Fiat Professional Ducato

Eight’s great as the new Ducato redefines urban LCV

Fiat Professional’s new Ducato has reached Series 8 – an outstanding achievement for a model launched in 1981, and still Europe’s best-selling light commercial vehicle.

The new model reaffirms its leadership and remains one step ahead of the competition, by focusing on technology and connectivity, and even by refreshing the design and overall appearance of the interior.

A new all-digital configuration of the internal instruments, courtesy of the Full Digital Cockpit that can immediately and clearly provide practical journey information and alerts – from the satnav to the driver assistance systems – offers a great deal of flexibility, down to the options for reconfiguration and interaction with the UConnect infotainment system.

With this fully refreshed architecture, the new Ducato adds driver assistance and safety systems to improve the driving experience and make the Ducato a safer environment for work or leisure. Indeed, it is the first LCV with level two autonomous driving, offering a full range of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) both on the road and when parking.

In addition, there are new levels in terms of driving comfort. Keyless Entry and Go – to lock and unlock the cabin and load compartment doors and start the engine without the key; electric parking brake to reduce clutter in the cabin and facilitate relocations; the Eat-andWork passenger seat, which becomes a convenient space to work or for a snack when folded down; a compartment to charge mobile phones wirelessly; double USB-A and USB-C ports; a high-voltage 230-V power socket; larger and more spacious door panels; and new padding on the seats.

Powertrains

New Ducato has fully refreshed its engine range, developed to comply with Euro 6D-Final regulations, and by expanding the range on offer with Heavy-Duty type-approval. The new Multijet3 diesel engines lower consumption and CO2 emissions, while durability is also increased.

Four levels of output (120hp, 140hp, 160hp and 180hp) are available, with a new and improved six speed manual transmission – offered in all four levels and the muchappreciated nine speed automatic transmission, available in the 140hp, 160hp and 180hp variants.

Available in the three highest levels of output, the heavy duty range with manual and automatic transmission completes the engines on offer, maintaining the same torque as the light duty models, already best-in-class with 450Nm of torque from the most powerful engine. Altogether, New Ducato provides customers with the choice of 13 combinations in the line-up, to best adapt to all mission specifications.

Design

The designers at Centro Stile have paid great attention to the redefinition of the New Ducato’s lines and the ergonomics of its interior. The front now has a bolder look, featuring the new, iconic Fiat badge in its center, to proudly emphasize the fact it forms part of the Italian brand, as a vehicle produced at the Atessa plant.

Similarly, the grid, engine housing and skid plates have been redesigned to give an impression of stylistic uniformity in step with the times.

However, the factor that immediately attracts the attention is the design of the high-performance new lights with full-LED technology. The lights are divided into three sections, with the lowest dedicated to the LED light guide and create a decidedly sporty look as well as offering 30 per cent more brightness than conventional halogen headlights.

Equipment levels

New Ducato is available in three configurations: Tecnico, Tecnico Plus and Business Edition, and are all wider ranging than ever before. These three configurations can be customised even further by adding other packs with ADAS systems and improved functionality, all of which are designed to make the New Ducato ‘fit for every mission’ and tailor-made for client requirements.

Connected Ducato

All new connected services can transform the new Ducato. First, the Uconnect system makes it possible to manage and monitor the vehicle directly from various devices. Further services include remote assistance, smart navigation, remote control, fleet management and much more. These create a virtuous circle where all stakeholders can benefit from the advantages of work done in a spirit of constant contact and sharing via the main features on offer, for example My Assistant, to ensure safety and assistance while traveling, providing geolocated support in the event of an incident. Every month, a report is also sent on the health of the New Ducato, with recommendations on how best to take care of the vehicle.

My Remote offers interaction with the vehicle, even when away from it, to lock and unlock the doors, check its location and set up alerts on speed, area and time slots. Plus, if using a voice assistant, directions can be sent straight to the car and receive information on vehicle status.

PRICING

Panel Van: Ducato 35 Lh2 2.2 Multijet III 140 Hp My21 – £32,955

Window Van: Ducato Window Van 35 Lh2 2.2 Multijet III140 Hp My21 – £33,455

Crew Van: Ducato Crew Van 35 Mh2 2.2 Multijet III 140 Hp My21 – £35,005

Chassis Cab: Ducato Chassis Cab 35 Lh1 2.2 Multijet III 140 Hp My21 – £30,855

Chassis Double Cab: Ducato Maxi Chassis Double Cab 35 Lh1 2.2 Multijet III 140 Hp My21 – £32,155