Dakar 2015, Petronas De Rooy IVECO Team

Iveco and FPT Industrial to feature at Dakar 2015

Team PETRONAS De Rooy Iveco announces participation in the next edition of the world’s most famous off-road rally. Three Iveco vehicles are set to compete for a place on the podium.

Together again, ready to fight for a place on the podium at the 2015 Dakar: Iveco and FPT Industrial will once again feature at the world’s biggest rally – the Dakar – as official sponsors of Team PETRONAS De Rooy Iveco. The news was announced today at a press conference held at CNH Industrial Village in Turin, Italy. International press attended the event where the new Team was presented.

The morning’s proceedings saw speeches by Pierre Lahutte, Iveco Brand President, Riccardo Buratti, Engines  Engineering Director at FPT Industrial, and Claudio Pastoris, CEO of Sparco, a global supplier of racing equipment. Speaking on behalf of PETRONAS were Giuseppe D’Arrigo, Regional Head of Europe, and Andrea Dolfi, Global OEM Liaison & Motorsport Manager, Research & Technology. Gerard De Rooy – captain of Team PETRONAS De Rooy Iveco – also took the floor to present the other members of the Team and outline the main characteristics and challenges of the 2015 race.

In line with their adventurous identities, the two CNH Industrial brands will provide vehicles, parts and engines for the Netherlands-based Team PETRONAS De Rooy Iveco at the next Dakar rally.

The 37th edition of the Dakar – the seventh to take place on South American soil – will start in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 4 January and will finish in the same city on 17 January, after 13 stages following a ring-shaped route. The 414 vehicles on the starting line will have to cover more than 9,000 km of roads, tracks and dunes, through Argentina, Chile and Bolivia.

Team PETRONAS De Rooy Iveco

After taking second place in the 2014 edition of the rally, the Netherlands’ Gerard De Rooy – on board a sleeper-cab version of the Iveco Powerstar – will once again lead the Team. At 34 years old and having won the Dakar in 2012, the Dutchman returns to the race with more determination and enthusiasm than ever, ready to face the extreme challenges that the rally presents each year.

Behind the wheel of a second Powerstar will be fellow Dutchman Hans Stacey, winner of the Lisbon-Dakar in 2007 and a member of Team PETRONAS De Rooy Iveco since 2011. The third vehicle, a day-cab Trakker Evolution 3, will be under the control of Spanish driver Pep Vila, a rally veteran and a Team fixture at the Dakar.

Iveco’s race vehicles: strength, reliability and performance even over the toughest terrain

The Dutch team will use three Iveco vehicles at the 2015 Dakar: two Powerstars (specifically, a Strator prototype version – built in the Netherlands with an Iveco chassis, driveline and cab inspired by the Powerstar, manufactured and marketed by Iveco Australia) and a Trakker 4×4, manufactured in Spain. In addition to the rally trucks, six support and assistance Trakkers will complete the Team PETRONAS De Rooy Iveco line-up: one 8x8s, four 6x6s and one 4×4.

The Iveco Trakker is an off-road quarry-site vehicle, with a new cab designed to improve driving and on-board comfort, elements which today are recognised as essential for the productivity and safety of a vehicle. This vehicle is capable of operating on difficult, bumpy terrain, like the surfaces the drivers will need to navigate on in South America, and relies on FPT Industrial’s Cursor engines, which ensure power and reliability. The defining characteristic of the vehicle is its sturdiness: each individual component, starting from the high-yield steel chassis, guarantees long lasting performance.

The Trakker represents a “Best in Class” not only for its day-to-day use, but also in more challenging environments, having been designed to work in all weather conditions and on all types of terrain, from dirt roads to extreme off-road trails, ensuring maximum comfort, safety and output.

The vehicles are fitted with three rally seats with seat belts and a roll-over protection bar. The vehicles feature ZF gearboxes providing both ergonomics and performance. These include the Ecosplit 9- and 16-speed manual gearboxes, both equipped with a “servo-shift” servo-assist system which offers a more comfortable and safer driving experience, and the Eurotronic 12- and 16-speed automatic gearboxes, with gear selector built into the steering column switch, which helps to improve driver comfort.

