Fiat’s commercial vehicle, the Ducato, is set to change the way South Africans do business. Now available in South Africa in two models, the Fiat Ducato will tackle any task with ease.

Buyers will be able to choose the one that best suits their business needs: the 2.3 JTD 15 Panel Van (requiring a normal Code B/ old 08 licence) or the long-wheelbase 2.8JTD Maxi Panel Van with high roof (requiring a Code C1/old 10 licence). This translates into two different load volumes (9m3 or 12m3); two wheelbase lengths (3200 mm or 3700 mm); two interior heights (1562 mm for the low-roof 2.3 JTD and 1881 mm for the high-roof 2.8 JTD); and two payload classes of 1425 kg and 1530 respectively.

Style and Practicality

Beginning with style. A workhorse must first and foremost be an excellent container for stowing and transferring goods. Only when this requirement has been met can room be made for imagination and creativity. For this reason, the newcomer is a carefully balanced interplay of appearance and function. A design that emphasises function (this is a commercial vehicle, after all) without giving up anything in terms of good looks and personality. Take a look at a few details to see what we mean. The protective strips on the side and rear, for example, are a styling feature but also protect the body from minor bumps. The grille under the windscreen is designed to connect windscreen and bonnet yet also creates an effective barrier against water infiltration. The new, user-friendly exterior handles are very easy to grip and can be operated easily with either hand.

Moving indoors, the Ducato is a model of comfort and practicality. Niceties such as power steering, trip computer, central locking, electric windows, stereo system with CD player (2.8 JTD), infinitely adjustable seats and the height-adjustable steering wheel are standard, of course – very important for drivers who travel long distances.

Items available on the optional menu include air conditioning, stereo system with CD player (2.3 JTD), cruise control, sprung driver’s seat, a more powerful battery and side airbags. There’s a host of storage compartments scattered all over the cabin: on the facia and also in the door panels, under the seats and in the load compartment. The gearlever is located on the facia slightly to the left of the console in a position that makes it very easy to manoeuvre; it also comes with a syringe control for easier, faster reverse engagement.

A convenient ‘desk’ with clipboard is built into the facia. It provides an excellent rest for note-pads and also folds down to blend perfectly into the facia, when it acts as a paper holder. When necessary, however, it can be lifted and made into a document rest by means of a very practical opening mechanism, unless a passenger airbag is fitted: in this case, it is locked in a horizontal position. When the middle part of the two-seater bench is folded down, a practical table appears that is designed to house a portable lap-top computer and complemented by two can holders and a document clip.

The load compartment leads its category thanks to its great capacity and volume and the ingeniously designed doors aid manoeuvrability during opening and closure. Not to mention some important details such as an access footboard built into the bumpers with a broad, non-slip surface; practical load retaining hooks cleverly arranged over the floor; supplementary 12 V power point; generous air vents in the tail-lights to reduce air resistance during door closure and also prevent condensation forming in the load compartment.

Ride and Handling

The new Fiat Ducato offers all-round comfort without compromises. The MacPherson independent front suspension and live axle rear suspension with leaf springs sees to that. A lot of work has also been done on acoustic comfort with the aim of minimising noise transmitted by the engine and road, and limiting vibration, wind noise and aerodynamic whistling.

Engines

The Ducato debuts with two common rail direct injection diesel engines - the 2.3 JTD and the 2.8 JTD – bearing in mind, of course, that it was Fiat Auto that first pioneered this diesel technology. These are engines that represent the cutting edge of a design movement to optimise performance and reliability while simultaneously ensuring low fuel consumption and low exhaust emissions.

2.3 JTD

• Fuel system Common Rail direct injection turbodiesel

• Maximum power output 81 kW at 3600 rpm

• Maximum torque 270 Nm at 1800 rpm

Pick-up and handling of this power unit is outstanding. What’s more, power and maximum torque are achieved at low rpm: 3600 rpm for the former and 1800 rpm for the latter. The power curve is also gradual and the torque curve is surprisingly flat and close to peak levels at just 1500 rpm. All these features ensure very smooth driving behaviour and driving flexibility in all situations, even around town.
 

