Fiat Fiorino to star at Interbuild 2008

Fiat Professional will be building on its success at this year’s Interbuild 2008 with an impressive range of products for customers working in the construction industry. Its stand, No. E25/F20, Hall 4, at Birmingham’s NEC, features many examples of the brand’s award-winning vehicles.

Taking centre stage on the Fiat Professional stand is Fiat’s new Fiorino, recently named International Van of the Year 2009 by a jury comprising journalists from 20 European countries, specialists in the commercial vehicles sector.

This is the third time in the last four years that a Fiat Professional product has won this prestigious award, with the Fiat Scudo being voted International Van of the Year 2008 and the Fiat Doblo Cargo taking the title in 2006.

The award recognises the many important developments incorporated in the Fiat Fiorino, a unique vehicle created to meet the needs of customers who require a compact van which is cheap to run, nimble in traffic and easy to park.

The jury of the International Van of the Year particularly liked the fact that the Fiorino is creating a new market segment. Over the last few decades, light commercial vehicles have evolved in their load capacity, leaving a gap at the lower end of the range.

Thanks to Fiorino, customers in this segment have the opportunity to buy a vehicle ‘made-to-measure’ for their work and activities. With a load-carrying capacity of 610 and 660 kg, volume of 2.5 cubic metres, internal length of 1.5 metres (which become 2.8 m3 and 2.5 metres with the optional foldable passenger seat folded down), the Fiorino fully meets their requirements.

Distinguished by an original and dynamic style, the Fiat Fiorino is 3.86 metres long, 1.72 high and 1.71 wide. These compact external dimensions, with which any city centre can be negotiated with ease, are also enhanced by a turning circle of just 9.95 metres.

Safe and reliable, the Fiorino also offers dependable dynamic behaviour, whatever the use or type of journey. This is achieved by the two power units – the 73 bhp 1.4 petrol and the 75 bhp 1.3 MultiJet turbodiesel (also available with particulate filter) – which are a pleasure to use, reliable and environmentally friendly, and also offer very low running costs (consumption and maintenance).

In particular, the 1.3 MultiJet permits a range of 600 miles on a full tank of diesel (62.8 mpg for the combined cycle), and has CO2 emissions of just 119 g/km, best-in-class for the segment. The oil change frequencies for both engines are 20,000 miles. The layout of the individual engine components has been designed to significantly reduce the time required for maintenance or repair.

The Fiorino, is joined at the 26-30 October 2008 Show by the award-winning Fiat Scudo together with the Ducato and Doblo ranges.

The Scudo range encompasses panel vans and platform cabs as a basis for conversion, and two commercial passenger vehicle variants, the 5/6 or 8/9 seat Combi and the 5-seat Panorama Family. The latter can also be requested with a third row seating option.

Scudo’s car-like performance, its reliability, productivity, agility and comfort, coupled with a choice of three generous cargo areas, make it a versatile and all-round winner. On the stand will be a 1.6 litre 90 bhp MultiJet van in Comfort trim.

The Ducato range is bigger and better than ever. It features an all-MultiJet, 16-valve, turbodiesel, Euro 4-compliant engine range: 100 bhp 2.2 MultiJet, 120 and 130 bhp 2.3 MultiJet (the latter is used only for the Camping Car sector) and a 157 bhp 3.0 MultiJet unit.

At the show will be two versions of the Fiat Ducato range. They include a 35 LWB factory built Crew Cab Dropside with a 2.3-litre 120 MultiJet diesel engine, and a 30 SWB Van fitted with a 2.2-litre 100 bhp MultiJet diesel engine.

In addition, available but not on display, customers can choose from a range of vehicles from Fiat Professional’s one-stop-shop conversion service, called Built For Business. Using this facility, customers will be able to specify the type of vehicle they need and have it delivered completed, rather than buying the chassis first and having to wait while the conversion is carried out. Vehicles available include Tipper and Dropside conversions by Ingimex, Luton and Box vans by Aire Truck Bodies and Crew cab van conversions by Snoeks.

Completing the Fiat Professional line-up is the widely acclaimed Doblo Cargo range which offers class-leading payload and load volume, and powerful yet economical MultiJet turbodiesel engines, as well as high levels of safety, comfort and ergonomics. On the stand will be a Doblo Cargo with the optional high roof, powered by a 1.9 MultiJet turbodiesel engine.

All new Fiat Professional vehicles come with a 2-year manufacturer warranty and a third* year dealer warranty, for up to 120,000 miles, providing real value to customers.

*NB. Where passenger carrying versions are sold for ‘Hire & Reward’ purposes, the warranty maximum mileage limit remains at 60,000 miles.