1996 Iveco Turbodaily Reviews

Iveco Australia is in the final stages of Australian certification of the off-road Daily, which is already on sale in Europe. The Daily is Iveco's heavy hauling van, which is also available in a single cab-chassis and crew cab-chassis format.A high-riding 4x4 version has been on sale in Europe for years and Iveco Australia will start taking orders for it here next month. Iveco Australia presented two evaluation 4x4 Dailys at Melbourne's recent International Truck and Trailer Show.These models are rated to tow 3500kg and have a total weight limit (the combined weight of the vehicle, load and trailer) of 5500kg although the specification of the Australian vehicle has not been finalized.Iveco Australia application engineer, Christian Andel, says there is one reason the company decided to introduce the vehicle locally. "Customer demand," he says."I have been hearing about it for the last three years. They have been seeing it for years in Europe and they wanted it." Iveco Australia decided not to take the 4x4 Daily straight away because it wanted to make sure it was tough enough."We wanted to see some real world testing and they put it in Dakar, they have put them to work in Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and they hammer them more than we do," Andel says. "If they can do that, they can do anything in Australia."The 4x4 Daily runs a full-time 4x4 system and comes standard with a centre and rear locking differential, while a front locking differential is optional. It runs a six-speed manual gearbox and has low-range function for crawling that means the driver can choose between 24 forward gear ratios and a four reverse gear ratios.The drive comes from a twin-turbo 3.0-litre four-cylinder Iveco turbo diesel that generates 127kW and 400Nm and runs a diesel particulate filter.

The Daily delivery vans and cab-chassis derivatives have claimed a lot of firsts during the past 30 years and maker Iveco is just as chuffed with the latest range.The chassis frame on a light commercial vehicle, direct-injection turbodiesel engines, a 17cum van with 210cm interior height, common-rail diesel injection and even an engine that (in Europe) runs on natural gas are among the benchmarks claimed for the Daily van in those 30 years.Thanks to the array of models — seven wheelbases, low, mid and high-roof versions, two engines and various stages of power tune, a wide range of designated payload capacities, dual-cab versions plus single or dual rear wheels — it's possible to make thousands of Dailys without two being identical.It's reckoned that every five minutes, somewhere in the world, someone buys a New Daily van.The latest Daily — or New Daily as it's called, with capital N — retains the rear-wheel-drive configuration.All engines are Euro 4 compliant, some models having exhaust gas recirculation, and don't need a particulate filter.All engines are four-cylinder, in-line and have four valves per cylinder operated by double overhead camshafts. They use common-rail injection.The lighter, single-rear-wheel units use a 2.3-litre diesel with variable geometry blades in the turbocharger. Most Daily models have a three-litre turbodiesel engine. The HPI offers 109kW of power and 350Nm of torque. The HPT version ups this to 131kW of power and 400Nm of torque, but notably that torque is constant from 1250rpm through to 3000rpm, suggesting good engine flexibility.Oil and filters are scheduled for changing every 40,000km, limiting service costs and vehicle downtime.The Daily has independent front suspension and the solid rear axle can be optioned with air suspension for carrying delicate cargoes.Driver and passenger convenience and comfort are a priority with Daily. They have a parking sensor, central locking with remote control in the key, clever cab storage spots, including four DIN-sized compartments. Moving about the cab is easier thanks to the dash-mounted gearshift and shorter handbrake lever (made possible due to its lighter action). Seats are comfortable and supportive.The Daily can be had with a six-speed manual gearbox or six-speed automatic offering sequential shift.Payloads vary from 1265kg through to the extra long wheelbase, cab-chassis at 4260kg.The short van has a wheelbase of 3000mm, the mediums are 3300mm and 3750mm, the longs are 3950mm, 4100mm and 4350mm depending on van or cab-chassis style, leaving the two extra-long cab-chassis models with a 4750mm wheelbase. 

