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Fiat Ducato takes top motorhome award again

10th December 2010 Print

Further evidence of the huge popularity of Fiat’s Ducato motorhome is shown today with the announcement that it has taken the Which Motorhome Base Vehicle award for the fifth year in a row.

Seeing off tough opposition from rival manufacturers, the Ducato, whose base vehicle was designed specifically for the motorhome market, has once again demonstrated that its blend of power, acceleration, relaxing drive and smooth gearshifts is irresistible to Which Motorhome’s judging experts.

The Ducato first went on sale in 2006, and the following year won the first of its five – to date – Base Vehicle awards. This year’s accolade, as in the previous two years, recognises in particular the benefits offered by Fiat’s six-speed Comfort-Matic (automatic) transmission.

“We all know that Fiat dominates the motorhome market,­ and rightly so, because the Ducato offers by far the best combination of price, performance, handling, specification, and different derivatives to suit different motorhoming needs,” says Which Motorhome editor Peter Vaughan.

“And while the 2.3-litre MultiJet engine is a great all-rounder, the 3-litre is such a refined powerhouse that it’s hard to resist spending the extra, especially on bigger vans – and particularly because it comes with the further option of Fiat’s Comfort-Matic transmission. Enough said. And enough for Fiat to take victory yet again.”

Fiat is currently market leader in mainland Europe and the UK for the supply of base vehicles to the motorhome industry. The UK market is one of the largest in Europe, and motorhome travel is among the most popular leisure activities in the UK.

As market leader, Fiat stands out for the dedicated services it offers to campers, and the maintenance services provided for their vehicles. A European network of more than 7,400 Fiat Ducato service centres offers fully equipped workshops, specialist personnel and parts. A new Ducato Camper call centre is also available, as is a dedicated website: fiatcamper.com.

“We are delighted that the award-winning Ducato continues to be recognised as the best base vehicle in one of the most important industry awards around,” says Gerry Clarke, director, Fiat Professional UK. “The Ducato range keeps on proving it is first choice among motorhome users, and I’m pleased that these awards have again highlighted the advantages of the new Comfort-Matic gearbox.”