Capital Equipment News July 2021

LIGHT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

Iveco SA has launched the new Iveco Daily Hi-Matic in South Africa.

Setting new standards in the van segment The Iveco Daily Hi-Matic range is finally available in the South African market following the arrival of the first units in September 2020. The award-winning range ushers in a new era in the van segment with its Hi-Matic transmission – the first eight-speed fully automatic gearbox to be offered in this vehicle range – offering drivers and fleets best-in-class flexibility, efficiency, fuel economy and driving comfort. Capital Equipment News’ Munesu Shoko recently put the new vehicle through its paces and filed this report.

W hen you spend the majority of your working day behind the wheel, you want your on-board conditions and driving experience to be as comfortable and smooth as possible. That was our experience when Iveco South Africa afforded us a two-day

test drive of the new Daily. Throughout its 40-year history, this vehicle has continuously been upgraded to provide a first-class environment, raising driv- ers’ driving experiences to the highest levels in the industry. While there are several features that are key to the unparalleled driving comfort, the Daily’s exclusive Hi-Matic

8-speed automatic transmission stood out for us. In fact, explains Elvis Mutseura, product marketing manager at IVECO South Africa, the new Hi- Matic transmission represents the first eight-speed automatic to be offered in a vehicle range of this size class. It is already found on premium cars manufactured by Iveco’s sister group companies, Jeep and Maserati, as well as other high-end cars made by global brands such as Bentley and Rolls Royce. “The automatic transmission is a game-changer in this market segment,” explains Mutseura. “This is the first time an 8-speed automatic gearbox is being offered in this size class. Having eight speeds makes it easier to operate the engine in its optimum operating range. Hi-Matic changes gears quicker and more precisely than the traditional six- speeds, needing just 200 milliseconds to complete a gear shift. The self-

“The automatic transmission is a game-changer in this market segment. This is the first time an 8-speed automatic gearbox is being offered in this class size. Having eight speeds makes it easier to operate the engine in its optimum operating range.”

Elvis Mutseura, product marketing manager at IVECO South Africa

TALKING POINT

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