Fiat_Ducato_review

The engine’s a gem – loads of torque to get you going, and then quiet and long-legged for long hauls with up to 44.8mpg to keep your costs down

What’s hot?

  • That engine for starters. It’s a gem. It pulls smoothly and sweetly from low down. Use the 320Nm torque and change early and the van moves strongly away…
  • …it’s long-legged too. If you have to move loads long distances you’ll love the quietness in the cabin as the engine softly hums along. It’s all very relaxing, meaning you’ll get to your delivery point or next customer feeling fresh. And with nearly 45mpg economy available under your right foot, you won’t be burning through your hard-earned profits in excess fuel.
    Fiat_Ducato_review

    The Ducato hasn’t quite gone down the ‘mobile office’ route, but it’s not far behind. Masses of cup holders, and a holder for your phone…

  • Talking of feeling relaxed, the new interior has many benefits you’ve not enjoyed before, including cupholders…
  • …there are two huge ones in the central console, along with a mobile phone tray to keep it upright (instead of running away along the top of the dash each time you go round a corner…) and an aux and USB input above it.
    Fiat_Ducato_review

    …or tablet…

  • Developed from the States (thanks to Fiat’s tie up with Chrysler) the drink holders feature expandable holders for multisized use – from a 750ml bottle of water down to a primo sized cafe latte.
  • There’s a further cupholder in the dash for passengers.
  • There’s also a new tablet holder that can be adjusted to fit both a smart phone or a tablet. For the UK, Fiat Professional is making adjustments to ensure it can also take a tablet that’s fitted with a protective cover.
  • The steering wheel is a soft-touch leather affair giving a nicely tactile feel – base models make do with standard plastic if you’re worried about dirty hands at the steering wheel.
  • You’ll enjoy the specification, too. Standard on all models is a four-speaker audio system with Bluetooth for hands-free connectivity and MP3 playback is now standard on all models.
    Fiat_Ducato_review

    …that’s folds out of the way when you don’t need it

  • Our Ducato Tecnico review van gets more. It features a new 5 inch colour touch screen Uconnect infotainment system which includes an integrated TomTom sat-nav system so you shouldn’t get lost. Also on the spec roster is digital DAB digital radio and a useful reversing camera with parking sensors.
  • But the driving environment is not just helped by the cabin equipment. Your life at the wheel is made easier by Fiat’s inclusion of – wait for it, we’re going into acronym overdrive here – ROM (Roll-Over Mitigation) and RMI (Roll Movement Intervention) with integrated LAC (Load Adaptive Control). The latter is really important as it adapts to the van’s load – and any shifts in that load – to provide better roll control.
  • You’ll notice it. The Ducato handles well round tight corners and always feels entirely stable.
  • Talking of handling, the turning circle is 38.1ft – that’s good and tight for urban deliveries.
  • OK, what about the sharp end? The load bay remains a good squared off shape with an impressive 10cu m of loading area and long enough to accommodate 3m piping. We counted 13 lashing points to ensure heavy loads remain where they should.
  • The rear doors can be opened 180 degrees by pushing a button next to the hinges so access to the bay is easy. There’s also a side opening door, too.
  • The doors and hinges are one of the areas where Fiat has really focused on improving durability. They were subjected to over 500,000 door operation cycles during the Ducato’s development to simulate more than 10 years’ heavy duty work. You’ll notice the better quality in use; doors close firmly with a satisfying thunk.
Fiat_Ducato_review

Decent square load area that’ll take 10cm m and is long enough for 3m planks and pipes

 

What’s not

  • The suspension features revised front McPherson struts with improved top mounts and leaf springs at the rear. While it copes with bumps and ruts well, noise jars through into the cabin in a way that you wouldn’t notice in a Transit Custom.
  • There were a few buzzes in our cabin, mainly from the tablet holder which could do with better damping. Let’s hope the revised version coming to UK vans is improved.
  • The seats provide little lateral support and we found they pushed us downwards and forwards. However, that was not a universal view – so try before you buy.

 

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