Iveco will be at Samoter 2008 in Verona next week with a stand dedicated entirely to professional off-road themes and most especially to the market launch of the new four-wheel-drive Massif.

Iveco will be at Samoter 2008 – the 27th international triennial earth-moving and building machinery exhibition planned for the 5th to the 9th of March in Verona, Italy – with a stand dedicated entirely to professional off-road themes and most especially to the market launch of the Massif, recently previewed at the Amsterdam Rai.

Iveco, one of the few manufacturers in the world to offer a complete range of all-wheel drive vehicles – from 4WD off-roaders right through to 8WD quarry-construction site machines – will be using the occasion of Samoter to launch the Massif, its first venture into the light, off-road, two-box design vehicle market, available in 3-door, 5-door and pickup versions.

The Massif confirms the basic feature of all Iveco vehicles: the reinforced chassis frame, a guarantee of toughness and reliability. But above all, the immediate appeal of this model is that it brings to mind the historical and prestigious Fiat Campagnola, the first Italian vehicle designed for off-road use.

Also on show will be a 55S18W version of the Daily 4x4, in black livery with Maori markings, and a Eurocargo 4x4 ML140E25WS. Two of the Trakkers exhibited, a AD410T45 8x4 chassis cab and an AD720T50T/P 6x4 tractor with pneumatic suspension, are also black, whereas the Trakker AD380T41 6x4 chassis cab is white.

There will also be the Astra, the Iveco brand specialising in quarry-construction site vehicles with three versions of the HD8, including one HHD ((Heavy Heavy Duty) with a 40 t load capacity destined for non-European markets, and two dumpers, the already familiar ADT40 and a novelty, previewed here at Samoter, the colossal RD50 rigid dumper with a load carrying capacity of 50 t, rendered even more aggressive by its black body colour.

Yet again, the Iveco stand, part of the 4 thousand square metres of display area dedicated entirely to the Fiat Group, will be inspired by the colour black, to highlight the sponsorship of the All Blacks, the great New Zealand national rugby team whose values – Determination, Reliability, Performance and Team Spirit – are shared by the company. The sponsorship theme, underlined by the red of the Maori tattoos, links the area to the Astra exhibition. Another member of the Fiat Group in the area will be New Holland, the leading agricultural machinery manufacturer, with its classic shades of yellow.

The Fiat Group will have yet another demo area at Samoter dedicated to the pure emotion of off-road vehicles, synonymous with technological excellence and economy in use.

In an environment that recreates the typical conditions of particularly difficult terrain, visitors will have the chance to test the Trakker, with two 8x4 vehicles set up for dynamic testing and a static AD190T41W exhibit. The Massif can be tested here too, and for those wanting to get down to the finest details of the vehicle’s off-road attributes, there will be the chance to ride alongside an expert Iveco driver, who will take them through the intense emotions of an extremely severe, technically demanding route.

The Astra, on the other hand, will have a demo area in an outdoor quarry, linked to the main site by a shuttle service. Ten vehicles will be exhibited, six of which will be available for dynamic testing.