The Go-Anywhere Daily – And It Is Affordable To Boot!

Revitalised Iveco South Africa has fired a salvo at the very expensive Mercedes-Benz Unimog and the small number of other four-wheel drive trucks on the local market with a very keenly-priced Daily 4×4 high-performance, medium-category off-road truck. With chassis-cabs priced at R556 450 for the single cab and R577 450 for the double cab (both prices exclude VAT) this niche model has a very impressive specification such as 24 forward gears!

And proved very competent on the African Outdoor Group’s short off-road course near Hartbeespoort Dam. The Daily 4×4 has a GVM of 5 500kg with rated maximum axle loads of 2 450kg for the front axle and 3 700kg for the rear axle. The body and payload allowance is 2 985kg for the single cab and 2 735kg for the crew cab.

Basically it can carry a payload of up to 1,5 ton while pulling a 3,5-ton trailer. The double cab can carry up to seven people – four in the back seat and three up front. Powered by a 3-litre common-rail turbo-diesel engine developing 107kW and 350N.m of torque between 1 400 and 2 600r/min, the Daily 4×4 has permanent four-wheel drive with locks for the front, rear and centre differentials.

The ABS brakes are de-activated automatically when the differential locks are engaged. The six-speed gearbox (sixth is overdrive), with a dash-mounted lever, is coupled to a centre transfer box with two reduction gears to provide 24 forward and four reverse ratios. The The go-anywhere Daily – and it is affordable to boot!

Normal torque split is 32% to the front and 68% to the rear. The differential locks are operated by convenient, dashboard-mounted push buttons. The first, synchronised reduction gear offers 12 gears for mixed routes and can be selected on the move, while the second reduction of a further 12 ratios is designed to crawl up and over steep obstacles, with the crawler gear having a 100:1 ratio. The truck must be stationary when engaging the second reduction gear.

Wading depth is 620mm standard or 700mm with the optional snorkel fitted. Approach angle is 510 and departure angle is 360 degrees. The truck can be fitted with a power takeoff to drive ancillary equipment. The ninth generation dynamic safety system certainly provides plenty of checks and balances.

It comprises: anti-lock brakes (ABS), electronic brake force distribution (EBD), anti-slip regulation (ASR), engine braking control (MSR), electronic stability control with trailer sway mitigation (ESP and TSM), hydraulic brake assist (HBA), hill holder, load-adaptive braking control (LAC), emergency braking hydraulic rear wheel boost (HRB), hydraulic fade compensation on the brake pads (HFC), and roll movement intervention and roll-over mitigation to control the vehicle during emergency swerving (RMI and ROM).

Iveco is nowadays part of the Fiat Industrial Group, which was established last year when this grouping was spun off from Fiat Automotive, which is now a partner of Chrysler. Previously the truck and bus subsidiary traded as Iveco Industrial. Last year 137 028 units were sold worldwide.

The company operates 11 manufacturing plants and sells its products in 160 countries, with 5 000 sales and service outlets. The giant Fiat Industrial    Group consists of Iveco, which makes a comprehensive range of medium, heavy and extra-heavy trucks and has successful joint ventures with three    Chinese companies which make it one of the biggest truck makers in the world.

Then there is a coach division (Iveco Irisbus), fire-fighting vehicles (Iveco Magirus), mining and quarrying vehicles (Iveco Astra), agricultural and      construction equipment (Case and New Holland), peace-keeping vehicles (Iveco Defence Vehicles) and industrial engines and transmissions.

By Annelise van der Laan – Trucks and Heavy Equipment