Mercedes-Benz is turning blue to be green by employing the European favoured Selective Catalyst Reduction (SCR) technology, or Bluetec as Mercedes-Benz calls it, to meet the new 2008 exhaust emission rules.SCR, along with Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) is one of the two most common technologies being used by truck makers globally to meet the tough new exhaust emission rules.It is generally seen as the simpler way of achieving the end goal of reduced emissions than EGR because it's a relatively simple technology that doesn't require any changes to the base engine as EGR requires.Instead, SCR injects Adblue, a water-based additive, into the exhaust stream. In the process ammonia is released, which converts the harmful NOx into harmless nitrogen and water.It's an out-of-cylinder approach whereas EGR is an in-cylinder approach to cleaning up the exhaust that needs major changes to the engine itself.The benefits of SCR are that the engine can be run in a dirtier state because any extra emissions produced can be cleaned up in the exhaust stream after they leave the engine.That allows the engine designers to tune the engine to develop more power and better fuel economy, without being hamstrung by the need to make the engine itself clean. As a result, the retuned Mercedes-Benz engines run a higher compression ratio and are putting out as much as 20 horsepower more than the current engines.An SCR engine will also run cooler so there's no need to bulk up the truck's cooling system as there is with EGR, which causes the engine to run hotter.For the operator that means better performance and lower running costs.Most operators who have had the chance to sample one of the many test trucks being evaluated in Australia by those manufacturers using the SCR strategy — Iveco, MAN, DAF, Scania, Volvo and UD — report better performance and driveability from the new trucks compared to their own trucks, and most claim improved fuel economy.The downside for operators is that they have to cover the extra cost of the Adblue, which is generally added at a rate of 3-5 per cent. Adblue is carried in a separate tank on the chassis. It's generally around 80 litres in capacity, which was enough to get a B-double from Brisbane and Adelaide and back in recent testing done by Volvo.Mercedes-Benz has six SCR-equipped trucks under evaluation locally, including two Atego rigids, one Axor prime mover, and three Actros prime movers. All are being put to the blowtorch in some of the toughest applications in the country to ensure they're fully prepared for the introduction of the new rules in January. 

The Daily is built on truck lines with a separate chassis that puts it in a class with small trucks such as the Isuzu N Series, Hino Dutro and Mitsubishi Fuso Canter.Until recently, anyone wanting a small truck they could drive on a car licence had to choose between a lighter Daily model with a GVM of 4.2 tonnes, 300kg below the maximum GVM allowed on a regular licence, or a more expensive downrated five-tonner.Iveco uprated its 4.2-tonne model to the full 4.5 tonnes GVM, which made it more competitive against the car-licence trucks offered by the leading truck-makers.To achieve the extra GVM Iveco revised the rear suspension by fitting uprated rear springs and more durable bushes.Being a European-built, semi-bonneted truck, the Daily offers a number of advantages over its Japan-built cabover engine rivals in terms of driver health and safety.Driver comfort is an important aspect of health and safety. A comfortable driver is a less stressed driver, one who is less tired, one who makes better choices when driving and is less likely to have a crash.Getting in a truck can be taxing when you've got to scramble over the wheel arch, as you do in a cabover model. It's unsurprising that drivers develop back troubles.Throw in the pogo-stick ride that comes with a cabover truck and there's more impact, which can lead to health problems.There's lots to like about the Daily before you turn the key. It's easy to get in and out, and because you're sitting behind the front wheels the ride is smoother and more comfortable than that of a cabover truck.Inside the seats are comfortable and have plenty of adjustment for height, reach and rake to find a comfortable driving position. There's a bench seat that accommodates two passengers to carry a crew of three.The dash is has a comprehensive cluster of gauges and controls for the standard airconditioning and radio/CD sound system are located well within reach. Power windows and mirrors, and remote central locking, all add to the vehicle's convenience factor.The mirrors give a good view to the side and rear, with small spotters to give view of the black spots that can be difficult to see.As delivered, the Daily doesn't have airbags but they can be selected from the option list and come in combination with ABS brakes.The test truck was a 45C14 tray top with a 3.0-litre direct-injection, intercooled four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, which delivers 100kW at 3500rpm and 340Nm between 1400 and 2800rpm. It came with optional AGile six-speed automated manual shift transmission.On the road the combination worked well, the turbo diesel engine was smooth with good power delivery and the automated shift gearbox shifted smoothly and in a timely manner. When necessary the driver can also select gears manually.The Daily's ride was smooth and comfortable while still truck firm. The handling was precise and the power steering well weighted, but at 13.4m the turning circle was large.Disc brakes at both ends ensure the Daily stops with assurance. ABS added to the safety package on our truck.The Daily is available in three wheelbases, 3450mm, 3750mm and 4100mm, with payloads of 2558kg, 2545kg and 2536kg respectively, including the weight of the bodies fitted.To drive away in the test Daily you'd need to spend $38,072 for the base truck, and add $3500 for the AGile box, which gets you ABS.