Fiat

The old Fiat Punto Van opened to road for the new Grande Punto Van which is both stronger and bigger than its predecessor. Yet the old Punto van was a pretty good product, but due to its poor marketing strategy it never managed to catch the market’ interest and sales were shy to say the least.

The vehicle was based on the passenger version of the Punto hatchback and to obtain the conversion Fiat removed the rear seats and replaced the rear windows with metallic panels to make the vehicle more practical.

The however was available with both petrol (1.2-liter) and diesel (1.3-litre JTD) units which developed 60 and 70 hp.

The Fiat Punto van was priced from $ 12.000 and competed against models such as the Opel Corsa van, Renault Clio van, Ford Fiesta van and Peugeot 206 van.

Many purists consider that the small hatchbacks converted into vans for commercial purposes don’t have too much sense. The Fiat Grande Punto however is one of the most practical converted vans in this segment and its good looking too.

The standard Grande Punto held a top position on the sales charts for a good number of years. The van version however wasn’t received with the same enthusiasm.

The Fiat Grande Punto Van was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and is one of the best looking small vans available on today’s market. The vehicle has a starting price of $ 18.700 and it’s powered by a 1.3 liter diesel engine which develops a maximum output of 75 hp.

Just like the new model, the old The Fiat Scudo shared the same design and underpinnings with the Peugeot Expert and Citroen Dispatch.

The first generation was launched in 1996 and received a small facelift in 2004. The vehicle was part of a new breed of vans, featuring pretty compact exterior dimensions combined with a generous load volume.

The Scudo was based on the Fiat Ulysee MPV and thanks to its donor; it drives more like a passenger car and less like a van. The Fiat Scudo was offered with a choice of two engines namely a 1.9 liter naturally aspired diesel and a 2.0 liter JTD turbo.

The Strada is the only pickup model in Fiat’s lineup and it’s around from some time now. The latest generation arrived in 2012 while the previous model was launched in 2004. The Strada’s strengths were its affordable price and the generous payload capacity which made it a trustful working partner.

The old Fiat Strada was designed by the famous Giorgetto Giugiaro and borrowed the entire interior design from the Palio. Overall, the vehicle had a pretty conventional appearance, with a generous load bed and a comfortable interior. The vehicle was available in two cab versions namely single and extended, and was powered by either petrol or diesel units.

The Fiat Ducato has been totally revised in 2007, but the old generation received the same amount of respect as the new model.

The old Fiat Ducato shared the same underpinnings with the Citroen Relay and Peugeot Boxer and it was even produced at the same factory with its siblings. Though despite their strong bound there were small differences between these three models as they came with slightly different prices and specifications.

The vehicle was sold between 1994 and 2006 and was offered with a choice of two engines which consisted of 2.2 liter and 2.8 liter units. There were also numerous versions available with payload capacities ranging from 945 kg to 1505 kg.

The previous generation of the Doblo Cargo was entirely developed by Fiat, unlike the newer versions which were engineered in collaboration with Peugeot and Citroen.

The old Fiat Doblo Cargo was sold between 2001 and 2010 and featured a generous payload capacity and a versatile character. The vehicle competed with models like the Citroen Berlingo or Renault Kangoo.

The first Fiat Doblo Cargo was offered with both standard and high roof configurations. There were two engines available including a 1.9 turbo diesel and a 1.4 Multijet. The vehicle received a small series of upgrades in 2005 which consisted of a redesigned front and more powerful petrol engines.

The new generation Fiat Strada was launched at the beginning of 2012 and compared with the old generation it features a radically changed exterior design together with a more upscale interior and stronger engines.

The vehicle is manufactured in the FIASA plant in Betim (Brazil) and continues the success of its predecessor.
The new generation Fiat Strada is available in three versions namely Working, Trekking and Adventure. There are also offered three body styles including Short Cab, Long Cab and Crew Cab configurations.

Until now, the Strada wasn’t available with a Crew Cab version and the addition of this new configuration is welcomed, as its makes the vehicle even more versatile being able to appeal to a wider range of customers.

