DRIVELINES Iveco has launched three engines. The Daily's 2.8-litre turbo-diesel
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is replaced by a 3.0-litre 'high performance turbine' (HPT) boasting commonrail injection and putting out 134 and 163hp. We've tried both options around the streets and motorways of Warwickshire but the third new engine, a lighter 2.3-litre HPT rated at 136hp will have to wait for another time.
First up was a half-loaded Daily dropsider powered by the 163hp 65017 engine. It pulled well, thanks to a useful torque output of 380Nm from 1,300-3,100rpm driving through an overdrive six-speed box. Top gear was no problem from 40mph; the same held true for the 134hp 35C14 HPI, which boasts 340Nm of torque from 1,4002,80Orpm.
Iveco is targeting customers for whom power
is a necessity rather than a luxury: express deliveries, fridge work, high-cube, construction and the emergency services. With this in mind we then checked out the new Agile automated/ manual clutchless transmission.
In a standard 35S12 HPI panel van we went out in search of some urban traffic to test the dash-mounted Agile transmission.
The first thing we noticed is that changing up and down are reversed, with back for up and forward for down — no problem in auto but it takes some getting used to in manual. Controls aside it was very smooth, with changes kept to a minimum if the driver maintained his presence on the accelerator. Feather the metal or kick down and changes were frequent and out of the green band. Kick down took a couple of seconds to align itself; gentle acceleration followed by kick down proved quicker.
The ZF-built Agile gearbox will cost you £700 extra. But it should save you changing a clutch prematurely and will in theory improve fuel economy by encouraging a steady driving style.