Iveco Daily (2006-2014) van review

The Daily, built by Fiat’s Iveco heavy-commercial vehicle division, is more of a scaled-down truck than a van. It offers one of the most comprehensive heavy-van ranges available, with models covering the 3,500kg to 7,000kg gross-weight range. There are window vans, chassis and crew cab variants, as well as heavy-duty 4x4 models. We focus here on the models up to 3,500kg GVW, which includes the four body lengths and three roof heights of the complete Daily van line-up. Crew-cab vans are included in the range, all based on the H2 medium-height roof variants. The range starts with the shortest 3000 (for 3,000mm wheelbase) models, then progresses through the 3000L, which has the same wheelbase but a longer body, then the 3300 and the longest 3950. The Daily was the first van to feature a 17.2-cubic-metre body. Power options include six diesel power ratings, from 106bhp to 205bhp, from two four-cylinder diesel engines of 2.3 and 3.0-litres. In addition, there's a 136bhp natural gas variant of the 3.0-litre engine and a battery-electric version. The Daily comes in three trim levels – Daily, Daily Plus and Daily Top.

Because the UK Daily range starts at 3,500kg GVW, the van is sold as a heavy commercial vehicle, and no fuel consumption or carbon dioxide emissions data is published for it in the UK. This makes it more difficult to compare with other models. That said, the Daily is fairly fuel efficient, especially with the smaller 2.3-litre diesel engine. The twin-turbo 205bhp 3.0-litre engine is the most powerful engine offered in a van in the UK, so expect to pay higher insurance premiums for this model. Service intervals of 25,000 miles are longer than the Ford Transit’s 20,000 miles, or the Mercedes Sprinter’s 24,000 miles, but comparable with the Citroen Relay, Nissan NV 400, Peugeot Boxer, Renault Master and Vauxhall Movano. Most models are in insurance group 17 to 18 – higher than the group 6 to 9 rating for the Ford Transit, the group 12E to 14E rating for the Nissan NV400, the 5E to 8E rating for the Peugeot Boxer or the 8E to 10E rating for the Volkswagen Crafter.

If you need space, the Daily will provide it, with up to 17.2 cubic metres of load space, which makes it suitable for a wide variety of operations. On the other hand, a large body on a 3,500kg GVW van squeezes the payload and the biggest Daily at this weight offers a gross payload of 1,185kg, compared with 1,500kg for the smallest body. So, if you operate with high payloads, you'll need to match body size carefully with payload requirements to avoid overloading. The Daily is one of the widest vans in its class, with a load-space width of 1,800mm. Only the Citroen Relay, Fiat Ducato and Peugeot Boxer offer more width at 1,870mm. Models with single rear wheels offer 1,320mm between wheel arches, with space for a Europallet to fit between, either way round. This width is reduced to 1,030mm for twin rear-wheel models, but this is still enough for a Europallet placed lengthways. The optional sliding side door gives an aperture 1,100mm wide, which will also take a Europallet lengthways. It’s a similar story for the load-area length. At 4,540mm for the 3950 models, only the longest Mercedes Sprinter and VW Crafter models are longer. The H3 Daily is also one of the taller vans in its class, offering an internal height of 2,100mm. The tallest Mercedes Sprinter and VW Crafter offer 40mm more interior height, while the tallest Citroen Relay, Fiat Ducato and Peugeot Boxer give 2,172mm of load-space height. Remote central locking is standard in all Daily models, helping to secure the load area easily when the driver is away from the vehicle. A full-height steel bulkhead is standard equipment and other options are available at prices between £70 and £170. Iveco offers ply lining of the interior to prevent body damage from £370, depending on the body size. For dock and fork lift loading, the rear doors can open to 270 degrees as a no-cost option, held in place against the body sides when fully open, although the doors will open to 180 degrees as standard.  

All Dailys come with load-sensing ESC electronic stability control as standard – one of the first vans to do so after the Mercedes Sprinter, so that weighs in its favour where safety equipment is concerned. Like most vans, a driver’s airbag is standard equipment, but passenger and window airbags are options. The Daily has been around for a long time and the latest diesel engines have been in use for some years. They seem to have a good reliability record – the engines were designed to minimise service down time, drawing on Iveco’s background as a heavy truck maker. There's also support from the Iveco dealer network, which offers extended and out-of-hours servicing if needed.

The Daily feels more substantial than some rivals, but it is still an easy van to drive. Obviously, the best performer is the 3.0-litre 205bhp engine, which, like the other Daily power options, is a refined unit and gives the van effortless performance. Probably the best all-rounder is the 2.3-litre 146bhp engine, which performs well while giving reasonable fuel consumption, although the 126bhp version is also a reasonable performer. The most refined is the Natural Power natural gas engine, but few buyers will be able to live with the lack of refuelling points in the UK. The Daily is offered with the Agile gearbox, an automated manual option. Of the single-clutch automated manual systems available with vans, it's probably the best, offering smooth changes under most driving conditions.

The Daily cab may not have changed much in 10 years, but it has been subject to continuous improvement. There’s more legroom thanks to a revised bulkhead, shaped to allow more seat adjustment, and the dashboard has been revised several times. The materials offer reasonable quality, even if the design is not as modern-looking as some rivals. It's well equipped, too, with electric windows, an adjustable steering wheel, tinted glass, remote central locking and a pull out table in the dual-passenger seat included as standard. The mid-spec Daily Plus gets cruise control, heated electric mirrors, provision for a TomTom sat-nav and an overhead storage shelf as well. 

Van dimensions

Load area dimensions