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 Iveco Massif
Light and Rugged Off Road
The new 4x4 Massif not only heralds Iveco’s breakthrough into a completely new professional transport sector, but also signals the Italian manufacturer’s first entry into the light off-road vehicle market.
Export & Freight’s Darryl Magee was recently flown over to Turin to put this go-anywhere 4x4 Massif through its paces on some rather rough and ready terrain in the mountains around Verona. Not surprisingly, perhaps, he came away a bit shaken up, but nonetheless pretty impressed with its handling and overall performance.
Available in two body styles, the Massif - essentially a restyled and rebadged version of the Santana which will be available here towards the end of the year - follows in the tyre tracks of the Fiat Campagnola, the Italian Army standard-issue jeep designed in 1951 that became an icon in Italy in an age when the country still lacked a modern road infrastructure.
The new Iveco Massif is based on the structure that was used for the first sports off-road vehicles, before they were “urbanised” into sport utility vehicles, mainly for on-road use. It signals a return to the roots of 4x4 utility vehicles, removing the off-road/on-road compromise: this is, in short, a serious, professional, off-road workhorse and it intends to be seen as such.
It will be available in pickup truck or three- or five-door SUV, with plans to launch a van version possibly in 2009. Iveco tell us they are aiming to grab around 15% of the UK off-road utility market with the Massif – that equates to some 750 units.
As we discovered, Massif, runner up in the Italian Commercial Vehicle of the Year 2007 awards, is certainly able to tackle extreme off-road terrain with ease. It boasts a fully-laden gradeability of 100%, an approach angle of 50°, a departure angle of 30° and a ramp angle of 24°. Its fording capability in standard trim is 500 mm and its under-axle ground clearance is 200 mm with standard wheels and tyres. The four-wheel-drive can be disengaged to provide rear wheel drive for optimised on-road fuel economy.
Two Engines
It uses two highly successful FPT engines: the 3.0 HPI rated at 146Cv and 350Nm of torque and the 176CV HPT with 400 Nm of torque, coupled to the ZF 6S400 6-speed transmission. This outstanding power train combination is taken from the Daily product range and is well proven on all counts of reliability, performance and low fuel consumption.
Coupled to the power train is the transfer box and, via the transmission shafts, also the front and rear drive axles. The transfer box provides a high-range drive ratio, approximately 1:1, and selection of all wheel drive. The low-range ratio provides all-wheel-drive only. An optional freewheel front hub control is available to prevent transmission wind-up when 4-wheel-drive is used on firm ground conditions.
The parking brake is mounted on the rear axle output flange of the transfer box, resulting in a more powerful braking torque as it is multiplied by the drive axle ratio. This is an extremely important feature since it means that Massif can be held on the parking brake on all of the incredible gradients it is able to climb.
All Massif versions are mounted on a separate chassis with axles mounted on parabolic leaf springs. This is a no-compromise solution: a separate chassis ensures the high structural stresses incurred during serious off road applications are not carried into the body structure to the extent that body durability is compromised. The road springs assist axle location and body suspension without the need for extra drive- and braking-force reaction members or axle location links to the vehicle chassis.
Scuff resistant body parts around the wheel arches, lower door panels and around the rear light units recognise that the vehicle will obviously be used to travel on terrain that will deliver bumps and scrapes aplenty, as you would expect on a serious off-road mission. For customers who would wish to have the vehicle’s capabilities less obvious, the plastic parts and roof are available in the same colour as the body.
Tinted windows to the rear of the driver’s compartment and aluminium wheels are all available to complete the picture.
 Cab comfort
We liked the design of the cab interior, which provides maximum comfort to both the driver and passengers, even in the turbulent off-road driving conditions for which the Massif range is designed.
The in-cab instrumentation is also driver friendly. The gear shift and transfer box controls are floor-mounted and within easy reach; and air conditioning is optionally available to further improve driver and passenger comfort.
Interior enhancements such as cloth or leather seat covering materials are available, as is a leather-covered steering wheel rim. For missions where severe (pressure hose) cleaning of the cab interior is required, there are variants with highly-resistant rubber floor mats and vinyl seat covering. Radio/CD player and satellite navigation systems are available to order.
“Like the latest Trakker and Daily models, the Massif has been designed to demonstrate our fundamental values towards excellence: Commitment, Reliability, Performance, Team Spirit and Power - values that Massif shares with the New Zealand national rugby team, the All Blacks, who in their history have won more titles than any other team,” says Iveco.
Appropriately, for its launch the Massif was presented in black livery and tattoos to ‘evoke the unmistakable spirit of the All Blacks.’
Our Verdict
The Massif, with its box shaped chassis and rigid rear axle, has a lot going for it, but not wanting to be unkind, we feel there are still a few refinements that could further enhance its appeal, and we are told there will be as time goes by. Certainly, it has all the makings of another Iveco winner. |
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