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How much? £22,000
On sale in the UK: April 2009
Engine: 3.0-litre 4-cyl turbodiesel, 176bhp @ 3200-3500rpm, 295lbft @ 1250-3000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual, rear or four-wheel drive
Performance: n/a sec 0-62mph, n/a mph, 25.4mpg, 294g/km CO2
How heavy / made of? 2110kg/steel
How big (length/width/height in mm)? 4248/1750/2050
Need to know

CAR's rating

Rated 2 out of 52

Handling

Rated 1 out of 51

Performance

Rated 3 out of 53

Usability

Rated 3 out of 53

Feelgood factor

Rated 1 out of 51

Readers' rating

Rated 2 out of 52

Iveco Massif Campagnola (2008) CAR review and video

By Richard Aucock

First Drives

26 September 2008 09:00

London motor show video

The new Massif is (truck maker) Iveco's passenger 4x4 and the company is aiming for 20 percent of the 4000-strong utility 4x4 sector that Land Rover dominates. It’s interesting because the Massif used to be a Santana which, long ago, was a Spanish-built Series III Land Rover, using a production line shipped over by Solihull. Think of the Iveco Massif as the Defender’s long-lost cousin.

This Iveco Massif doesn't look too bad.

Yes, that’s because Fiat, which owns Iveco, got Giugiaro to redesign it. Peer up close and you note the amount of plastic addenda concealing a Land Rover-look shell (in steel, not aluminium). Fiat Powertrain also donated a 25.4mpg, 176hp 3.0-litre turbodiesel (with variable geometry turbo tech) and a six-speed gearbox. With 295lb ft at 1250rpm, it makes the Defender’s 122hp 2.4-litre Transit engine look puny. Towing will be a breeze. Fiat even showed the Spanish plant how to build them properly (obvious quips apart, this took longer than it thought…).

Does it feel as old as it looks?

Heavens, it dates back decades. Inside, there’s a narrow cockpit and shallow dash, plus a huge truck-like steering wheel (it probably is). Plastics are low-rent, driving position splayed.

The short-wheelbase version copies the new Defender in its two individual rear seats (long wheelbase versions are also offered) but getting to them is tiresome. It’s fairly flexible, particularly the LWB, but you have to duck down to see outside: despite a modern-ish dash, it’s aged. It really is oddly Costa Del Solihull, this.

It’s got to be pretty punchy with that engine, though?

Oh, it easily surpasses the Land Rover. Smooth and punchy, the engine makes the Massif. Torque spreads from tickover to 3000rpm, and it only becomes truly raucous above that. What’s more, off-road, it might actually surpass the Defender as it has retained leaf springs all-round. Land Rover switched to coils in ’85.

But off-road bounce doesn’t stop on-road, alas. This Iveco is rough and prefers running straight to tackling corners. The steering is also vague, everything is pretty noisy… not unlike a Defender with a worse ride but smoother engine, really.

Scroll down the page to the embedded player to view video of the Iveco Massif

Click 'Next' below to read more of our Iveco Massi first drive   

Iveco Massif Campagnola video; iveco; CAR Magazine; new iveco; CAR Online; car review; Land Rover London Motor Show video; british international motor show; Land Rover LRX; london motor show; cars; Land Rover; Baby Land Rover in action; 4x4; three door; Concept Car; LRX; Land Rover; baby Landie; Land Rover Player
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Iveco Massif Campagnola (2008) CAR review and video

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Boddamese

Boddamese says

RE: Iveco Massif Campagnola (2008) CAR review and video

 "What’s more, off-road, it might actually surpass the Defender as it has retained leaf springs all-round. Land Rover switched to coils in ’85".

If afraid that is nonsense.  Coil springs are far superior in terms of off road ability by allowing greater wheel travel (keeps tyre in contact with ground) and a softer ride.  This is why Land Rover changed to using coils (as per the Range Rover) when the series 3 ended in '85.  If you have driven a series land rover and a defender over rough ground you will certainly feel the difference.

The Massif looks good and has the sort of engine the Defender has always needed and never been given but the part time 4x4 drive train and leaf spring suspension are 20 years out of date.  Name another new car / SUV / 4x4 / light commercial with a leaf sprung live axle at the front?

29 April 2010 19:09

 

Mr. Milo

Mr. Milo says

RE: Iveco Massif Campagnola (2008) CAR review and video

How can a car like this have bad handling? That was the first thing that caught my attention here. Yes, it may look beautiful, sophisticated, or even like one of the old Jeep's, but what has happened to the car's rating? That bothers me very much to see it only has 2 stars. A car like this should have more than just good looks. It needs to be reliable.

05 October 2008 16:00

 

jeremy99

jeremy99 says

RE: Iveco Massif Campagnola (2008) CAR review and video

Have the commentators read the article. It explains how this vehicle is related to the old series 3 Landrover and subsequent derivatives built in Spain but everyone is comparing it to modern Iveco vans. What happened to the previous Fiat Campagnola that was an Italian design? I would assume leaf springs are retained to allow simpler servicing in the under developed regions where a broken coil spring could be terminal without a vehicle off road facility at the dealer network.

30 September 2008 14:19

 

pellingworth

pellingworth says

RE: Iveco Massif Campagnola (2008) CAR review and video

I fail to understand why you think leaf springs would be superior to independent coils over rough groud, have you never seen a Unimog? Can't remember seeing one with leaf springs but they seem ok over rough terrain.

29 September 2008 09:46

 

Batty

reward badgemoderatorstaff

Batty says

RE: Iveco Massif Campagnola (2008) CAR review and video

Won't be a Massif hit wiv the yoof then. Looks like Guiguaro has given up designing Euro look cars for Korean manufacturers and is now doing Korean looking cars for Euro manufacturers.

29 September 2008 06:53

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