Public debut for new Fiat Fiorino
Fiat’s new Fiorino light van is being shown to the public for the first time today in Milan.The new vehicle, built in partnership between Fiat Professional, the commercial vehicle arm of Fiat Group Automobiles SpA, and PSA Peugeot Citroën, is being unveiled at the Transpotec Logitec 2007 exhibition in the Milan Trade Fair.
The new Fiorino represents a whole new choice for the light van market thanks to its compact style, useful performance and exciting styling. Designed to be agile in urban surroundings, the new Fiorino is easy to park and highly economical to run.
Powered by either a 1.4-litre 74 bhp petrol or 1.3-litre 76 bhp MultiJet turbodiesel engine, the new van offers strong performance, reliability, economy and environmental friendliness. Service intervals are set at 18,000 miles and the arrangement of some engine components reduces maintenance or repair times.
The 1.3 MultiJet is coupled with either a five speed or MTS (Manual Transmission Automated) six-speed robotised gearbox, and returns a healthy 62 mpg in the combined cycle, a 119 g/km CO2 figure, low noise and vibration levels, and a 97 mph top speed. The 1.4 petrol model comes with a five-speed manual transmission.
At just 3.86 metres in length, the new Fiorino van offers surprising interior dimensions, with a capacity of 2.5 m3. This can be increased to 2.8 m3 and the working length expanded to 2.5 metres courtesy of a fold-away passenger seat.
A range of safety equipment, including ABS anti-lock brakes with EBD, three-point seat belts with pre-tensioner and load limiter, and driver’s airbag, all come as standard. A passenger airbag and rear parking sensor are also available.
Comprehensive passenger and load protection is offered, including high energy absorbing areas around the driver’s compartment. Additionally, the large bumpers offer protection at low speed and are easily removed for minimum repair costs.
With security in mind, the new Fiorino features separate front and rear door locking, so that the load area can be used with the cab locked, an alarm, and a deadlock which disables the door’s interior handle.
The new Fiorino is the latest addition to the revitalised Fiat Professional range which aims to achieve new goals in the coming years. This has already started – in the first eight months of 2007, Fiat Professional achieved record sales in Italy and Europe, up 24,000 units to 184,000, compared with the same period last year.
This new range of light commercial vehicles represents a total investment of £265 million, £132 million of which was for R&D. The vans will be built at the Tofas plant in Turkey. Tofas is Turkey’s leading car manufacturer and is a joint venture between the Fiat and Koc groups.
UK pricing and specification for the new Fiat Fiorino will be announced next year.
