Some 2.6 million sales after the Ducato first appeared, Fiat has just launched the latest generation of the van in Ireland. The new one has 'car-like-styling' according to Fiat (funny, it still looks like a big white box to us...) with slick new headlamps, LED daytime running lights and a fully integrated radiator grille. More importantly, things like the new four-section bumpers are cheaper and easier to repair if they take a knock, while the more aerodynamic shape will help with the long-haul fuel bills.
Irish Ducatos get a slick-looking, uprated interior as standard (although this can be downgraded to a cheaper dashboard if your company fleet manager is on the mean side...) and again Fiat says that it offers car-like levels of comfort. As well as lumbar support and a driver's armrest being standard on all models, a new dashboard console can accommodate two 750ml beverage bottles, as well as storage, charging and USB/aux-in facilities for mobile devices.
Remember the cheap plastic clipboard of vans of old? Yesterday's news, that and the new Ducato comes with a tablet, phablet and mobile phone holder that allows easier operation of any functions while stopped in traffic, and the two person passenger bench seat folds down into a useful document table if you're on your own.
The Ducato also benefits from more advanced infotainment systems - a four-speaker audio system with Bluetooth technology and MP3 playback is now standard on all models, while Fiat's new Uconnect, five-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system is available as an option. This includes an advanced Bluetooth interface to access extra functions, such as phone call management, reading received SMS text messages via text-to-speech technology and audio streaming that plays music files or web radio stations directly from a smart device. A TomTom navigation system can also be integrated into the unit, complete with bird's eye mapping, progressive route guidance and a 'One-Step Voice Entry Destination' function for entering the destination address using voice commands. Other available enhancements include remote steering wheel controls, DAB digital radio and a reversing camera that operates in combination with rear parking sensors.
Now, the engines are not yet Euro VI compliant, but they are at 'Euro V +' and the entry-level 2.3-litre MultiJet diesel emits 170g/km and can crack the 40mpg barrier on the combined cycle. That's the 110hp engine, and there are 130- and 150hp versions too, as well as a properly heavy-duty 180hp 3.0-litre unit. Service intervals are set at 48,000km.
Start-stop is available on 2.3 MultiJet 130- and 150hp engines and can improve fuel efficiency in urban areas by as much as 15 per cent according to Fiat. The Gear Shift Indicator (GSI) goes one step further by actively encouraging the selection of a more efficient gear via an illuminated indicator in the instrument panel. A six-speed Comfort-Matic transmission is also available on all but the entry-level 2.3-litre MultiJet II 110hp engine, offering a further five per cent boost in fuel efficiency thanks to specific ratios and mapping, depending on vehicle use.
The new Ducato also makes substantial progress in the field of vehicle safety, with state-of-the-art safety and driving assistance devices available across the range. All versions are now equipped with an advanced ESC (Electronic Stability Control) system as standard and addition to ROM (Roll-Over Mitigation) and RMI (Roll Movement Intervention), the system also integrates LAC (Load Adaptive Control, which adapt to shifts in the vehicle's centre-of-gravity); Hill Holder; ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation); MSR (drive torque control); EBA (Electronic Braking Assistance) and ABS with EBD. A driver's airbag is standard while a large 120-litre passenger airbag (to take account of the double-bench seats), side airbags and curtain airbags are available upon request.
Further driving assistance systems are also available on request, such as rain-sensing wipers, cruise control with a speed limiter, TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System) and dusk-sensing headlamps, which can be combined with AHBA (Automatic High Beam Activation). Also available is Fiat's advanced Traction+ (with HDC) system that guarantees greater traction even on poor grip surfaces (such as snow or mud) without the added weight, complexity and increasing running costs associated with full 4x4 systems. HDC (Hill Descent Control) operates on steep descents to keep the speed within a pre-set limit by utilising the ESC to brake individual wheels.
Advanced systems such as LDWS (Lane Departure Warning System) and segment-exclusive TSR (Traffic Sign Recognition - a system that identifies speed limits and no-overtaking zones and displays them on the instrument panel) also debut on the new Ducato.
Within the van range, there is a choice of eight different load volumes, ranging from 8- to 17 cubic metres, across four lengths, three wheelbases and three heights, with payloads of between 800- and 2,100kg, as well as three different sizes each of side-sliding and rear doors - all told, this makes for a total of 1,000 possible van body configurations alone.
The squared-off load compartment offers class-leading (according to Fiat) cargo space between the rear wheel arches (1.42m) as well as category-leading internal dimensions and accessibility. The new Ducato also is claimed to have best-in-class space efficiency, i.e. the ratio of load compartment length to total length, particularly on versions of less than six metres, which are predominantly used in urban areas where the external footprint needs to be as small as possible.
Two lengths are offered for the chassis cabs, including a new 3,800mm wheelbase version, and there will even be a new three-way tipper available directly from Fiat Professional, available for order later in the year. More than 250 optional extras are offered on the new Ducato, such as the fixed or removable tow hook and a retractable rear access step. There'll be plenty of camper van versions too, and Fiat claims that the new Ducato has been "optimised and updated according to feedback from motorhome manufacturers and which is why the base-vehicle range is now available in no fewer than five wheelbases, six different chassis lengths and four engines options, resulting in a total number of 600 possible motorhome base combinations."
Prices start from €17,600 for the 2.3 MultiJet 100hp SWB, rising to €31,750 for a 2.3 180hp Crew-Cab.
Anything else?
The Ducato is actually named after a pirate coin, the Portuguese Ducat. Fiat's other vans, the Doblo (Doubloon) and Scudo (Escudo) are likewise named for ancient coins.