New Fiat Ducato goes on sale

The new Fiat Ducato goes on sale this month, with improved emissions and a selection of engines and styles to suit individual needs. Prices start at £18,795 before VAT for the basic 30, which has a 3000kg gross vehicle weight and returns 39.8mpg.

There are two different engines, a 2.3-litre and a 3.0-litre, both of which feature MultiJet technology and are Euro V compliant.  Power outputs for the belt cam 2.3-litre engine are 110, 130 and 150bhp and the chain cam 3.0-litre is only available with 177bhp.

Fuel consumption varies from model to model, but the 2.3-litre engines return between 38.2 and 29.8mpg, and the 3.0 litre manages 33.6mpg. Both engines are rated to tow a maximum braked weight of 2500kg.

There are numerous different body styles available with gross vehicle weight (GVW) ratings ranging from 3000-4000kg, with maximum payloads of between 1000kg and 2000kg including the driver. There are three different wheelbases and three different heights, making for a wealth of configurations, with eight different load area volumes ranging from eight to 17m³.

Because of the versatile chassis and body structure the Ducato can be used as the basis for various vehicles including motorhomes and flatbeds. It’s available to buy as a panel van, a combi, and a window van, or with chassis and crew cabs.

Special attention has been paid to the interior in an effort to make it more versatile and user friendly. It features neat touches like a clip-board for holding documents, a storage area for a laptop, and a refrigerated compartment designed to hold a 1.5-litre drinks bottle. Furthermore, the drinks holder can be adjusted to hold a mobile phone.

The driver’s seat is adjustable six ways and is trimmed in a new fabric, and underneath it is a storage tray. A two seat bench or an individual seat can be specified for the passengers.

The dashboard features a slot for the Blue&Me TomTom sat nav system, which has improved usability and can be linked to an eco:Drive professional system, which monitors the van and can teach the driver to improve his fuel consumption.

You can expect Peugeot Boxer and Citroen Relay models to benefit from the updates and improvements applied to the Ducato, too.