The 85th Brussels Motor Show, one of the year’s most important European transport exhibitions, will be held from January 13 to 21. All the big names in this sector, and the major manufacturers of light commercial vehicles, will be taking part. They include Fiat Auto, which has always played a leading role in this field, thanks to a revamped product range that is now the most comprehensive on the market. The models exhibited at the Brussels Show will act as ambassadors for this extraordinary range: from the new Ducato to the Strada Pick Up, Doblò Cargo and Doblò Cargo Maxi. But the undisputed star of the stand will be the new Scudo, making its world premiere at the international exhibition with seven vehicles from its range.

The new Scudo inherits and improves on the strengths of the previous vehicle: vans and passenger vehicles with the architecture of an MPV, excellent road behaviour, entertaining to drive, with handling and comfort that are comparable with those of a modern saloon. It becomes the new benchmark for its category in terms of the extension of the range, functionality (increased volume and payload), performance, low running costs, sturdiness and safety, as well as protection against theft. We should underline the wide choice of glazed and semi-glazed passenger versions with 5/6 and 8/9 seats, and short or long wheelbases: the Combi for professional uses, the Panorama Family for private use (people for whom space is the fundamental purchasing motivation: large families or people who do a lot of sport in their free time), the Panorama Executive for more sophisticated transport services (minibuses/shuttles for large hotels or taxi limousines for elite tourism). The Panorama versions in particular offer a high quality of life on board and styling typical of a people-mover, with elegant interior furnishings and lavish equipment, painstakingly finished in terms of acoustic and climatic comfort. There is a choice of three engines, all with 4 cylinders and 16 valves, and all Euro 4, elastic engines with a smooth torque delivery even at low speeds, quiet, comfortable, but above all very economical: the 90 Multijet 1.6 litres (90 bhp, 180 Nm), 120 Multijet 2.0 litres (120 bhp, 300 Nm) and 140 Multijet Power 2.0 litres (136 bhp, 320 Nm) with a particulate trap as standard equipment.

The second star on the stand is the new Ducato. The heir to a model which has been collecting international awards and commercial success for twenty-five years, of which over 1.7 million have been sold around the world since 1981, it is now up to the new Ducato to take up the baton and confirm its position at the top of its class. The Fiat light commercial vehicle has a distinctive, new avant-garde look, it guarantees the highest levels of comfort and performance, offering a lavish array of telematic and safety equipment, topped off by very low running costs. And access to the loading bay has been made even easier, while productivity and the payload have been increased. The new Fiat Ducato has been “designed by the business”, and it responds effectively to the demands of professional transport and of leisure time use.

The stand in Brussels will also be displaying a number of special conversions that reflect only a few of the many possible customisations. The range extends from mobile workshops to flatbed vehicles, insulated vehicles and refrigerated vehicles.
 

The outfit market is expanding rapidly: in fact, in segment 2, where Fiat Auto is present with the new Ducato and new Scudo, one vehicle in three is already a conversion. Visitors to the Brussels show will be able to admire several examples, such as the “Ducato for Ducati”, a vehicle designed specifically to transport and service motorcycles, born out of collaboration between Fiat Light Commercial Vehicles and Ducati Corse, and the Ducato Truckster, a unique show van with modern, “exuberant” styling, an extreme interpretation of the concept of “sportiness” applied to a light commercial vehicle.

Another show van derived from the Scudo Panorama Executive is also on show in Brussels. Known as the “B2B”, because it is an ideal solution for both a business clientele and coachwork outfitters, this vehicle features a number of styling elements that highlight its elegance and exclusiveness. For example, the sophisticated Aster Grey paintwork which matches the Chrome Shadow shade of the grille, handles and side rubbing strips perfectly. The vehicle also sports mirrors painted a refined glossy black with “Mont Blanc” effect, “privacy” tinted windows and smoked covers on the front and rear light clusters, plus original 19” alloys that fit large 235/45 tyres, and an elegant multipurpose rear spoiler.

The spotlights will also be focused on an example of the new Strada Adventure with long cab, the ideal solution for people looking for a light commercial vehicle that is more dynamic and suitable for leisure time use, and four vehicles from the new Doblò Cargo family, the model that leads its class for ease of access to the loading bay, productivity and payload, but also for comfort, ergonomics, fuel economy and low running costs. One particularly interesting version on show is the long wheelbase Maxi that puts the new Doblò Cargo at the top of its class for the length of its loading bay (2060 mm), the loading volume (4 cu m) and payload (850 kg including the driver).

The Brussels Show provides an excellent opportunity to take a close look at one of the most comprehensive, ramified ranges on the market, and one that has always interpreted customers’ real needs, evolving in step with their expectations. This is the real secret of the success enjoyed by Fiat Light Commercial Vehicles in 2006: the first estimates indicate deliveries of over 223,000 vehicles in Western Europe, for 11% of the market. The brand is leader of the Italian market with 45.2%, and Poland with 20.6%, as well as the leading importer in Germany and France. And the merit goes to the excellent results achieved by all the Fiat Light Commercial Vehicle models, from the Punto Van to the Doblò Cargo, the new Scudo and the new Ducato, in their respective segments. The performance of the new Ducato in the six months since its launch is particularly worthy of mention, with over 90,000 orders received.