The secret that allows this engine to achieve normally incompatible results (high performance and low fuel consumption) lies in its electronically-managed high pressure Common Rail injection system that ensures optimum power unit operation at all rpms through control of the various parameters.  And there is more. The 2.3 JTD is also sturdy, reliable and requires very little maintenance. Service intervals are now much longer. Suffice it to say that the timing belt needs changing every 120,000 km while an oil and filter change is required every 20 000 km. Environmental compatibility is another major attribute for a power unit. And the new Fiat Ducato is well within legal emission limits.

The main features of this engine are as follows:

• engine block and central case in cast iron;

• double-section aluminium cylinder head with integral water/oil circulation;

• light alloy pistons with built-in cooling tunnel;

• steel connecting rods;

• twin overhead camshafts;

• 4 cylinders in line with 4 valves per cylinder;

• turbocharger with wastegate valve that allows partial, progressive return of a proportion of exhaust gases at engine speeds higher than 2200 rpm. This improves the available torque delivery at all engine speeds to improve vehicle handling;

• electromagnetically-activated electronic injectors managed by the control unit: the injectors receive input from the control unit on the basis of parameters monitored by dedicated sensors;

• toothed belt-driven timing system (2 OHC);

• glow plugs: the glow plugs are located directly inside the combustion chamber and controlled by the ECU. They considerably reduce preheating and cranking time to help limit stress on the engine during cold starts with low outdoor temperatures;

• fuel system with high-pressure Common Rail direct injection (1600 bars): the Common Rail system used in the 2.3 JTD engine fuel system is remarkable for the high pressure (1600 bars as opposed to 1350 bars for a classic system) at which the fuel is injected into the cylinders. Fuel metering, controlled by the ECU, is therefore even more accurate, with considerable advantages in terms of fuel consumption, fuel emissions and engine noise levels. Considerable fuel feed pressure is achieved through the adoption of a new fuel pump with a very high maximum rotation speed (4500 rpm).

2.8 JTD

• Fuel system Common Rail direct injection turbodiesel

• Maximum power output 93.5 kW at 3600 rpm

• Maximum torque 300 Nm at 1800 rpm

The 2.8 JTD Common Rail direction injection engine with intercooler owes its place at the top of the Ducato range to its generous maximum torque and power performance. The 2.8 JTD displays attributes of reliability and strength that make it particularly well-suited to heavy-duty applications. Its gradual power curve ensures very smooth driving behaviour even in difficult situations due to the unit's flexibility at all speeds. The torque curve is also near-maximum from low rpms.

Servicing

The new Fiat Ducato is fitted as standard with an important new tool that allows vehicle servicing to be managed in accordance with specific customer needs. The driver can now select the variables D (distance travelled) and T (time elapsed) from a range of pre-defined settings to define a customised service plan that takes into account the main vehicle application type. The minimum requirements set out in the Owner Handbook must, of course, still be respected.
When the key is in, the service indicator shows the number of kilometres to the next service for 5 seconds on the odometer display on the instrument panel. As the next service approaches (i.e. at 2000 km or less than 30 days to the next service), the reading remains constantly in view. The signal then begins to flash at the service deadline to indicate how many kilometers have been covered since the service due date.

Safety

On the active safety front the flagship 2.8 JTD model boasts four disc brakes combined with a drum parking brake inside the disc brakes (Drum in Hat configuration). It goes without saying that this model also features 4-sensor ABS with electronic brakeforce distributor EBD and ASR (Anti Slip Regulator) as standard equipment. ABS and ASR are available as options on the 2.3 JTD Ducato. Passive safety requirements are met by a driver's airbag and pre-tensioned belts for the front occupants. The 2.8-litre version gets an airbag (deactivatable) for the front passenger as well.