Iveco vs Iveco!
Iveco vs Iveco!
At FOCUS, we’ve become extremely well known for commercial vehicle tests – and we’ve conducted lots over the years. We’re also the one and only independent authority that is evaluating commercial vehicles in South Africa. But recently we undertook a test that was a first for us. Instead of comparing rival products, it was a case of Iveco versus Iveco! CHARLEEN CLARKE and JONATHAN CRAWFORD report
The subjects of our road test were two Iveco Dailys: the 50C15 V panel van and the 70C15C chassis cab (with body). The former has a GVM of 5 400 kg; the latter boasts a GVM of 7 200 kg.
The test started at the Engen Blockhouse south of Johannesburg, where both of the vehicles were topped up with diesel. With their 100-litre tanks full to the brim, we headed towards the N3. At the wheel of the two vehicles were two capable professional drivers – father and son Heine and Diete Engelbrecht. They were accompanied in the two vehicles by Martin Dammann, customer success manager at TruckScience, and Iveco’s Vinesh Rambaran.
As regular FOCUS readers know, we have partnered with TruckScience when it comes to running our regular truck tests from day one. The unique aspect of these truck tests is TruckScience’s ability to simulate results – and they’re normally spot-on versus the actual results. Dammann does an outstanding job of monitoring and recording the data during truck tests, and he was ably assisted by Rambaran.
We were all curious to see how the two vehicles would perform. While the 70C15C has been available in South Africa for five years, the 50C15 V panel van was launched only last year. Of course, prior to its international launch, the new Daily was subjected to more than 3,5 million kilometres of durability and reliability testing. So, we assumed that the vehicle would perform extremely well.
After several hours on the road, we arrived in Harrismith, and the discussion centred around safety. “Accidents on the N3 – and indeed on any road in South Africa – are a dime a dozen. So, it’s good to see that the new Daily comes with a full house of safety features. In addition to LED lights, there’s an electronic stability programme and driver and passenger airbags,” the two drivers noted.
After Harrismith, the topography changes as road users pass over the escarpment, making the busy N3 even more challenging. And, while the safety features were indeed welcomed, it was undoubtedly the comfort of the two Ivecos that was paramount to the drivers as we approached Durban – because the traffic was, quite frankly, a nightmare.
Dammann noted with a wry smile that, while this is hardly optimal, it’s a reality for South African transport operators. “No one likes these endless delays, which will be a part of life for the next 10 years on the N3,” he pointed out. “But this is something that transport operators experience daily. So, it’s probably appropriate that this is part of our test.” The endless delays would certainly impact the average speed of the duo of test vehicles – and indeed any commercial vehicle on the N3 today.
The first day’s testing concluded at Truck Centre Durban, which has been selling and servicing Iveco vehicles since 2009.
The following day, we were back at Truck Centre Durban super-early – and everyone was hoping and praying for less congestion. Before the drivers arrived, we had a chance to spend some time in both of the vehicles and the new Daily is especially impressive. Two of the interior features of the new Daily are the more compact leather multifunctional steering wheel and the new instrument cluster. The former means there is more space for the driver’s legs (and dare we say it, maybe his tummy too). The instrument cluster, on the other hand, is easy to use and very easy to read. And it looks good!
While a functional vehicle, the interior is not lacking when it comes to safety and modern amenities. As mentioned, there are airbags for driver and passenger. There are also USB ports, an infotainment system, air-conditioning and electric windows … to name but a few of the many impressive features. While the drivers undoubtedly had their hands full for the journey back up to Johannesburg (obviously their full concentration was required), it was nice to know that they would be ensconced in comfort and safety.
Thankfully, the congestion wasn’t nearly as bad on the way back – although the weather was somewhat ghastly. The two Iveco Dailys had to contend with a lot of wind as well as torrents of rain. However, the vehicles, their drivers and the observers appeared to take it in their stride.
With the most challenging part of the climb to the escarpment a thing of the past, the Free State provided fairly level roads for the last part of the journey. The only stop was at the Sanral weighbridge to double-check the weights of the vehicles (they were both loaded to within 200 kg of their maximum legal weight). Incidentally, it’s ever so easy to load the van, since you have both side and rear access.
Exiting the N3 at Suikerbosrand, we headed back to the R59 and the Engen Blockhouse to top up the tanks for the very last time. This marked the end of a 1 084 km journey, which took roughly 16,5 hours (including stops).
Final verdict
There are lots of reasons why the Daily is very cost-effective for transport operators. One is the five-year/120 000 km service plan; that’s great for peace of mind because operators need not worry about the cost of servicing. Another is the fact that the bumper on the new Daily comprises three sections. This is a really good idea: assuming that you have a minor bumper bash, you only replace the damaged bit and not the whole thing.
Then there is the fuel consumption and the productivity of the vehicles. As our results show, the Daily is a superb vehicle for any operator who wants to get the job done in minimal time while incurring extremely low fuel costs. Both the average speed and the fuel consumption statistics are very impressive indeed – especially when one considers that we were travelling in bad weather for much of the time and we also encountered horrendous delays as a result of congestion, accidents and construction.
So, the Daily is both productive and frugal. What more could any transport operator want?
Photographs by Jonathan Crawford and Charleen Clarke
Download Road Test 2021 technical specifications and results
WATCH THE IVECO TEST ON IGNITION!
Our Iveco test is being featured on Ignition from 18 to 24 December!
Here are the actual flighting times on Ignition:
Saturday: 10am
Sunday: 4pm
Monday: 12:00 and 7pm
Tuesday: 4am
Wednesday: 8pm
Thursday: 8am
Friday: 2pm
We hope you enjoy the show!
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