Fiat Fiorino : FIOR FACTOR

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The Fiat Fiorino may be small but it could be perfectly formed for the modern urban environment. Steve Walker takes a look.

As our cities and urban areas continue to indulge their penchant for expansion and sprawl, commercial vehicles may have to undergo a spot of shrinkage to cope. At least that's the view at Fiat where the compact Fiorino van is being touted as the ideal solution for operators that find themselves beset by congestion and plagued by soaring costs.

The Fiorino is Fiat's smallest purpose-built van. The Italian firm will also supply you with a commercial version of its Punto supermini but its teeny load carrying capacity precludes it for many. The Fiorino delivers a reasonably spacious load bay coupled with micro dimensions that should make the cuts and thrusts of metropolitan motoring that bit easier to avoid. The van, like the mainstay of Fiat's light commercial vehicle range, was created in partnership with PSA Peugeot Citroen. This means that prospective buyers can obtain vehicles that are borderline identical to the Fiorino in the shape of the Peugeot Bipper and Citroen Nemo. Fiat, of course, would prefer that they didn't. The engine line-up is a key reason why operators might choose the Fiorino instead of the Peugeot and Citroen models that share its platform. Fiat has installed its acclaimed 75bhp 1.3-litre Multijet oil-burner rather than the 1.4-litre diesel used by its French partners. The unit is extremely compact and lightweight helping giving rise to excellent fuel economy and with 190Nm of torque, it feels strong as well. With that maximum torque produced at 1,750rpm, the Fiorino has the punchy element to its performance that's perfect for darting in and out of traffic. It also has the accurate steering and tight turning circle that operators want when space is tight. The alternative to the 1.3-litre Multijet diesel is a 1.4-litre petrol powerplant with 73bhp. Here torque of 118Nm is produced at 2,600rpm so there's less urgency at low revs but the petrol is smooth, refined and, crucially, costs less. Petrol tends to be routinely avoided by van buyers but the low-mileage, urban usage for which the Fiorino was designed might make unleaded a viable option for some. All models get a five-speed manual gearbox as standard but the diesel is available with the 6-speed ComfortMatic sequential manual transmission which can operate in automatic mode. The Fiorino has been designed with the urban environment very much in mind. The wheels are pushed to the corners of the vehicle to maximise interior space and manoeuvrability while keeping the van compact and wieldy. The substantial wrap-around bumper protects against parking knocks and expensive components like the headlamps, bonnet and radiator set well back to lessen the chance of them coming to harm.

"The general impression is one of user-friendliness and sturdy design."

The interior of the Fiorino will feel a little confined to those familiar with full size compact vans but there's reasonable space for driver and passenger. The driving position is upright and affords a good view of the Fiorino's surroundings with the seat and the steering wheel offering a good range of adjustability. Storage space is less generous than in models from the next class up but with 12 compartments to choose from, there should be room for most of the essentials. Lots of the switchgear in the Fiorino will be familiar to owners of Fiat passenger cars and these days the Italian firm is well up to speed in terms of build quality. The general impression is one of user-friendliness and sturdy design. The Fiorino van is available in Base and SX trim with the former including ABS with EBD, a driver's airbag, power steering, a CD stereo, height adjustment for the steering wheel and driver's seat plus a ladder frame bulkhead. The SX adds remote central locking, a nearside sliding side door, electric windows, electric mirrors and other extras. In addition, there's a Combi model with a row of seats in the back and an Adventure pack which gives additional protection on unsurfaced roads by adding raised suspension, fatter tyres and various body shielding. The UK compact van market has split and the Fiorino, along with its Citroen Nemo and Peugeot Bipper brethren, is operating in the smaller sub-compact class. The Renault Kangoo Compact is another of this pint-sized breed targeted at urban operators. These models are more likely to win sales from less practical supermini-derived vans than from the larger compact vans like Fiat's Doblo, Citroen's Berlingo and the Volkswagen Caddy which offer considerably larger carrying capacities. If van drivers can give up some of the carrying capacity they're used to, Fiat can give them lower running costs and extra manoeuvrability in the shape of the Fiorino van. It's a trade off that some will be only too happy to make with the Fiorino proving well-suited to the trials and tribulations of getting about modern towns and cities. The space available, both in the cabin and in the load area, will be the major concern for operators looking at the Fiorino. For some, there just won't be enough room to cover all eventualities. Those than can manage, however, get a vehicle ideally suited to its role, with the excellent 1.3-litre diesel engine giving the Fiorino a key advantage over its sister vehicles from Peugeot and Citroen. Fiat's Fiorino is small. 3,864mm long and 1,589mm wide, it's a compact van with the footprint littler that most superminis. Despite this, there's a 2.5m3 load volume to play with and a payload capacity of 610kg. That volume can be increased by means of an optional folding passenger seat which flops down to increase capacity to 2.8m3. It may not sound like much but it increases the available load length from 1,523mm to 2,491mm which is really handy when you're trying to cram longer items inside. The load bay is accessed through asymmetrically-split rear doors on the standard model with one or two sliding side doors available from the options list. The apertures behind these side doors are narrow so large items will have to go in through the rear where there's a low 527mm loading height and 1,064mm between the wheelarches. The Fiorino should prove extremely economical to run, particularly in Multijet diesel from where combined economy of nearly 63mpg is not out of the question. Fiat has also worked hard to minimise repair costs for the van and to extend service intervals.

Facts At A Glance MANUFACTURER: Fiat MODEL: Fiorino BHP: 73bhp - 75bhp PAY
LOAD CAPACITY: 610kg LOAD VOLUME: 2.5m3 GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT: 1,680kg - 1,700kg LENGTH: 3,864mm WIDTH: 1,589mm HEIGHT: 1,721mm June 7th 2008