News from Fiat: The sixth generation of the hugely successful Fiat Ducato, which has notched up 2.6 million sales since it was first launched in 1981, continues to set the segment benchmark not only in Europe but also in the 80 international regions in which it is now on sale.
For 2014 a new exterior style brings sophisticated car design to the light commercial vehicle segment, conveying the new Ducato’s dynamism, quality, safety and robustness. The all-new front end features new headlights with integrated daytime running lights, LED on Tecnico models, and a bold new grille design.
The chunky new front bumpers help to define the muscular look of the new Ducato and, because they’re comprised of four sections, they also help reduce running costs by allowing repairs to be carried out on damaged portions only. Other measures intended to reduce maintenance and repair bills include headlamps located on sliding guides and a new single-piece bonnet that does away with separate plastic panels and offers greater access to the engine compartment. Even the shape of the 2014 Ducato is designed to help reduce fuel bills – it offers class-leading aerodynamic efficiency, more akin to a mid-sized saloon than a commercial vehicle.
Other new features include a new skid plate, available as an option with a black or aluminium finish, body-coloured bumpers and painted door handles, as well as new wheel trim and alloy wheel designs. New rear light clusters, with double side lights and Pulse Width Modulation Technology to improve lamp life, complete the functional yet stylish exterior revisions of the new Fiat Ducato.
Inside, it offers a comfortable, attractive and superbly functional cabin environment. While other markets offer a number of interior variants, the UK adopts the updated Techno cabin as standard across the range. New, well-appointed, multi-adjustable seats offer car-like comfort levels with lumbar support and a driver’s armrest as standard on all models, while a new dashboard console can accommodate two 750ml beverage bottles as well as storage, charging and USB/Aux-in facilities for mobile devices. A covered storage compartment, large enough to store a 15-inch laptop, is available in lieu of the console.
Under the bonnet, Fiat Professional has been equally as thorough, working to reduce emissions and improve economy by around 10% across the Euro 5+ engine range. All Fiat Ducato models are equipped with a six-speed manual transmission as standard and now boasts best-in-class efficiency figures, with CO2 emissions for the entry-level 2.3 MultiJet II 110hp as low as 170g/km. Both the 2.3 MultiJet II 130, which produces 130hp, and the 2.3 litre MultiJet II 150, with 150hp, return even better economy and emissions figures when equipped with optional Start-Stop system. The heavy-duty, 3.0 MultiJet Power 180, with 180hp and 400Nm of torque, has CO2 emissions of 203g/km and returns 36.7 MPG on the NEDC cycle and, like every other engine in the Fiat Ducato range, has 30,000 mile service intervals to help lower service bills and reduce time the vehicle spends off the road for maintenance.
As a global product, the Ducato must prove its reliability and robustness to a more diverse customer base than ever before and for that reason an extensive test programme for the 2014 vehicle was implemented. Over the course of its development, the Ducato was subjected to 6.5 million gruelling test miles across a variety of demanding road and usage conditions and in some of the most extreme weather conditions imaginable.
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%.
Standard equipment on the 2014 Fiat Ducato includes:
- ESC (Electronic Stability Control) w/ Hill Holder, ROM, RMI, LAC, ASR, MSR & EBA
- DRL (Daytime Running Lights)
- Electric windows
- Electrically adjustable and heated mirrors
- Remote central locking with deadlocks
- Servotronic power- assisted steering
- Dual passenger seat
- Driver’s seat armrest & lumbar support
- 30W Audio system with MP3 playback and USB/AUX ports
- Bluetooth hands-free connectivity
- Updated dashboard
- Fixed Full Width Steel Bulkhead
- Full-size spare wheel
- Speed block (56/62/70/81 MPH) set in workshop
