If you need to carry a few tonnes of cargo to a remote location, then there aren’t many options, which is why we’re putting the Iveco Daily 4×4 through its paces in a muddy quarry near Rutland Water.
There are commercial 4x4s, of course, such as the Toyota Land Cruiser Commercial and Ineos Grenadier, but they can’t carry a couple of tonnes of essential supplies. The Ford Transit Trail or Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4×4 might get you up some forest tracks, but they’ll stop short of being able to handle really rough terrain, which leaves the Daily in a unique position in the marketplace unless you count the unstoppable Unimog.
We don’t, as that is considerably more expensive than the Iveco Daily 4×4, even if Iveco is rather coy about what it actually costs. Unless you’re a fleet buying more than a handful at a time, you won’t get change out of at least £80,000, though.
Iveco Daily 4×4: On Road
There’s little difference between this model and the one we drove back in 2018, but our day was spent exclusively off-road, making it difficult to come to any conclusions about the latest models’ on-road behaviour.
It’s built around a truck chassis, with beams and cross members made from high-strength tubular steel with a C section of 5mm, driven by a 3.0-litre 180hp diesel engine. It’s tough, and the ride quality on the road reflects that. It’s not too uncomfortable, but you’ll be pleased that the suspended driver’s seat cushions you from the firm ride beneath. The van isn’t particularly sharp on tarmac either, thanks to tall tyres and even taller suspension, so it meanders around the road more than you would expect from a Transit Trail, for example.
If you want the capabilities that the 4×4 offers, some sacrifices must be made.
Iveco Daily 4×4: Off-Road
How the van goes when faced with something challenging depends on which van you’ve got the keys to. There’s an All-Road and an Off-Road model, both of which wear a Daily 4×4 badge. The All-Road is slightly more road-focused, with a raised ride height and an impressive four-wheel drive system that allows it to tackle more than most will ever experience. Dual wheels at the back give it better road manners and hefty load capabilities, but sacrifice its ultimate off-road ability.
The Off-Road model is more extreme, with single rear wheels and taller tyres on 16 or 19-inch wheels. The four-wheel drive system includes three differentials, allowing the driver to lock the front, rear or centre diffs at the push of a button, making it a bit of a beast off-road.
We faced some demanding terrain at the quarry, although there’s no doubt that we could have gone harder and tougher. Still, the climbs and drops we were tackling on wet, sloppy mud and gravel would test the mettle of any other 4×4, van or car, so they presented a good test of the vehicle’s abilities,
That’s even more so when you realise the van we were driving was fitted with road tyres rather than knobbly off-road tyres. Wading through rock-strewn, deep, muddy water proved easy enough, although how close we were to the Daily 4×4’s wading depth limit of 650mm is difficult to say. A dedicated wading mode shuts off the van’s engine fans to reduce the chance of water entering the engine, while filling the cabin with an alarm that’s impossible to ignore to ensure you don’t forget to switch the van back to a standard configuration.
Locking the multiple diffs was essential to make our way around. There’s no advanced stability control system that automatically locks and unlocks them, so it’s very much a manual process of pressing the various buttons required. It’s old-school in many ways, but it allows experienced offroaders to select precisely what configuration they need for any upcoming obstacle.
Ultimately, it won’t get everywhere an Ineos Grenadier, or even Toyota Hilux, will get, but the Daily 4×4 will get close, all the time while carrying up to 4.3 tonnes of cargo.
Iveco Daily 4×4: Cargo
A huge advantage of the Daily 4×4 is that it’s, well, huge. The van can measure up to seven metres in length, giving up to 18m3 of cargo volume (ours was 16m3 as we hadn’t got the high-roof option). Looking to shift heavy items instead? Then payload limits of up to 4.3 tonnes will come in handy. It’s the only capable off-road vehicle that can carry anything like that weight or volume.
That comes with a downside, though. The ability to drive one on a Category B driving licence — the regular licence for car drivers — isn’t available for anybody who passed their test since 1997, as they’re limited to 3.5-tonne vehicles. Given the sheer weight of the Daily, there’s no way of making the 3.5-tonne model a 4×4 while still offering any kind of cargo-carrying ability. That means it’s a 5.5 or 7.0-tonne model, which, in turn, means that only those able to drive 7.5-tonne vehicles — those with a Category B licence
from 1996 or earlier, or those that have passed their Category C1 test — can get behind the wheel.
Iveco Daily 4×4: Verdict
The Iveco Daily 4×4 is a niche product within a niche range, so the number of customers it will be suitable for is small — forestry services, utility firms and even rescue services could see a use for the vehicle, but it’s unlikely that you’ll find a Daily 4×4 heading down the road with an Amazon Delivery logo on the side.
For most, then, it’s a step too far, a capability that’s not necessary. But for those customers who need to take something sturdy somewhere inhospitable, and have the budget to cope, the Iveco daily 4×4 will likely be all they’ll ever need.
Model tested: Iveco Daily 4×4 Van 70C18HA8 V WX
Professional Van Rating: ★★★★☆
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