From Chengdu to Lhasa and back, via the Qinghai-Tibet and the precipitous Sichuan-Tibet route, the 2-week journey covered more than 6,000 kilometres, reaching the altitude up to 5,231 meters above sea level.
Iveco New Daily, "International Van of the Year 2015", recently set off from Chengdu on a bold journey across the Plateau, reaching Lhasa via Xining and the Tanggula Pass, then returned to Chengdu through ever challenging Sichuan-Tibet route. Thanks to its excellent engine performance, outstanding robustness and unrivalled comfort and safety, the Iveco New Daily conquered the Plateau with flying colours, meeting the challenge of high altitude and extremely difficult road conditions.
"We are very proud of the outstanding performance of our New Daily through the adventure, which is testament to the highest engineering standards and to our commitment to performance," said Michele Lombardi, Vice President Iveco APAC and President Iveco China.
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is seen as a touchstone for testing the quality of vehicles due to its highly challenging environment: high altitude, thin air, low temperatures and difficult road conditions. The average altitude on the Qinghai-Tibet route is over 4,000 meters; at some mountain passes, such as Tanggula, it rises up to 5,321 meters. The New Daily's Iveco F1C 3.0L diesel engine maintained full power and top performance notwithstanding the thin air and low air pressure, allowing the crew to enjoy the phenomenal sights. The class-exclusive Hi-Matic 8-speed automatic transmission performed brilliantly, shifting gears smoothly and accurately in less than 200 milliseconds, providing a flawless driving experience and impressive fuel economy for such complex road conditions.
Road safety is always a priority for Iveco, as a sustainable transport leader, and the New Daily delivered a safe driving experience through this journey. Its ever wider windshield provided a panoramic view ahead. The dashboard, designed to facilitate operation, allowed the driver to focus on the road. The wide range of infotainment and safety systems, such as ESP9, the lane departure warning system and rear-view camera, provided safety assurance in the difficult road conditions on the Plateau. New Daily owners need have no worries for their safety in the most extreme conditions, even those they would find in a high altitude adventure on the Tibetan plateau.
The two-week journey also put the vehicle's comfort to the test. The New Daily provides drivers and passengers with a car-like quiet and comfortable cabin, enabling them to enjoy their trip even in the treacherous conditions of the Tibetan plateau. The New Daily features air suspension seats that provide excellent comfort on bumpy roads, and a new and efficient air conditioning control system that creates a very comfortable driving environment.
On the strength of the brand-new design, the New Daily, manufactured by Iveco's plant in Suzzara (Italy) has established new benchmarks in comfort, drivability, safety and rich refitting features.
The New Daily has won numerous international awards around the world, such as the prestigious "International Van of the Year 2015", which are testament to its leadership position in the light commercial vehicle segment. The judges sang high praises of the New Daily's powerful loading capacity, rich chassis modification features and outstanding driving comfort.
Since its launch in China last year, the New Daily has drawn great attention and has been well received by Chinese customers and local body builders in the RV market, which has led to an excellent sales performance.
The New Daily models offered in China include commercial vans with a total weight of 4-7 tons, as well as chassis cabs. The transmission comes with three options: manual, manual-automatic and the class-exclusive Hi-Matic 8-speed automatic gearbox. All New Daily models comply with the rigorous Euro V emission standard.
The journey to Tibet has once again demonstrated the New Daily's supremacy in the light commercial vehicle market. The New Daily is not only the most loyal business partner, but also a reliable companion on the most extreme journeys. It will inspire owners to keep faraway places in mind, boldly take new challenges and usher in each new day with optimism.
