Iveco Daily

Overview

IVECO Australia has introduced its new Daily van and cab-chassis range to the local market this week, the two-wheel drive line-up adding an enhanced safety suite, revised interior, and more standard technology than before, along with reduced emissions that now meet stringent Euro 6 Step E guidelines.

While full pricing details are yet to be announced, Iveco Australia says the Daily range will kick off from $77,929 plus on-road costs.

New front and rear short-range radar systems enhance the ADAS capabilities of the Daily range, enabling rear cross-traffic braking, front and rear pedestrian and cyclist detection, junction assistance, door open warning, and improved adaptive cruise control with Stop & Go functionality.

A new ‘crash box’ crumple zone has been added to the front of the Daily to act as an additional deformation area to absorb force in the event of a frontal collision. Iveco has also enhanced the rigidity of the frontal C-section of the Daily to bolster protection in a lateral impact.

Other enhancements include full LED headlighting and advanced lane centring (optional), which join the Daily’s carryover complement of four airbags (front and side), front and rear anti-lock disc brakes, Bosch 9 stability control system, lane departure warning, and Advanced Emergency Braking System.

While the driveline of the Daily line-up is carried over, the new range offers improved emissions controls designed to meet Europe’s stringent Euro 6 Step E controls.

Now offering lower nitrogen oxide emissions, particularly at cold start, the Daily range boasts a standalone Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) and separate Selective Catalytic Reduction (on filter), and a secondary AdBlue injector to trim the emissions of its turbocharged 3.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine.

Depending on the grade selected, the engine is available in 180EVID configuration with a variable geometry turbine (VGT) to produce 132kW of power and 430Nm of torque, the latter from just 1500rpm.

A more powerful 210EVID unit is available optionally, running an electronically controlled VGT to deliver 155kW and 470Nm, also available from 1500rpm.

In Daily 50C single-cab and Daily 50C vans, the 180EVID is the standard engine, although owners can select the 210EVID as a cost option. In 50C crew-cab variants and all 70C cab chassis and van variants, the 210EVID is the standard unit.

Both engine choices are paired as standard to a ZF-sourced eight-speed Hi-Matic automatic transmission tuned to provide fast, self-adaptive shifts in two modes – Eco and Power – the latter the best choice for high payload and towing operations.

A rear differential lock is available optionally on selected models.

For the van line-up, we find a payload range from 1741kg to 3953kg available – and with cubic capacity ranging from 12m³ to19.6m³ – while the cab-chassis spans a GVM range from 4250kg to 7000kg and a GCM from 7750kg to 10,500kg.

Wheelbase options range from 3520mm through to 4750mm while braked towing capacity across the Daily van and cab chassis ranges is 3500kg.

Optional across the Daily range is rear Air-Po, ECAS (Electronically controlled Air Suspension) with dynamic and adjustable front and rear shock absorbers, which Iveco says provide a more supple ride, giving operators who may be involved in sensitive freight movements including electronics, medical and commercial diagnostics equipment and the like, with smoother and safer transport.

Iveco says ECAS also comes into its own in the recreation space, giving Daily-based motorhome owners a more compliant, car-like drive and the ability to lower the chassis for easier ingress and egress.

The exterior styling of the Daily range is largely familiar, but with a revised three-piece front bumper assembly with integrated anti-slip step that allows easier access to the front windscreen area while accommodating the new frontal radar system.

Also new are slightly larger, directional fog lights (optional).

Inside the cabin, the changes are more noticeable, led by a redesigned and configurable 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster incorporating visualisations of the Daily’s new ADAS technologies and larger, easy-to-read fonts.

There is also a 10.0-inch infotainment touchscreen (optional) that replaces the standard 7.0-inch unit, the new system including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, integrated voice assistant, a climate control page, TomTom native sat nav, a reversing camera, and various vehicle settings.

The dashboard pad is now constructed of a single-piece, anti-glare upper with incorporated phone and tablet holders, the interior also offering a more powerful (15W) wireless charging pad (optional), a new USB module with type C outlet, and a new-look gear selector.

A suspended driver’s seat is also standard on all models as is memory foam cushioning.

For drivers engaged in pick-up and delivery work who are frequently in and out of the vehicle, the new Daily also offers a ‘door to door’ function that unlocks the vehicle when the driver is near and allows the vehicle to start just by pressing the brake pedal.

