Value and practicality

Fiat’s Ducato might not be the first name on your LCV shortlist, but the latest Euro6-engined model definitely merits attention.

Spun off the same platform as the Peugeot Boxer and the Citroen Relay, the Ducato scores in three key areas; robustness, low running costs and increased cabin sophistication.

Fiat has established itself as a centre of excellence for diesel engine technology and the Euro6 MultiJet II engines found under the bonnets of the Ducato reinforce that reputation.

Most Ducato buyers opt for the entry-level unit, now a 2.0-litre 115bhp Multijet unit that’s downsized from its predecessor Euro5 powerplant. Similarly, the flagship engine, previously 3.0-litres in size, is now a 2.3-litre MultiJet II unit, though it still develops 180bhp, the same as before.

Some 11,200 hours of bench tests and over 500,000 door operation cycles were also conducted to effectively simulate more than 10 years of heavy use resulting in reinforcements to the key points of the body and door surrounds, as well as redesigns and improvements to the hinges, sliding rollers, stops and door seals. As a consequence, the durability of the vehicle body has been improved by more than 50 percent.

There’s a choice of eight different load volumes, ranging from eight to 17m3, across four lengths, three wheelbases and three heights, with payloads of between 800 and 2,100kg, as well as three different sizes each of side-sliding and rear doors.

Best-in-class efficiency figures are promised, with CO2 emissions for the entry-level 2.0 MultiJet II 115bhp variant as low as 157g/km and an impressive fuel economy figure of 47.9mpg.

Pounding the streets of Naples or Palermo is about as tough an assignment as you could think to put a commercial vehicle through, but it’s here that Fiat’s Ducato has earned a loyal following.

The latest model builds on the toughness of its predecessor and adds a welcome layer of technical sophistication.

The Fiat Ducato.