The Dakar will represent an important occasion for Iveco to test the performance of the products in action: each vehicle will face huge challenges in extreme conditions, thus providing an opportunity to test the vehicles’ reliability and performance.

The engines

All Iveco vehicles participating in the 2015 Dakar are equipped with FPT Industrial Cursor 13 engines which generate up to 900 horsepower. Thanks to continuous research and development activities, the in-line six-cylinder Cursor 13 adopts the most advanced technologies available, such as latest generation Common Rail HD injection system, guaranteeing pressures up to 2,200 bar. These engines provide high power, fast load response and high power ensity and ensure maximum robustness and reliability, and low operating costs. To ensure such a high level of reliability, FPT Industrial puts its powertrains through several thousand hours of rigorous testing and, above all, tests them in extremely challenging sporting competitions such as the Dakar.

The 2015 Dakar

The race will take place in three major South American countries from 4 to 17 January: Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. The route forms a ring, starting in Buenos Aires in Argentina, reaching Iquique in Chile, and returning once again to the Argentinian capital.

Argentina will therefore host both the start and end of the race, as well as a further six stages. The rest of the race will take place in Chile, plus one stage in Bolivia, as the 9,000 km route weaves its way through a landscape of desert and rocks.

Like last year, there will be different routes for cars, trucks, bikes and quads. In particular, the truck route will be nearly 1,000 km shorter to avoid having heavy vehicles passing through Bolivia’s salt flats. This decision also stemmed from a desire to respect and protect the environment hosting this spectacular and strenuous race. A total of 414 vehicles have registered for the race this year: 164 bikes, 138 cars, 48 quads and 64 trucks, with 665 competitors representing 53 different countries.

Finally, the section “From Dakar to your job” offers Iveco customers the chance to discover all the features of the Trakker, known for its reliability in day-to-day work on quarry sites and also in extreme situations such as the Dakar: this confirms that this type of event is an excellent opportunity to test the performance and reliability of the whole vehicle under extremely challenging conditions.

Iveco and its commitment to sports

The Dakar is part of Iveco’s wider communication strategy, which – given its strong international identity and the ongoing pursuit of initiatives matching its vitality and energy – has always kept close ties with the world of sport.  Iveco’s involvement in the Dakar reinforces the brand’s strong affiliation with the leading names in international sport. Past collaborations span a wide range of sporting initiatives including a partnership with Rugby World Cup champions the All Blacks from Australia and Iveco’s role as Official Supplier to Ferrari’s racing team.

 DAKAR 2015 – THE TEAM

Vehicle 501 Gerard De Rooy Jurgen Damen Darek Rodewald                            ​	Driver   (Netherlands) Navigator   (Belgium) Mechanic   (Netherlands)​
Vehicle 504  Hans Stacey Serge Bruynkens Bernard der Kinderen ​	​ Driver   (Netherlands)  Navigator   (Belgium) Mechanic   (Netherlands)
Vehicle 509  Pep Vila Xavi Colome Roqueta Michel Huisman	​ Driver   (Spain) Navigator   (Spain) Mechanic   (Netherlands)

New Iveco Daily is “Van of the Year 2015”

The New Daily, the third generation of Iveco’s light commercial vehicle, has been named the “International Van of the Year 2015”. The annual award is organized by a jury panel of 23 leading journalists from major international commercial vehicle publications. The winner is the van that, according to the Jury, “has made the greatest contribution to the standards of efficiency and the sustainability of transport of goods by road with respect to environment and safety of people”.

The prestigious award was presented during the 65th edition of the Hanover International Motor Show, the largest commercial and industrial vehicle show in Europe.

In the most competitive year ever since the awards programme was established in 1991, the Iveco New Daily won by a margin of 17 points over the shortlisted finalists from  Fiat, Ford, Mercedes-Benz  and Renault//Opel. In voting, New Daily was the first choice of the 23 jury members.

Receiving the award from International Van of the Year Chairman, Jarlath Sweeney, Pierre Lahutte, Iveco Brand President, said: “We are delighted that our New Daily has been awarded the prestigious Van of the Year accolade. The New Daily is a major step forward in improving TCO, Comfort, Driveability, Productivity, and Sustainability. We would like to dedicate this award to our customers who every day count on this reliable and dependable working companion”.

