A new model Iveco Daily van has been unveiled in a major global launch in an Italian palace just outside Turin, home of the Iveco brand and the company’s owners Fiat. This revamp of the Daily van is the third major redesign in the van’s 30 plus years history. After its initial launch around 1980, the van was relaunched in 2001, now with a completely new looking front end it is expected to start arriving in Australia early in 2015.
The Daily retains the elements of its design which have differentiated it from rivals, namely a ladder frame chassis at the core of its construction. This has seen the Daily preferred in a number of applications where the inherent solidity of a conventional chassis is required. Iveco are also now offering a 205 hp engine in the range, making a quantum leap in the horsepower stakes, heating up the hp race in the van world. Iveco say 80 per cent of the van and cab chassis components have been redesigned.
As with anything coming out of Italy, a vital part of the van is its design. The new look is a dramatic change to the front end with wide smile, being formed by the front grille and lighting clusters, sweeping down in a curve from A pillar to A pillar. The bonnet sits considerably higher than in its predecessor, but the design has shied away from the ‘goggle eyed’ look favoured by a number of its competitors in recent years.
With the new van design Iveco have also upped the cube stakes, with a new maximum volume of 19.6 cubic metres available (Iveco in Italy round the figure up to 20 in their advertising material). However, the 10.8 cubic metre version of the van is likely to be the biggest selling van, with its 10.5 m turning circle and lower van floor.
In Australia, the cab chassis is likely to remain the biggest seller. The ladder frame chassis enables the Daily to compete against small Japanese trucks as well as form the basis of many camper vans on our roads. The new design comes in wheel bases from 3 m to 4.75 m and the Daily is now capable of 6.19 m overall length.
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