Daily Driver

Claiming a history dating back to 1864, IVECO is today a European company with a world-wide footprint embracing more than 3,000 dealers.

In mid-2025 it was announced that Indian automotive giant, Tata Motors would be acquiring the companies which make up IVECO, other than the defence vehicle business which will be acquired by the Italian military.

IVECO maintains a R&D centre in Australia but no longer manufactures here following the closure in 2022 of the production facility located in Melbourne which it had purchased as part of International Harvester in 1992.

It’s been around six years since the introduction of what was then termed the New Daily, and these “newer” Daily models revealed in early 2026 provide a range of wheelbase options, cargo capacities and drivelines to suit an impressive broad range of applications, from urban delivery vans to crew-cab light trucks.

The IVECO Daily van menu is an extensive one, including different wheelbases, various payload capacities, two roof heights for the cargo compartment and load volumes ranging from 12 cubic metres right up to the cavernous 19.6 cubic metre model which is unique on the Australian market.

The 42S Daily van has a GVM of 4,250kg and a GCM of 7,750kg. The 50C can be ordered with a passenger licence compliance of GVM of 4,495kg or a light truck licence version with 5,200kg GVM or 8,700kg GVM for heavier work.

The 70C cab-chassis has a GVM of 7,200kg and an impressive 10,500kg GCM but can be de-rated to passenger vehicle licence specifications while maintaining the 70C’s more robust chassis and bigger brakes.

In addition to the ‘basic’ spec, for the 2026 Daily there are two additional levels, Premium and Business, which are essentially option packs each with a combination of features allowing buyers to customise their vehicles to best suit their own particular applications.

The Premium package includes such features as auto high beam, automatic wipers and LED headlights, while the interior scores a leather steering wheel and a wireless smartphone induction charging panel.

The centre of the dash features a seven inch infotainment screen, with a ten inch version as part of the Business Pack. Both screen sizes have wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and are integrated with Tom Tom satellite navigation.

Buyers have the option for a suspended driver’s seat as well as a sporty flat bottomed steering wheel.

The digital instrument cluster in front of the driver is new and can be configured to suit a driver’s needs, including using larger fonts.

The dash has push button starting and both A and C type USB charging ports and the previously mentioned induction charger for smartphones can be optioned in any model.

IVECO engines are developed and manufactured by the company’s FPT Industrial operation which also provides power trains for marine, electricity generation as well as light, medium and heavy road transport vehicles. For the Daily range, the 3.0 litre diesel engine has with two power ratings.

The ‘180’ version produces 176hp (131kW) and 430Nm of torque while the 210 version has 207hp (154kW) and 470Nm of torque. The additional power from the ‘210’ is mostly due to the use of an eVGT electronically controlled Variable Gate Turbocharger.

The IVECO Daily range has met the Euro 6 emission standard since 2025 and both of the current engines have transitioned to the more stringent Step E Euro 6 emission standard.

The transmission is an 8-speed HI-MATIC from ZF which has ‘eco’ and ‘power’ modes and is a delight to drive in manual mode, although it is probably much more fuel efficient if left in ‘Auto’.

The IVECO Daily range has met the Euro 6 emission standards since 2015 and the new range now meets the more stringent ‘Step E’ regulation which demands lower nitrogen oxides particularly at engine start up.

Helping achieving this is a significantly revised emission control system with a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) and a separate Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and a secondary AdBlue injector. It’s a shame that with all of the engineering work associated with the exhaust system that an exhaust brake couldn’t have been incorporated, especially in the higher GVM models.

The optional Air-Pro Electronically Controlled Air Suspension can operate in self levelling mode depending upon payload and road conditions. The improved ride would suit sensitive applications including medical patient transport vehicles and should also be popular with the motor home brigade.

On the racetrack we deliberately cross a few kerbs to experience the smooth stability of the air-bag suspension and it comes up very well. An animated graphic on the dash helps in determining the best settings.

The new Daily range is equipped with a very comprehensive suite of the latest active and passive safety systems. IVECO’s Advanced Emergency Braking System and Adaptive Cruise Control are also integrated into the safety electronics.

Big vans such as the Daily tend to close in the driver and any number of mirrors will not provide the confidence a driver truly needs, particularly in traffic. IVECO’s Advanced Driver Assistance System incorporates five short range radar systems which are key to safety features such as rear cross traffic alert, pedestrian and vulnerable road user detection, blind spot warning and a feature very applicable to urban deliveries where cyclists play chicken with parked vehicles, door opening warning.

To complement the improved passive safety, if all else fails, such as when another vehicle collides with the Iveco, a chassis integrated ‘crash box’ section of the front chassis rails absorbs much of the impact, and the cabin’s occupants have protection from four airbags.

The safety packages will assist in the Daily making a strong appeal to the government market including ambulance applications, and into major fleets including vehicle rental operations.

The venue for the media’s introduction to the latest IVECO Daily range was The Bend Motorsport Park at Tailem Bend, around an hour and a half out of Adelaide where, insulated from the usual distractions of traffic and terrain, we were able to quickly obtain a ‘feel’ for a multitude of models under more controlled conditions than we are probably used to. The absence of any hills didn’t deter us from sampling the engines’ torque capabilities by manually holding higher gears when we probably should have permitted an automated down shift.

Most of the smaller versions were loaded with one tonne of well secured ballast, while the larger examples of van and light truck were saddled with two tonnes, still well below the maximum payload capabilities but providing enough weight to keep the rear suspension settled and simulate real world applications where, let’s face it, operating at maximum GVM is a rare occurrence.

Comfortable seating, a high-tech leather steering wheel and a switch over to manual shifting of the transmission (which we put in ‘power’ mode) underlined that we were on a racetrack and the temptation to test the limits of traction had to be fought down.

The bonneted design of the IVECO Daily cab chassis models provides an alternative to the cab-over Japanese trucks available in a similar weight range. IVECO has held the position of Australia’s best-selling European light cab chassis for the past 12 years and thanks especially to its safety, comfort and ease of operation continues to be a dominant supplier to the motor home market.

In Australia, IVECO has an extensive sales, parts and service network and the provision for the Daily of a six-year warranty and the availability of five-year service plans will make the total cost of operation attractive for many buyers.