Iltis
Volkswagen/Bombardier light vehicle used by A and B Squadron.
History and Service Notes
The Iltis was the Canadian replacement for the M151A2 and was built in Canada by Bombardier. Iltis is German for ferret.
It was equipped with a 1714 cc four-cylinder OHC engine producing 75 bhp at 5,000 rpm. The Iltis had a manual transmission with five positions, though only gears 1-4 were used for normal operation.
A movable sleeve on the gear shift accessed the fifth position, which was not a conventional fifth gear but a super-low first gear. The Iltis also had selectable four-wheel drive, controlled by a small lever on the floor between the driver’s and passenger’s seats.
A second lever, located next to the driver’s seat, switched the rear differential lock in and out. The differential lock was normally left out, and the super-low first gear, labelled G on the shifter, was available only in four-wheel drive.
The Iltis was used in the South Alberta Light Horse by both A and B Squadron between 1985 and 2005.
Technical Specifications
- Crew: driver + 3 passengers (4 total)
- Curb weight: approx. 1,550 kg
- Length: 3.92 m; width: 1.52 m; height: 1.94 m
- Engine: 1.7 L inline-4, approx. 75 hp
- Max speed: 130 km/h
- Range: approx. 500 km
- Payload: approx. 500 kg
- Drivetrain: selectable 4×4 with optional differential locks