Culina Group has purchased two Iveco Daily Hi-Matic vans equipped with eight-speed automatic gearboxes.

The food and drink supply chain specialist has introduced the vehicles to its fleet working on behalf of wine merchants, Corney and Barrow.

Culina Group’s Mark Adlington, Corney and Barrow account manager, says: “We deal with rare and valuable products, and as such need to have total confidence in our fleet. Iveco secured the order on the back of positive feedback from our drivers, as well as the vehicle’s projected low total cost of ownership, excellent payload capacity and impressive gearbox.”

The eight-speed transmission offered in all Daily Hi-Matic models was developed with ZF and can also be found in premium cars manufactured by sister group companies Jeep and Maserati.

The Hi-Matic changes gear more quickly and precisely than even the best driver, needing less than 200 milliseconds for a gear shift when greater acceleration is required. Plus, it helps to reduce repair and maintenance costs by 10% versus a standard manual transmission, thanks to its exceptional durability and reliability.

Corney and Barrow specified the Hi-Matic ‘Regional’ transmission for both vehicles – one of three variants available. The Hi-Matic Regional is mission-matched for fleets which need maximum flexibility on the road, offering the driver a choice between ‘Eco’ mode – allowing for low-speed gear changes carried out to keep fuel consumption to a minimum – or ‘Power’ mode, which carries out gear changes at higher speeds for enhanced performance.

Adlington added: “The Hi-Matic makes driving more comfortable and, from a safety perspective, allows our drivers to focus their attention on the road ahead. We have received nothing but positive comments and feedback since the Iveco vans joined the fleet.”

The new arrivals will be based in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, and used predominantly for customer deliveries in the Home Counties. They will be in operation from Monday to Friday, are expected to cover 35,000 miles annually and will remain in service with Culina Group for the next four years.

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