An Iveco Powerstar piloted by Dutchman Gerard de Rooy took first place in the one of the toughest Dakar off-road rallies yet held.
Four Iveco trucks were in the overall top ten of the general rankings, and three of which made it into the final top five in the 2016 edition of the Dakar.
This year the Dakar event saw trucks, cars, quads and motorcycles race across 9,000 kilometres of off-road terrain through Argentina and Bolivia.
It is the second victory in the Dakar’s Truck Category for the team leader of PETRONAS De Rooy Iveco.
De Rooy’s performance over the rally’s thirteen stages once again demonstrated his experience and skills in both driving and navigation and confirmed the dependability of the Powerstar to win a race of this magnitude says Iveco.
Argentinian driver Federico Villagra placed third in his Iveco Powerstar.
Villagra counted an impressive following of millions of local fans in Argentina, where Iveco is the market leader for commercial vehicles.
The manufacturer says the Dakar route was the perfect proving ground to showcase the versatility and strength of its trucks and it was also an excellent opportunity to highlight the performance of its engines.
CNH Industrial’s engine plant in Bourbon Lancy, France was responsible for manufacturing the Iveco Cursor 13 truck engines used in the event.
Another CNH Industrial brand, FPT Industrial was then responsible for preparing the units to be ready for the Dakar at its Research & Development Centre in Arbon, Switzerland.