The Daily will also turn off when the driver leaves the vehicle.

Additionally, for vehicles that may need to stay running during deliveries to power refrigerator bodies and the like, Daily has an optional ‘run lock’ function allowing the engine to stay on while the vehicle is locked and the driver is momentarily away.

The Daily range is available with two option packs – Premium and Business – allowing owners to customise their vehicles to better suit their application.

They can also combine both the Premium and Business packs if they wish.

The Premium pack includes auto high beam, rain-sensing wipers, dusk-sensing LED headlights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, wireless device charger, Advanced Lane Centring, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Traffic Jam Assist, and ePark brake (which standard on the 42S van).

For the Business pack, we note a 30-litre increase in fuel tank capacity (to 100 litres), the aforementioned 10.0-inch multimedia system, USB charging module for driver and passenger, passenger bench seat with table, driver’s suspended and heated seat (suspended is standard), padded memory foam head rests, rear cab wall interior trim panel, automatic climate control, keyless entry and go, fog lights, chrome grille, and ePark brake.

The 2026 Iveco Daily range is backed by a six-year/250,000km factory warranty which may be extended to 600,000km for an additional cost. Service intervals are set at 24 months/50,000km with maintenance and repair package options available across the range.

Iveco offers 31 dealer and 33 sales locations across Australia with 78 service points nation-wide.

Driving Impressions

The Iveco Daily is a good van that just got a whole lot better thanks to a significant uptick in safety technologies, driver comfort, and emissions performance.

While engines, frames, and bodies remain largely unchanged – being the same as they have since 2014 – the updates here are nonetheless worthwhile, offering obvious benefits to business and owner operators alike.

Power delivery is familiar, the early arrival of peak torque a welcomed characteristic that proved itself when sampling the Daily with a “couple of tonne” on the back. The Daily is tuned to be at its best in higher weight applications, the feeling from those gathered at the national launch event in South Australia unanimously suggesting “the Daily did it easily”.

And while a racetrack setting might not be ideal for showcasing how well the Daily lugs up hill, handles bumpy roads and stop-start traffic, or deals with the repetition of loading and unloading, it did demonstrate the cooperative nature of the eight-speed auto and newly adopted ECAS suspension to great effect.

The Hi-Matic eight-speed automatic transmission keeps the engine in its sweet spot when required but shifts quickly through its ratios to improve economy where possible. In its more enthusiastic Sport setting, the transmission adapts quickly to both hold and downshift ratios as necessary, meaning drivers should seldom need to use the Daily’s manual selector.

The driver’s seat is better cushioned than before and relates well to the primary controls. The steering action is unusually tactile for a commercial vehicle and exemplary in its assistance, providing exacting control on the racetrack while making reverse parking effortless at the end of each session.

While the smooth surface of The Bend circuit gave us little in the way of appreciating the bump suppression of Iveco’s new suspension arrangement, it was ideal in showing how well the Daily maintained posture in more extreme manoeuvres.

Unlike many Japanese cab-over contenders in this class, the bonneted Daily proved far more stable in hard cornering, resisting the tendency to lurch on to the front axle when cornering at speed.

In our view, this level of composure is vital in offering not only more predictable handling in real-world conditions, but also in delivering heightened response during evasive actions, adding further points to the Iveco’s safety card.

Of course, it’s not just the Japanese rivals Iveco has to worry about. While its cab-chassis models vie directly against competitors from Fuso, Hino, and Isuzu, its van range faces strong competition from Fiat, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and new rivals from China, including LDV.

The improvements shown in the updated Daily aim to keep it in step with most of those rivals for now, but there is evidence to suggest the model range is a victim of its design age. Cabin ingress and egress is not as straightforward as it might be, there’s evident wind noise over 80km/h, and accommodation in the rear of dual-cab models is spartan, at best.

If Iveco is to grow its presence among commercial clients it needs not only to address some of these issues, but to do a better job at promoting the changes it has already made. We reckon there’d be many potential customers selecting Daily rivals almost as a default, not realising the benefits the model offers in terms of its cost of ownership, greatly improved cabin comfort, significantly updated safety and connectivity technologies, and well postured ride/handling blend.

Let’s hope Iveco Australia does the best it can to get more buyers interested in the Daily this time around – because if our test drive is anything to go by, we think commercial buyers deserve to know about it.