector is going to absolutely love the EV variant of the Ford van. Charged overnight at a depot, the EV Custom has the potential to massively reduce running costs for large and small fleets, as well as reduce downtime in terms of maintenance. It could be a big win.

But for our money, the PHEV Transit Custom is the one that offers the most promise. The usual EV compromises and range anxiety are shown the door and the plug-in driveline not only trumps the traditional turbo-diesel for running costs, refinement and actual performance, it also promises day-to-day efficiency that even the otherwise handy Ford diesel just can’t match. Win, win, we believe it’s called.

The question now is what Ford does with this driveline. Surely, as an option for the Tourneo people-mover (itself Transit Custom based, so all the hard work is done) the PHEV driveline seems like a foregone conclusion. And that’s the Transit van we’d most like to see, to be honest.

So, take these vehicles as a taste of what might be to come. The first shot in a market segment that stands to gain more than most from electrification.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

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.

Functionality trumps all else in commercial vehicles, but even so, the Transit Custom is a pretty cool looking thing, particularly in Sport trim with its stripes and alloy wheels. It’s easy to see how the van might appeal to private buyers as well, both as family transport with optional rear seats and windows or decked out as a camper. Keeping the roofline below 2.1 metres also means the Custom will work in an underground car-park environment.

Inside, it’s all about function and while there are plenty of hard plastics in evidence, the sheer attention to detail regarding storage and convenience features is what you’ll remember. Maximising interior space is part of that and the Transit Custom cleverly uses front airbags mounted in the roof lining, clearing up dash-top space that has subsequently been used to locate a second glovebox.

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.

Here’s the meat and potatoes of a vehicle like the Transit Custom. If it can’t cut it as a workhorse, then there’s not much point in having it take up showroom space, and Ford knows that. But Ford also has loads of experience in making one and two-box vans work for their living. The fact is, these vehicles have been best-sellers in Europe for decades, so there’s plenty of back-catalogue to draw from.

Knowing that some drivers will spend a full shift in the cabin of the Transit Custom, Ford has gone to a lot of trouble finding little nooks and cubbies for things like clipboards, pens and phones to live. There’s also a fold-down centre seat that forms a small desk, two gloveboxes, and no less than four cupholders across the cabin. A large storage area lives under the flip-up passengers’ seat.

There’s a single USB-A charging port in the cabin and no less than five USB-C ports, as well as a 12-volt socket in the dashboard. Bottles can be stored in either door pocket and the front cabin steps are illuminated. A flat-bottomed steering wheel makes sliding across the cabin easier.

In the cargo bay, the walls feature protective panels and there’s a hose-out plastic mat on the floor. You’ll also find LED cargo lights, eight tie-down points in the long-wheelbase Trend and two fewer in the shorter Sport. Integrated roof racks are standard and while only one sliding side door is standard, there’s the option of a second one on the other side. The standard rear doors are the barn-door type, but open wide and back on to the vehicle’s sides to allow for fork-lift loading. A tailgate version of the rear door is optional.

There’s a load-through hatch giving a total length of 3.45m in the long-wheelbase version and, depending on what variant you choose, the payload is anything up to 1339kg. Cleverly, the top-hinged hatch cover for the load-through is held up by a magnet when in use so it doesn’t rattle against the load over bumps.

Towing capacity for either electrified Transit Custom is down from the turbo-diesel's 2800kg to 2300kg.

Keeping passengers safe in a nose-to-tail crash is a metal bulkhead with a window, but the window can be deleted as part of a security pack on the long-wheelbase variant, at which point the interior rear-view mirror becomes a camera screen. That mirror also incorporates a forward-looking dash cam.

It won’t matter to everybody, but it’s worth mentioning that the PHEV Transit has a space-saver spare wheel, while the EV variety has no spare at all.

All Fords are now connected via modem, allowing managers back at head office to receive alerts for low fuel or tyre pressure and even track their vehicles when they’re on the move. For fleet managers, this will doubtless be welcomed. For the drivers, perhaps not so much.

