Every now and then I get a chance to drive one of the vans that we supply at Vanlease UK, which is great because I can give you an honest review. Today I have driven the Iveco Daily, coinciding with news that they will include a 3 year unlimited warranty and 4 years servicing with all 3.5 tonne vans. Iveco have made available a batch of the latest versions for van leasing brokers to drive
Firstly, I admit to a bias, I love the Iveco engines. I have driven one now in a motorhome for 10,000 miles a year every year since 2000, in various guises and model years. With nothing more than regular servicing, none have ever let me down and all have been economical and great to drive. The latest one, a 2.3 litre 130 bhp is the forerunner to the engine that I drove today in the Iveco van, which is now 150bhp, but uses less diesel
Iveco, mostly owned by Fiat, main business is heavy-duty vans and wagon including HGV and they are a big player in the 7 tonne market. With an engine range of 150 bhp to the new 3 litre 205 bhp unit, their van and commercial engine range is a good match for everybody. They have a service interval of 25,000 miles, which is further than their rivals. Being off the road is not what any van operator wants and the Daily is set up to be operating as much as possible.
Think carefully about the size
A bigger van rarely means that you can carry more. Yes, you can carry bigger, but lighter things, but bigger vans are heavier and the payload will normally suffer. In the Iveco case, the long wheel base has a payload of just under 1200kg but the short wheel base has a payload of 1500kg. In both cases, the design allows for a Europallet to be carried between the wheels, your cargo will decide which van you choose. The sliding side door, which is extra but normal fitted in the UK, allows the loading of a Europallet as well, even sideways on. The load bay is tall enough to walk around in and secure with a full steel bulkhead. The rear of the van is included on the remote central lock, which is standard fit
How does the drive compare?
The Iveco is now an old design, but it has been refined over the years in every respect rather than completely being redesigned. Reliability is its strong point and it drives really well. It’s not quite as car-like as the new Transit and Transit Custom, but is a match for Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Vauxhall and Fiat vans. If you are going to work your van hard and demand reliability, you should be looking at the Daily