Attributes of the New Daily

New Daily is a completely renewed vehicle which presents itself with a load volume efficiency at the top of its category, best-in-class for volume and capacity, car-like comfort, plus driveability and fuel consumption further optimized. These are the main features of the third generation of the light commercial vehicle of Iveco of which 80% of components have been redesigned.

Two vehicles in one for the best Daily ever, in a perfect balance between cutting-edge innovations and the continued evolution of the Daily’s strong heritage. The working partner of choice for transport professionals, the new vehicle is presented as being convenient and practical to use as a light van, whilst continuing to offer the maximum reliability, efficiency and versatility that have always made the Daily a reference point for the sector. The New Daily has preserved its classic ladder frame chassis structure, which has long been a key part of its DNA and ensures its sturdiness, versatility and durability over time, including maximum bodybuilding flexibility for chassis cab versions.

The third generation of the Daily is also focused on business requirements and offers a considerable reduction in fuel consumption compared with the previous model, with a significant improvement in vehicle running costs, together with the best performance in the category offering a wide range of engines, transmissions and axle ratios.

The New Daily features important technologies which aim to limit consumption: fuel savings equate to an average of 5.5%, depending on the different vehicle versions, and can reach up to 14% with EcoPack for urban missions.The aerodynamics have also been enhanced, especially on van models, with the drag coefficient (Cx) reduced by 6% (from 0.335 to 0.316). 

The new front suspension QUAD-LEAF, guaranteeing increased load carrying capacity of the first and ground clearance and maximum allowed payload on axles of the latter and the new HI-MATIC 8-speed automatic transmission that establishes high standards of flexibility, efficiency and fuel economy, ensuring maximum travel comfort represent the high level of the technological solutions  offered by the New Daily and presented at the IAA.

The vehicle incorporates new advanced and integrated telematics services, improved customer services instruments and the most advanced road safety features such as IVECONNECT, the exclusive system that allows for simple and integrated management of the infotainment and navigation systems and of the advanced driving assistance and fleet management instruments.

The ongoing quest for efficiency is also embodied in a range of state-of.the-art, intuitive control devices which help businesses to create a productive working environment. IVECONNECT is equipped with a 7" touch screen built into the dashboard and comes complete with radio, CD player and iPod/iPhone and MP3 compatible USB port, along with Bluetooth connectivity with steering wheel controls and an AUX/video port.

But that is not all: the comfort of the vehicle has also been greatly improved. The driver of the New Daily can benefit from a more comfortable and quieter interior compartment that guarantees the driving position and sensations typical of a premium automobile, as well as a multitude of closed and open storage compartments. The ergonomic design of the controls is at the top of its category, the sound insulation has been improved, the air conditioning system is more efficient and driving comfort is excellent in all load conditions.

Technological innovation at the service of customers in the New Daily to reinforce every day the  Iveco's commitment in the field of sustainable mobility, is evidenced by the availability of specific versions using natural gas, electric . The New Daily CNG, presented in Hanover, maintains the same strongpoints as the diesel version in terms of reliability, comfort, and useful payload. The ladder frame chassis makes the New Daily not just the preferred vehicle for outfitters, providing them with robustness and the ability to support heavy loads, but much more: as a result of the way in which the cylinders are mounted on the Natural Power model, there is no reduction in load space or to the flexibility offered to body builders.

The electric version will arrive soon to complete the range of alternative traction of the New Daily, which has the same improvements of the other versions: architecture, wheelbase range, suspension schemes, interior and exterior design. It will be available in vans and urban buses. Iveco, a front runner in this kind of technology, developed and built the first electrically propelled Daily and since 2009 is officially distributed, guaranteed and assisted by the Iveco Network.

The New Daily evolution range will include also a new 7.2 ton top range version which offers the highest payload in the category (up to 4.9 tons) and two different 4x4 models (an all-road version available in twin – wheel versions of 3.5 and over with van, chassis cab and crew cab bodies and a pure off-road version  which  will adopt the same technical scheme of previous Daily 4x4.

The Daily is a “global” vehicle: more than 2.6 million Daily vehicles have been sold to date in over 110 countries worldwide. It is produced at the Iveco Suzzara plant, near Mantova in Italy, where the company has recently made substantial investments to renew the production lines.