Let’s start at the start. The E-Transit Custom Trend is the pure EV entry-level version. With battery-only operation, it’s the more radical of the two drivelines. The next step up in the EV line-up is the E-Transit Custom Sport with the same driveline and a few standard equipment additions.

The same goes for the PHEV Transit; the Trend kicks things off and the Sport adds the same trinkets.

The biggest difference, of course, is in terms of the wheelbase. The Trend grade (in either EV or PHEV) uses the long-wheelbase version of the Transit platform, while the Sport trim level is based on the short-wheelbase Transit.

All versions get a central 13-inch infotainment screen, LED lighting, full Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless connectivity, embedded sat-nav, a 12-inch dashboard screen, keyless entry and start, and wireless phone charging.

Beyond that (and, again, the differences in trim remain identical across EV and PHEV variants) you get 16-inch steel wheels for the Trend and 17-inch alloys for the Sport, and the Sport comes with a body-kit including a rear spoiler and a set of racy looking exterior stripes. Inside the Sport also gets striped seat trim (still fabric and not leather) dual-zone climate control (single-zone for the Trend) and a 10-way powered driver’s seat (manual in the Trend).

The biggest interior difference is in the seating layout. The basic set-up is a three-position front seat, while the more utilitarian Trend, oddly, is the one with the option of individual buckets and an arm-rest for both occupants.

Prices start at $67,590 before on-road costs for the PHEV Trend (LWB), while the PHEV Sport (SWB) lands at $69,990. The parity is maintained in the EV version with the Trend starting at $77,590 and the EV Sport at $79,990. Those EV prices are a bit more than some of the competition (LDV eDeliver 7 and Peugeot Partner) but are line-ball with the Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo. The PHEV Transit Custom variant at ten grand less seems pretty competitive, then.

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.

Although they might both subscribe to the concept of electrification, under the skin the Transit PHEV and EV are quite different animals. That’s starts with the fundamentals, with the front-engined PHEV Transit Custom using front-wheel drive, and the pure EV variant placing the single electric motor between the rear wheels for a compact rear-drive layout. As per usual practice, the EV’s batteries are positioned under the floor.

That single electric motor, when fed by the standard 64kWh battery, gives the EV Transit Custom a sensible power output of 160kW and a meaningful 415Nm of torque. Thanks to the way an electric motor makes its power (and torque, more importantly) there’s no need for a conventional gearbox, so a single-speed transmission is all that’s required.

The PHEV, meanwhile, uses the combination of a 2.5-litre petrol engine, teamed with a single electric motor. Interestingly, the electric motor is more powerful than the non-turbocharged petrol engine, but when both are delivering, there’s a total of 171kW of power and 400Nm of torque. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is fitted for maximum efficiency.

Four-wheel disc brakes are fitted on all electrified Transit Customs in deference to their greater kerb weight (just shy of 2200kg for the LWB). Independent rear suspension is also a feature on all Transit Custom variants, and has been engineered to be compatible with the one-tonne payload standard.

Ford has also fitted the PHEV Transit Custom with selectable drive modes, four in the Trend (Tow, Normal, Eco and Slippery) and five in the Sport with the addition of a, you guessed it, Sport mode. The PHEV builds on that with modes to force electric operation, store the battery power for later or use a combination of both at the car’s discretion.

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.

Typically, for a hybrid vehicle, Ford quotes a staggering combined fuel economy figure for the Transit PHEV. In this case, that’s a marvellous, yet often unattainable 1.7 litres per 100km with tailpipe CO2 emissions of just 38 grams per kilometre.

No, you probably won’t achieve this in the real world, and our testing suggests closer to 4.2 litres per 100km in urban running which is where the PHEV shines most brightly thanks to the opportunity to harvest energy in stop-start traffic.

And even though that’s a long way from 1.7 litres per 100km, it’s still a pretty impressive number for a big, heavy vehicle with garden-shed aerodynamics. Combined with the Transit’s 63-litre fuel tank, there’s a real chance of stretching fill-ups beyond the 1000km mark.

