IVECO says it has greatly improved both load-carrying and driver comfort in the Daily truck series, with the addition of the new Daily Air Pro model, which gets a pneumatic suspension system.
Clever pneumatic air suspension
The Daily Air Pro uses a new Air-Pro Continuous Damping Control (CDC) suspension setup, which monitors and alters the suspension’s stiffness 100 times per second. According to IVECO, this can cut vibrations transmitted from the road surface by as much as 25 per cent. The system comes with three settings, adjustable by the driver — Soft, which prioritises comfort; Load, which prioritises stability and minimises roll; and Auto, which allows the computer to decide what’s best at any given time. IVECO says that with the Air Pro system, the Daily’s body lean in cornering is cut by as much as 30 per cent. It also allows height adjustment when the vehicle is stopped, lowering or raising the body in just ten seconds for easier loading, and there’s a memory height function for commonly used loading bays.
All of the system’s functions are controlled by a simple rotary switch, and displayed on the Daily’s in-dash TFT digital screen.
There are new seats for the Daily, too, with the central pads of the cushion, backrest and headrest in memory foam, which moulds to the body, distributing the weight evenly, reducing pressure peaks by up to 30 per cent. The side sections have been thickened with 15mm of high-density foam to improve lateral containment, enhancing safety and the driving experience. Taller people will be more comfortable thanks to the 20mm longer and 15mm thicker front cushion, which provides better support for their longer legs. The seat side carter and levers have been redesigned to make it easier to get on and off the vehicle, ideal for door-to-door and parcel delivery missions that require frequent exits.
Amazon Alexa voice control
As well as the Air Pro setup, the updated Daily is now available with IVECO’s Driver Pal system, which is a next-generation digital voice assistant, powered by Amazon Alexa. Developed specifically for the Daily in collaboration with Amazon Web Services Professional Services and Alexa Auto team, the system includes a function where, with a single voice command, the driver can check the health status of the vehicle, set and manage the navigation system, request assistance if needed and ask for driving style tips to save fuel and travel safely. It also includes the IVECO On connected services suite of functions, which includes the MyCommunity system, which can connect you to a global net of fellow Daily users to help troubleshoot and advise on any issues.
Engine and clutch improvements
Other updates include a new six-speed manual gearbox, while the 2.3-litre turbodiesel engine now gets the same clutch mechanism as the larger 3.0-litre unit, which means improved robustness and operational life, increasing durability by up to 18 per cent according to IVECO. The new transmission will require no oil change, as the interval has been extended to 350,000km, contributing to a further reduction in maintenance and repair costs of up to four per cent.
The 2.3-litre engine has been mildly updated, and now produces between 116hp and 156hp, depending on the model, with up to a six per cent improvement in fuel economy on the WLTP test. That new clutch also means an improvement in torque of up to 15 per cent. The 3.0-litre engine develops 160hp to 207hp, and there’s a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) version of the same engine.
The New Daily complies with Euro 6-D Final and Euro VI-E standards, achieving Conformity Factor 1 (CF=1) ahead of regulations. This means that it meets the emissions limits in real conditions and for the life of the vehicle. It uses a double SCR after-treatment system that has been entirely redesigned to occupy the same spaces as in the previous models, so that it has no impact on the vehicle’s body-ability, preserving the Daily’s versatility.
Thomas Hilse, IVECO Brand President, said:
“With the New Daily we move to the next level and go smart. It offers a level of innovation with no equivalent on the market. It brings on board best-in-class comfort and safety, extraordinary flexibility and mission focus, together with a substantial TCO reduction and a constantly expanding portfolio of IVECO ON services. For us at IVECO, improvement is a never-ending process – when we reach one goal, we immediately start working on the next one. We never stop.”
Davide Diana, IVECO Light Business Line Director, stated:
“Every Daily generation has set new standards, and this has made of Daily ‘a Brand within the IVECO Brand’ with enduring success. Today, the Daily leads the European chassis cab sector and, with the Daily 7-ton version, the high-payload sub-segment. It is true to its sustainability vocation, being the point of reference in alternative-fuel LCVs. The New Daily enters the LCV market in a year where it is expected to rise to the highest level in history. Registrations have consistently grown over the last 3 quarters, with IVECO following the same trend.”
