IVECO’s New Daily Hi-Matic is a perfect fit for SFS Flooring Supplies

Friday 27th March 2020

SFS Flooring Supplies has taken delivery of an IVECO Daily Hi-Matic 7.2-tonne chassis cab, after only a few hours behind the wheel of a demonstrator showcased the vehicle’s unrivalled payload capacity.

Supplied by IVECO Retail in Heathrow, the new arrival stands out for having the highest gross vehicle weight of any light commercial vehicle (LCV) on the market, offering a carrying capacity greater than many 7.5-tonners.

As the first vehicle to join the customer’s fleet since gaining its operator’s licence, the Daily Hi-Matic will be used instead of older 3.5-tonne vans to deliver materials across London and the Home Counties.

Marius Ursuta, Logistics Manager at SFS Flooring Supplies, says: “I wanted our first vehicle above 3.5-tonnes to be reliable and able to carry our largest products without any fuss. I’d read positive reviews about the IVECO Daily’s performance and once behind the wheel of a demonstrator, it wasn’t long before I was convinced to place an order. “We can easily fit our heaviest carpets on board and still have room to spare – something that wasn’t possible with our smaller vans. Before, we would do less than 10 deliveries a day but we anticipate with the Daily Hi-Matic we’ll be able to do 15, so it’s going to make such a difference. The Hi-Matic gearbox also makes the driving experience very comfortable, which is important as our drivers can spend a lot of time in busy London traffic.”

Launched internationally in April 2019, the latest generation Daily stands out for its impressive fuel economy – achieved by its new engine Start&Stop system and exclusive Class A Super Eco Low Rolling Resistance tyres, specifically designed for the Daily range.

The new model also offers significant savings on maintenance, which is now up to 10 per cent lower on urban missions as a result of extended oil change intervals.

Powered by a 3.0-litre Euro VI_D heavy duty diesel engine delivering 180hp and 430Nm of torque, SFS Flooring Supplies’ Daily Hi-Matic (72C18HA8) is mounted with a curtainside body made by Solent Bodybuilders and equipped with a tuckaway tail-lift from Del, to increase driver safety during the loading and unloading process.

Designed to provide absolute driving pleasure, IVECO’s Hi-Matic eight-speed automatic transmission changes gear more quickly and precisely than the best driver – needing less than 200 milliseconds for a gear shift when greater acceleration is required.

Found in premium cars from manufacturers such as Jeep and Maserati, the Hi-Matic’s proven durability and reliability also helps to lower repair and maintenance costs by 10 per cent versus a standard manual gearbox. Ursuta adds: “The service from the team at IVECO Retail has been excellent from start to finish. We needed the curtainside body to be five metres long so we could fit our largest rolls of carpet inside and they listened to our needs, working closely with the bodybuilder to deliver exactly what we required.”

Based at SFS Flooring Supplies’ depot in Langley, near Slough, the Daily Hi-Matic will be kept in service for five years and is expected to clock up to 40,000 miles a year. 

All routine maintenance work will be conducted by IVECO Retail in Heathrow – located just eight miles away – as part of a five-year R&M package to help keep vehicle downtime to a minimum.

SFS Flooring Supplies has more than 25 years’ experience in supplying contract flooring materials, with its product ranges including stair nosings, metal trims, PVC wall cladding and accessories. The company is also part of the Recoflor recycling scheme and an FSC certificate holder.