The plug-in element provides for an electric range of 54km which is off the pace for most PHEVs and means any delivery driver in a Transit Custom PHEV will be making use of the petrol engine pretty much daily.

Unlike the Transit Custom EV with its 64kWh battery, the PHEV’s smaller 11.8kW battery doesn’t allow for commercial fast chargers. Instead, you can take the battery from fully discharged to 100 per cent capacity in seven hours on a household 10-amp socket, or in four hours, 15 minutes on a 15-amp outlet, which equates to a maximum AC charge rate of 3.5kW.

The Transit Custom in EV form, meanwhile, can be charged from zero to 100 per cent capacity in 6.7 hours on an 11kW outlet, but can also make use of fast DC charging. At that point, it’ll charge from 15 to 80 per cent in 32 minutes at its maximum charge rate of 125kW.

Ford claims a range of 301km for the Transit EV Trend and 307km for the slightly lighter Sport. Both those figures are likely to be a little optimistic in the real world, but we reckon, based on our on-test power usage figure of 17kW per 100km, they might be a lot closer to the mark than many other makes claim. So, that should, theoretically, work for most delivery vans in major cities where daily distances are generally below 200km.

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.

We’ve said it plenty of times before, but delivery vans really have come a long way. What were once bucking, sliding, pitching, screeching monsters are now almost as comfortable as a car and vastly more stable and predictable to drive even at freeway speeds.

The EV variant almost sounds and feels like a modern Melbourne tram in the way it accelerates with authority but also in near silence with only the suspension and a bit of tyre slap over sharp edges to spoil the serenity. Even then, the noises barely intrude. Tyre noise is the worst of it.

Performance is strong and effortless and this is a parcel van that accelerates like a decent car right up until about 100km/h when things start to tail off a little. The overall driving position is a bit sit-up-and-beg, but that’s actually comfy over longer distances and the seats themselves are good with plenty of padding, but not too much bolster that you need to climb over it to enter or leave the cabin.

The column-mounted gear selector is smart, but does mean the indicator stalk moves to the `wrong’ side, and confusing them can leave you in Neutral. And even though it’s a clearer, sharper result than many cars offer, the camera-screen interior rear-view mirror (if you choose the solid cargo-barrier version) is never as good as a conventional mirror. For some reason, the camera screen lacks the depth of field of a mirror and is more difficult to focus on. Those who wear reading glasses might struggle with it.

On the plus side, the EV variant’s one-pedal-driving setting is brilliantly set up and allows for bringing the Transit Custom to a complete stop without touching the brake pedal. Also better than average is the calibration for the driver aids including the lane-keeping assistance which is there to help, but never call the shots.

The PHEV version is, logically, more of the same, although the ride quality seems a little better with an extra layer of plush particularly on smaller, sharper bumps. The slightly lower kerb mass that allows for the one-tonne payload without the same spring firmness is probably the reason.

What the front-drive PHEV can’t achieve, however, is the EV’s level of power-down and grip. Floor the throttle and the PHEV will easily make its front tyres chirp and introduce a small amount of tugging at the wheel. Over bumps with lots of throttle, the PHEV will also momentarily lose traction, but meantime, it’s just as quick as the EV version, even if the CVT is evident in the way the engine revs up and the rest of the van eventually catches up with it.

All four versions of the electrified Transit Custom feature the same safety gear, reflecting the increasing importance of OH&S concerns regardless of the vehicle’s purchase price. On that basis, you’ll get six airbags including side and side-curtain bags. There are also a pair of front airbags regardless of whether you have the standard cabin (three-seater) or optional two-seater layout.

Driver assistance packages include stability control with traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic monitoring, exit warning, forward collision warning, lane keeping assistance, parking sensors front and rear and a 180-degree rear camera system. There’s also autonomous emergency braking that incorporates pedestrian recognition.

It’s also good to see a standard tyre pressure monitoring system, too.

The Transit Custom has been rated by ANCAP according to its light-commercial vehicle Medallion system which assesses active safety systems rather than actual crash data. In this case, the vehicle achieved the highest, Platinum, rating with a 96 per cent score.