The undisputed star of the exhibition will be the new Fiorino, a unique vehicle that was created to meet the needs of operators looking for a van that is compact in size, economical to run, agile in traffic and easy to park. The new Fiorino is destined to set completely new standards in segment 1B, playing an important role in the light commercial vehicle market.

From October 26 to November 3, Amsterdam will host the European Road Transport Show 2007, one of the most important European events in this field, which will attract all the leading players and the major manufacturers of trucks and light commercial vehicles. Fiat Professional will be there with one of the most comprehensive product ranges on the market.

The ambassadors of this amazing range will be the Scudo, Ducato and Doblò Cargo, displayed in standard and converted versions. The undisputed star of the exhibition will be the new Fiorino, a unique vehicle that was created to meet the needs of operators looking for a van that is compact in size, economical to run, agile in traffic and easy to park. The new Fiorino is destined to set completely new standards in segment 1B, playing an important role in the light commercial vehicle market.

The new model appears at this international event in three versions all with orange paintwork but with different bodies and different approaches to the loading bay. They are all fitted with air conditioning, foglights, and a radio with CD-player and MP3 reader. Two of them are powered by the 75 bhp 1.3 Multijet turbodiesel engine, while the third mounts the 73 bhp 1.4 petrol unit. Both engines are modern Euro 4 units, ideal for customers looking for reliability, low consumption and low running costs, but also elasticity, and generous torque at low speeds, because they guarantee an enjoyable drive even in town traffic. The spotlights will also be on another vehicle on the stand: a new Fiorino with electric drive that underlines the importance of the environment for Fiat Professional – and for all Fiat Group Automobiles brands – as a fundamental guideline in the development of its models.

Ideal for deliveries and transport in towns, the new electric Fiorino was developed by Micro-Vett and is powered by a three-phase asynchronous engine that delivers 15 / 30 kW, allowing it to accelerate from 0 to 50 km/h in 7 seconds and to reach a top speed of over 80 km/h. Performance that is more than acceptable (it can negotiate a gradient of 20% fully laden), which confirms that electric drive is a valid alternative in town, particularly if combined with a robotised gearbox capable of providing ‘stress-free driving’ even in intense town traffic.

The lithium batteries – which guarantee a range of over 100 km in the ECE 101 urban cycle – can be recharged in 6-8 hours from the power grid with a 3 kW socket (if a 9 kW grid is available, recharging only takes 3 hours). Thanks to a generous loading bay, with a loading capacity of 2.5 m3 (which becomes 2.8 when the fold-down seats are mounted) and a payload of 280 kg, the new electric Fiorino is perfect to transport small and medium sized packages in town centres, restricted traffic zones, markets, hospitals, etc.

Other models are on show in Amsterdam alongside the new Fiorino. There is a high-roof Fiat Ducato Panorama, equipped with the powerful 120 Multijet engine (capacity of 2.3 litres) that delivers 120 bhp and peak torque of 320 Nm. The spotlights are also on the two new Scudos on display. The first is a 2.0 Multijet Van with a short wheelbase, loading volume of 5 m3, payload of 1.2 tonnes, with a two-seater bench in the cab, a radio and the Look Pack. The second is an 8-seater passenger transport Panorama Executive equipped with the powerful 140 Multijet that delivers 136 bhp and peak torque of 320 Nm (a particulate filter is standard equipment), a long wheelbase, radio, navigator, air suspension, the Look Pack, alloy wheels and sidebags. The heir to a winning model, the new Scudo is the best that the market can offer in terms of a vehicle that combines the qualities of a reliable, capacious, practical work vehicle with the features of a modern saloon, embodied by excellent road behaviour, very enjoyable driving and a lavish array of equipment to guarantee safety and comfort on board.

The Doblò will also be on the catwalk at the 2007 European Road Transport Show, in the Cargo version with a 1.6 Natural Power engine (petrol and methane) and a 1.3 85 bhp engine with DPF. The Doblò Cargo leads its class for ease of access to the loading bay, productivity and payload, but also for comfort, ergonomics, low consumption and low running costs. The exterior design conveys a sense of protective solidity, while the interior styling makes it roomy and friendly.

In Amsterdam, Fiat Professional is also exhibiting a number of light commercial vehicles outfitted by leading bodywork converters. The Snoeks company has created a Scudo SX LH1 van (short wheelbase, standard roof) in the ‘double cab’ configuration, equipped with the 140 bhp 2.0 Multijet engine, with painted bumpers, side rubbing strips and door mirrors, and alloy wheels. The peculiar feature of this vehicle is the ‘double interior cab’, which respects a specific Dutch tax law; a light commercial vehicle is exempt from paying Luxury Tax if it has a loading bay at least 1.5 metres long behind a partition. This version of the Scudo can transport passengers and goods efficiently without having to pay the Luxury Tax. The double interior cab created by Snoeks has a transparent partition made of ABS (plastic), and a bench for 3 passengers complete with head-restraints and seat-belts. The design of the double cab reflects the styling of the front end: the vehicle on display at the Show features leather upholstery and a DVD player.

The Fiat Professional stand also includes two conversions based on the Ducato. The first is a Panorama KH1 2.3 Multijet (short wheelbase, standard roof) with self-levelling suspension, pull-out access platform and dual-zone climate system. Like the previous Scudo, this Ducato was also converted by Snoeks with a double cab, which combines the exclusiveness and comfort of the Panorama configuration with a generous loading capacity for goods transport, all without having to pay the Luxury Tax. The second converted Ducato is a Maxi 2.3 Multijet Chassis-cab with twin-blade rear suspension, wide rear track and door mirrors, and an integral polyester body made by Van den Born with a hydraulic loading side by DHollandia. We should underline that the polyester sides can be personalised rapidly and easily, with company stickers.
 The converted Ducatos are the best demonstration of the versatility of a model that has always been able to offer the best solution for all light urban and out-of-town transport requirements, no matter how complex, thanks to the modular design of the bodywork. The Ducato range is highly diversified, with a total of 2000 variants if we consider the many bodyshell-engine-engineering combinations: over 300 types of bodyshell, 150 options and 120 colours. Without taking into consideration the many solutions developed by bodywork converters that specialise in leisure time vehicles (campers, autocaravans, motorhomes), or special passenger (minibuses, schoolbuses, ambulances, vehicles for the disabled) and goods vehicles (box bodies, insulated cells, armoured vehicles to transport valuables, mobile shops).

We should also remember that other converted Fiat Professional vehicles are on display on various stands at the Amsterdam Show. For example, the supplier Motexion (specialised in loading bay linings) is exhibiting a Scudo SX LH1 2.0 Multijet 140 bhp (short wheelbase, standard roof) with a protected, lined loading bay complete with partition. And finally the Combi Group (a group of bodywork specialists) is displaying a Fiat Strada 1.3 Multijet with a single cab: the vehicle was developed for the town of Stadskanaal (and the orange paintwork reflects the Dutch town’s official livery), and features a hydraulically tilting box body for refuse collection, with side bars and flashing lights on the roof.