The new Fiat Strada is equipped with a 95 hp engine which meets the latest Euro 5 emission norms. Prices range from $ 16000 for the 95 HP 1.3 MultiJet 16v Working Single Cab version to $ 20000 for the top-of-the-range 95 HP 1.3 MultiJet 16v Adventure Crew Cab version (exluding taxes).

The Fiat Fiorino won the Best Light Van Award in the 2012 Van Fleet World Honours. The vehicle received its award in London at the Royal Automobile Club and the commission board included experts from the Van Fleet World editorial team.

Talking about the award, Sebastiano Fedrigo, director, Fiat Professional UK said “Fiorino has enjoyed considerable success ever since it was launched, and continues to receive recognition and plaudits from both the experts and customers. It offers customers a winning combination of practicality, comfort, reliability and economy.”

Van Fleet World editor, John Kendall said, “Fiat opened up a new market sector when it launched the Turkish-built Fiat Fiorino. Although launching the new model as the economy went into meltdown might not have been part of the original plan, it enabled the company to point fleets towards models that fitted in with the spirit of recessionary downsizing.”

“A 2.5m3 capacity body and 660kg payload plus frugal 1.3-litre diesel engine suits many pockets and purposes, even if few will match the 80+mpg we’ve recorded on the MPG Marathon for the past few years.”

The Fiorino was developed together with Peugeot and Citroen and was designed for light commercial purposes and different urban transportations. The Fiat Fiorino is offered with a choice of Euro 5 diesel or petrol Multijet engines which develop between 73 and 95 hp.

Fiat’s Professional department will showcase at the 2012 Commercial Vehicle Show its entire range of commercial vehicles and new technologies. Sadly we won’t see the debut of any new models or technologies at the show, as everything was already reveled to the public with other occasions.

The company has officially announced that it will display eight vehicles which strengthened Fiat’s position in the commercial segment. Some models will be liveried in the design of the major companies with which Fiat Professional is currently collaborating.

At the Fiat stand we will also have the occasion to see the latest technologies developed by the Italian manufacturer which include new Euro 5 engines, Start&Stop systems, Traction+, Blue&Me TomTom Live and the eco:Drive Professional.

Moreover, Fiat will also showcase the new Comfort-Matic gearbox. For the moment the Comfort-Matic gearbox is available only for the new Ducato in combination with the 2.3-litre 130, 150 MultiJet II and the 3.0-litre 180 MultiJet Power engines.

The new Fiat Ducato shares the same design with Peugeot Boxer and Citroen Relay. Between the three models however, there are a few minor differences when it comes to specifications and price.

Since its first introduction the Ducato has prove to be a surprisingly success for Fiat and it was sold in nice numbers. The current market response isn’t bad either, as the vehicle is very practical and has a versatile nature being available in van and chassis cab versions with both single and double cab configurations. With a starting price of $22.000 the Fiat Ducato is also among the cheapest options available in its segment and offers a good value for money.

Fiat says that its latest generation Doblo Cargo is 90 percent new over the older version. Designed for light commercial applications the Doblo Cargo comes in a wide range of models, has a spacious interior and is available with a bunch of capable Multijet engines.

The main competitors of the Doblo Cargo are models like the Volkswagen Caddy, Citroen Berlingo or Ford Transit. However, despite the fact the all three models share the same segment, the Doblo Cargo offers a bigger load capacity which gives it a major advantage over its rivals.

The Fiat Doblo Cargo has a starting price of $23.200 and is available with different body styles including short or long wheelbases, a combi and even a chassis cab model.

The Fiat Scudo was launched for the first time in 1996 and is a highly versatile commercial vehicle being available in both van and chassis cab versions. The Fiat Scudo received a major facelift in 2004 when it shared the same platform with the Peugeot Expert and Citroen Dispatch. Despite its “van nature” the Fiat Scudo offers a car-like feeling inside with a surprisingly level of comfort for a commercial vehicle.

The Fiat Scudo has a starting price of $21.000 and is offered with a choice of four engines which develop between 90 hp-165 hp. The vehicle is also offered with a wide range of configurations which include panelled or glazed body, short or long wheelbase, 2 interior lengths, high roof or standard roof, load space of 5, 6 or 7 m3, cab with 2 or 3 seats, mechanical or air suspension and double cargo doors or tailgate.