Iveco Daily: the history of a hardened haulage hero    

A market staple for over 45 years, the Iveco Daily’s journey includes first-of-their-kind features, countless revamps, and handfuls of awards. Join us as we explore the roads that have led to the success of this Italian LCV.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. The Iveco Daily has long been known as one of the most rugged, dependable workhorses on the LCV market — but these days we ask a lot more of our vans than to simply take the hits and keep moving forward.

The Daily’s weakness? Simply put: in the past, this durability has often been thought to come at the expense of comfort or luxury. 

But is this still true today? Well, you may be surprised by the innovations and refinements behind the Daily, as we take a trip down Iveco memory lane.

Generation one (1978-1999): An icon is born

It’s 1978. Argentina have just won the world cup, Grease is in cinemas, Bee Gees are top of the charts, and the Iveco Daily has just entered the van market.

Sat on a truck-derived chassis which drew heavily on classic Italian haulers of the time like the Fiat 616 and 242, the Daily’s base format and boxy exterior rapidly became synonymous with versatility and reliability.

Innovative right from the start, the 17m³ with 2.1m interior height this chassis supported was an industry first, and can still go toe-to-toe with the ‘best-in-class’ cargo capacities of Fiat Ducatos and Mercedes Sprinters today.

Among various internal and external facelifts which brought the Daily closer to the van we recognise today, Iveco began to test the water with several spin-off variants. In 1984 a 4x4 edition arrived to the delight of adventurous campervan converters, and in 1985 the ‘TurboDaily’ became a pioneer as the first LCV to introduce turbodiesel technology, churning out a whole 92 hp (hold on, these numbers get boosted). Finally, in another LCV first, the ECODaily was released in 1998 with a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) engine — a relatively niche sustainability option which still remains within the Iveco range.

Generation two (1999-2014): Artisan van design

Jump forward to 1999, and the second generation of Daily romped onto the scene with a complete design overhaul. This refinement is when the award tour set off, swiftly scooping up a van of the year award.

Facelifts were applied thick and fast, with the angular edges slowly being rounded off, before legendary designer Giorgetto Giugiaro (yes, think the futuristic  DMC DeLorean, VW Golf Mk1, and BMW M1 to name a few) devised a full revamp in 2006. This is likely the classic Iveco you picture when you think ‘Daily’ — no surprise as this model saw the van hit 2,000,000 units sold.

Under the bonnet, modernised engines joined the range. Stand-outs included the diesel common rail direct injection variant, yet another industry first, and the addition of a 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine capable of a handy 176 hp.

Although the Daily’s stripped back, hardy reputation was maintained, modern tech became ever more present around this time. 2006 saw a sign of things to come with the introduction of comprehensive steering and braking assist systems, before the innovative Daily Electric was launched in 2009 — an increasingly standard concept now, but ahead of its time in the noughties.

Generation three (2014-): The rest is history

And here we are, the current generation. It’s been ongoing for 10 years, but in van terms that’s nothing (it’s still younger than a Gen-Z), and you guessed it, there’s been plenty of the customary Daily facelifts to keep things fresh. Sticking to the trend, the new Daily also immediately reclaimed its crown as van of the year, and has continued to collect various awards up to the present day. 

Building on the versatility which has been a staple of the range since inception, Iveco says a whopping 8,000 variants are now available between the different wheelbases, dimension and body options. Now, a versatile, robust van needs a tyre to match, and we reckon the Michelin Agilis CrossClimate is an ideal choice here — suitable for almost any use, no matter the weather.

This generation is where modern refinement was truly added to the Daily’s repertoire, and luckily not at the cost of its cargo hauling capabilities. Previously basic interiors are now well on their way down the road to redemption with a focus on driver comfort, whilst safety features, driver assists, and connectivity tech are all around.

The latest Daily includes a long awaited 10.25-inch digital cluster, a new voice-controlled infotainment screen, and even a wireless charger. Connected fleet and uptime management controls allow for remote monitoring of vehicle functions and systems, as well as over-the-air updates. And that’s before we get to the Level 2 Autonomous Drive, adaptive ‘stop and go’ cruise control, traffic sign recognition… the list goes on. It’s clear a lot has changed since 1978.

Scratch that, even a lot has changed since 2009. The E-Daily’s range has since been extended from under 100-miles, to almost 250-miles, and it currently holds the world record for the heaviest weight towed by an electric van: 153-tonnes. It doesn’t seem like Iveco is done pioneering just yet either, as like the Renault Master aerovan, a hydrogen Daily is in the works.

Long story short, the Daily is a prime example of using a solid foundation as a base for refinement and innovation over a long period of time. But has Iveco done enough to update their stripped back reputation as well?