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The What Van? Road Test: Iveco Daily Hi-Matic (2019)
Date: Thursday, May 21, 2020 | Author: Steve Banner
Interior and equipment
Our Daily boasted an optional Hi-Connect infotainment system with satnav and voice recognition. It allows drivers to mirror their mobile devices with Android Auto and Apple Car Play.
The package includes a touchscreen that doubles as a monitor. It shows what is behind you when reverse is engaged and the optional rear-view camera switched on.
Press the touchscreen and you can turn the camera on no matter whether reverse is selected or not; handy if you want to see what’s being loaded into the vehicle via the rear doors without leaving the cab. If it is dark you can always switch on the rear-mounted working light.
A DAB radio was provided plus a couple of USB ports on the dash along with Bluetooth connectivity. Climate control was installed – it costs extra – with the temperature you can switch the heater to in, surprisingly, Fahrenheit.
Electric windows and electric exterior mirrors with a lower wide-angle section were fitted, as was a driver’s airbag. Both analogue and digital speedometers are present.
Two shallow, lidded compartments plus an open shelf sat on top of the dashboard, while small bins plus a big bin with a moulding designed to hold a flask of tea graced each door.
The glove compartment had a shelf above it and was not lockable, and cup-holders sat at either end of the fascia.
Pulling up the three-seater cab’s passenger seat cushions revealed a large storage space.
Anyone who perched on the middle seat found their kneeroom slightly restricted by the shape of the dash.
Iveco recognises that seats receive a real hammering if drivers are on multi-drop delivery work. As a consequence it offers an optional upgrade – our Daily had it – with thicker upholstery and more robust trim.
The driver’s seat was height-adjustable as was the steering wheel, which was slightly smaller than the one fitted previously. It was reach-adjustable too. There was a grab-handle on the side of the middle seat. It seemed a pity grab-handles were not mounted on the A-pillars to aid cab access, and to give the outboard passenger something to cling onto if the going got rough.
Around the cab the plastic used for all the fixtures and fittings looked a bit cheap when compared with the standard set by some of the Daily’s direct rivals. An upgrade wouldn’t go amiss.
Optional lane departure warning system and pro lane-keeping assistance were installed. They are designed to stop you inadvertently wandering out of lane on the motorway.
If you start day-dreaming, and the van begins to drift, then a twitch from the steering wheel and a dashboard alert should be sufficient to propel you back into lane. They can be switched off.
Optional adaptive cruise control allows you to set a safe distance from the vehicle ahead using buttons on the steering column. The version fitted to Hi-Matic models can include queue assist, which acts on the brakes and accelerator automatically to ensure you are kept well back from whoever is ahead of you in urban traffic jams.
Yet another option present was traction plus with hill-descent control. The former helps the Daily cling on to slippery surfaces by transferring torque to whichever wheels have most grip; the latter allows drivers to descend long, steep inclines slowly and safely without having to touch the brake pedal.
You pay extra for crosswind assist – disappointing given it is standard on some of the Daily’s key rivals. It stops you being blown into an adjacent lane on the motorway in a strong gale.
Indeed our vehicle was fitted with so many options we had to consult the 702-page handbook that fills the glove-box to discover what they all did.
Disc brakes were fitted all round, with onboard safety aided by a package called ESP9. As well as electronic stability programme it includes a variety of other safety systems including ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution, hill holder and trailer sway mitigation.
A tachograph was fitted to our demonstrator and may have to be used when towing a heavy trailer.
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