NOT 'ARF A DAILY (some text hidden) --NONE--

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

Introductionword count: 95

There are vans that are all about soft-touch dashboards, 'car-like' handling and glitzy styling and then there's the IVECO Daily. If asked to name the least glamorous commercial vehicle around, the workmanlike IVECO would be in with a shout. Sometimes though, you just need a workhorse that can take a beating and keep coming back for more. That's pretty much IVECO's ethos and, while its vans aren't going to win any beauty prizes, they sell because they're inexpensive and they work well. Here's what to look for when shopping for a used Daily panel van.

Modelsword count: 6

(4dr panel van, 2.3, 3.0-litre diesel)

Historyword count: 241

We could go into pages and pages on the Daily's long and convoluted history, stretching back to 1978 across all body styles, engines and trims but I suspect that by about 1983, you'd have dropped off to sleep and I'd have lost the will to live, so to keep things businesslike, let's concentrate on the last generation of Daily models introduced in 2011. Even that was the sixth Daily makeover in 12 years and it majored on Fiat-sourced engines that were cleaner and more powerful, some serious and overdue safety upgrades, increased payloads and better cabin comfort. In an LCV market where vans are often car-derived, the Daily's different. It gets a truck-derived chassis of unrivalled strength, versatility and durability which is why it was the first vehicle in its class to offer a load volume of as much as 17.2m3 and a gross vehicle weight as heavy as 7 tonnes. As a result, this Daily may reckon itself to be tougher than its large Transit-class rivals but it's also traditionally been seen as utilitarian and inefficient beneath the bonnet. IVECO takes issue with this and claims to have proved its point by creating a version of this van that's smart as well as strong, tactile as well as tough, frugal as well as fit for purpose. This version of the Daily did well, securing massive orders from operators such as ASDA and TNT Express before being replaced in late 2014.

What You Getword count: 68

You'll need around £11,000+ VAT to land you a late 2011 35S13 125PS MWB High Roof model. Prefer to go long wheelbase? A 12-plated 35S13 LWB will set you back around £11,750. If that's still not enough, you'll need to fork out around £13,500 for a 2012 35S13 3950 H2 extra long wheelbase. Any more than that and you'll need to get start looking at a box van.

To see the full road test text contact us on 0330 0020 227