Fiat DOBLO CARGO VAN RANGE
Not Your Average Small Van Looks-Wise But One With A Style All Of Its Own And No Small Amount Of Ability, Fiats Doblo Cargo Might Be Right Up Your Street. Steve Walker Reports
There are very few truly bad vehicles that remain in production today but there are still models that are held in greater esteem by the car buying public than their underlying abilities perhaps deserve. Fiats Doblo Cargo van is not one of these. In fact, its quite the opposite. There are less worthy small vans that have established a profile far in excess of the Doblos, yet the unassuming
Fiat can roundly trounce them in most of the areas that matter.
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It could be clever marketing on the part of competitors, it could be blind luck but whatever the root cause, the Doblo Cargo has traditionally not received the attention it deserves. Perhaps now all that will change, as the van renews its bid for the limelight in revised form.
You have to at least entertain the possibility that it could be the Doblo Cargos looks that have held it back from achieving recognition as one of the UK markets very top small vans. All the major facets needed to achieve greatness in this sector are present and correct until you come to the stipulation apparently made by many businesses when choosing their commercial vehicles must be bland and uninteresting. Could it be that too many firms are unwilling to stick their staid corporate necks out by purchasing a van as unconventional-looking as the Doblo? If that is the case, then its their loss. The Fiats rounded, slightly portly facade and squat stance endow it with a unique character.
The chunky front with its thick horizontal bar dividing the light clusters, deep bumper and lattice grille suggest offroader, though the profile is more Postman Pats van. Theres nice detailing in the shape of the body-coloured wing-mirror stripe the robust plastic handles and the rounded-off side windows. Everything pulls in the same direction to make the Doblo Cargo an interesting but coherent visual proposition, more distinctive than any other UK market small van.
"There are three genuinely impressive powerplants to choose from"
Its to Fiats credit that they resisted the urge to tinker with the styling as part of the latest round of revisions, although, thats about the only avenue of tinkering they did manage to resist. The current range overwhelms buyers with a choice of four substantially different engines and enhanced soundproofing makes it doubly difficult to remember which of them youve got plumbed in. A 2-tone dash livens up the already lively interior and accurate trip information is now dispensed in all but the entry-level model by a centrally-mounted computer readout. Buyers can pick from standard or SX trim before dipping into an options list that includes ABS brakes, a CD player and Fiats excellent CONNECT communications system.
The biggest conundrum when considering the purchase of a Doblo Cargo will be what to have mounted in your models engine bay. There are three genuinely impressive powerplants to choose from plus one that leaves a little to be desired. The runt of the litter is the standard 63bhp 1.9D.
This is an old school diesel that should have been expelled some time ago. Cain it and youll get to 60mph in a pedestrian 20.9s. Engine noise is more prominent than in any of the other oil-burners but is an affordable entry-level to the Doblo diesel range.
Its just that if you can possibly raise the £300 to step up to the 1.3-litre Multijet model, you should do it. Refined, flexible and utilising the latest Multijet engine control technology. The 1.
3-litre JTD unit is a second-generation common-rail diesel. Its 0-60mph time of 16s is not overly impressive but theres 70bhp at 4,600rpm and 133lb/ft of torque as low as 1,750rpm so it makes the Doblo feel quicker than the figures suggest. You should also be able to average over 50mpg. The 1.
9 JTD remains at the pinnacle of the Doblo Cargo range but it now 5 more horses to play with. This 105bhp engine is of the first generation common-rail configuration and utilises Fiats Unijet injection system. Its not as advanced as the 1.3-litre but its faster and nearly as economical.
0-60mph takes 12.4s and combined fuel consumption is 48.7mpg, which is actually 10% better than the old 100bhp 1.9-litre JTD unit.
Maximum torque is 151lb/ft and it arrives at 1,750rpm. The final engine choice is the cheapest in the range, a 1,2-litre 65bhp unit. Petrol is often viewed as a dirty word amongst commercial vehicle buyers but this engine is feisty and provides respectable economy of around 36mpg. Theres not as much torque as with the diesels but the petrol is more refined.
The load bay is another Doblo Cargo strongpoint. Theres 3.2m3 of room inside and if you opt for a hi-roof version, that figure increases to 3.8.
By way of comparison, Renaults Kangoo offers 2.7m3 and Citroens Berlingo chips in with 2.8m3. This is where the Doblo Cargos boxy dimensions really pay off.
Maximum payload capacity is 625kg, which is on a par with the class pace setters. Load access is also good with sliding side doors supplementing the usual access at the rear. The load space itself is usefully uniform in shape with a PVC lining and a metal ladder frame bulkhead behind the drivers
seat. The SX model comes with a full steel bulkhead.
Internally, the Doblo is a vibrant proposition with some particularly lurid trim colours available to match the 11 different exterior paintwork options. This vivid approach certainly livens up the drivers working environment and makes a change from the traditional CV choice of grey cloth or wipe-clean vinyl. The fabric seems suitably hardwearing and the plastics tough. The two-tone dash may be familiar to
Fiat Ducato owners with its centrally mounted gearstick and the circular flapped vents mimicking the largest Fiat van.
Theres little to criticise here, the unusual styling theme carries over well from the exterior but not at the expense of functionality. The driving position is upright and visibility is good, combining with the tight 10.5m turning circle to make the Doblo Cargo a very malleable small van. Engines, carrying capacity, ownership experience, price, as a combination of these key factors, the Doblo Cargo is as good as or better than almost all of its direct competitors.
In terms of styling, its different. For some thats good thing for the less adventurous its a big no no but this is undoubtedly a van that warrants greater attention from CV buyers that is sometimes gets. Try it you might like it.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
VAN: Fiat Doblo Cargo
PRICES: £8,295 - £10,065 (ex VAT) ENGINE OPTIONS: 1.2 8v 65bhp (petrol) / 1.9D 63bhp, 1.3JTD 70bhp, 1.
9JTD 105bhp (diesel) PAYLOADS: 625kg LOAD VOLUME: 3.2/3.8m3
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4159/1714/1820mm
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