Fiat DobloWhen you analyse what factors appeal to the folk who buy MPVs, you realise they’d really be about as happy, though unprepared to admit it, in a van. There they’d have the high seating position, the capacious load area (even if lacking a few seats), and the ease of entry. Combining car and van benefits is an obvious solution, and one which manufacturers have hopped onto the back of, with cars like the Citroen Berlingo, the Renault Kangoo and the Fiat Doblo.For buyers it’s proved as popular a concept as it is with the manufacturers, and Fiat have sold more than a million variants of their Doblo since it first hit the world’s roads in the millennium year. With the new one they say comes “improved comfort, style, economy, safety and running costs”.Despite the relatively wee dimensions – pretty much Ford Focus length and width, though a few hands taller – the Doblo offers the option of seven seats, and head room for all those occupants is lavish. More memorable than the head room however is the ease of entry which, thanks to the Doblo’s sliding door on each side, is the proverbial slice of cake; good news too in the crowded supermarket car park.The choice of three engines is weighed towards diesel, with 1.6 and 2-litre versions of Fiat’s excellent MultiJet units. Petrol wants must be satisfied by the 1.4-litre 16-valve device – a development of the one that does service across most of the Fiat range. As you’d expect, all three engines outdo their predecessors by providing more power and better economy and CO2 figures; most notably the larger MultiJet, which is a development of the previous 1.9 engine, has no less than 60% more torque. Unusually, and most would say sensibly, all models come with Start&Stop as standard, so the engine is cut if the gearbox is in neutral and you’re stopped at the lights or in traffic, and it starts again as soon as the clutch is depressed to put it in gear. Fiat reckon it improves consumption by 15% on all three engines, which is hugely optimistic, but it’ll certainly do something, especially for the townies. If you’re wondering what happens with auto transmission, Fiat have got around the problem by not offering auto as an option at all, though the 1.6 MultiJet will soon be available with an MTA (‘Manual Transmission Automated’) 5-speed box.I spent most of my time in the smaller diesel, which has enough power and torque to keep up with the traffic, though not an abundance of either. The 6-speed gearbox enables one to be in the right gear for any situation however, and provided the revs aren’t near the limit it’s a remarkably quiet and refined engine.Suspension set-up is effectively the same as the Punto Evo. Attached to the Doblo it gives a firmish ride, but I found it comfortable, and it’ll certainly be ready for a load of heavy rugby types. Unique in this class of car is the Doblo’s provision of an Electronic Stability Programme in every model. Couple that to the easy-drive nature of the thing, with excellent gear change and great all-round visibility, and you have the basis for relaxing, stress-free driving.There’s more practicality in the cabin, where the rubberised facia front might betray the van origins, but certainly adds to the longevity. In our Eleganza trimmed car, with body in what you’d say was red but Fiat like to call Neoclassical Bordeaux, the interior also offered attractive slices of matching colour here and there: seat centres and facia front finished in red certainly would lift the spirits on a damp November morning.Rear seats of the 7-seat version, like those in the second row, can be tumbled and folded, or even removed altogether, which leaves a massive 3200 litres of load space. The 5-seat version, with all seats in use, still offers a big straight-sided and flat area, with 790 litres (28 cubic feet) of space. And it’s all loaded through a truly gargantuan tailgate that will accept with ease the worst that B&Q can throw at it.The Doblo face is a cheeky chappie, not a thing to grace the pages of Cool Car mag, but owners won’t have started their search concerned about such matters. The Doblo is for those to whom practicality is all; the fact that their less enlightened children might prefer them to park around the back of the school is not going to have any effect on their decision to buy one. It’s comfortable, spacious, easy to drive, and relatively economic. I have to say that I really enjoyed driving it, simply because all that practicality makes for an easy life.You may be driving what looks suspiciously like a van with windows…….but you know it makes sense.Size: 4.39m x 1.83mEngines: Petrol: 1.4 litres – 95PSDiesel: 1.6 litres – 105PS2.0 litres – 135PSGearbox: 5/6-speed manual FWDBest Consumption: 1.6 diesel – 54.3mpgPrice at June ’10: £12,295 to £17,145Full details of the Fiat Doblo range available on the manufacturer’s website: www.fiat.co.ukPeter Cracknell - June 2010
Fiat Doblo
When you analyse what factors appeal to the folk
who buy MPVs, you realise they’d really be about as
happy, though unprepared to admit it, in a van. There
they’d have the high seating position, the capacious
load area (even if lacking a few seats), and the ease
of entry. Combining car and van benefits is an
obvious solution, and one which manufacturers have
hopped onto the back of, with cars like the Citroen
Berlingo, the Renault Kangoo and the Fiat Doblo.
For buyers it’s proved
as popular a concept as
it is with the
manufacturers, and Fiat
have sold more than a
million variants of their
Doblo since it first hit
the world’s roads in the
millennium year. With
the new one they say
comes “improved
comfort, style,
economy, safety and
running costs”.
Despite the relatively
wee dimensions –
pretty much Ford Focus
length and width,
though a few hands
taller – the Doblo offers
the option of seven seats, and head room for all
those occupants is lavish. More memorable than the
head room however is the ease of entry which,
thanks to the Doblo’s sliding door on each side, is
the proverbial slice of cake; good news too in the
crowded supermarket car park.
The choice of three engines is weighed towards
diesel, with 1.6 and 2-litre versions of Fiat’s excellent
MultiJet units. Petrol wants must be satisfied by the
1.4-litre 16-valve device – a development of the one
that does service across most of the Fiat range. As
you’d expect, all three engines outdo their
predecessors by providing more power and better
economy and CO2 figures; most notably the larger
MultiJet, which is a development of the previous 1.9
engine, has no less than 60% more torque.
Unusually, and most would say sensibly, all models
come with Start&Stop as standard, so the engine is
cut if the gearbox is in neutral and you’re stopped at
the lights or in traffic, and it starts again as soon as
the clutch is depressed to put it in gear. Fiat reckon it
improves consumption by 15% on all three engines,
which is hugely optimistic, but it’ll certainly do
something, especially for the townies. If you’re
wondering what happens with auto transmission, Fiat
have got around the problem by not offering auto as
an option at all, though the 1.6 MultiJet will soon be
available with an MTA (‘Manual Transmission
Automated’) 5-speed box.
I spent most of my time in the smaller diesel, which
has enough power and torque to keep up with the
traffic, though not an abundance of either. The 6-
speed gearbox enables one to be in the right gear for
any situation however, and provided the revs aren’t
near the limit it’s a remarkably quiet and refined
engine.
Suspension set-up is effectively the same as the
Punto Evo. Attached to the Doblo it gives a firmish
ride, but I found it comfortable, and it’ll certainly be
ready for a load of heavy rugby types. Unique in this
class of car is the Doblo’s provision of an Electronic
Stability Programme in every model. Couple that to the
easy-drive nature of the thing, with excellent gear
change and great all-round visibility, and you have the
basis for relaxing, stress-free driving.
There’s more practicality in the cabin, where the
rubberised facia front might betray the van origins, but
certainly adds to the longevity. In our Eleganza
trimmed car, with body in
what you’d say was red
but Fiat like to call
Neoclassical Bordeaux,
the interior also offered
attractive slices of
matching colour here and
there: seat centres and
facia front finished in red
certainly would lift the
spirits on a damp
November morning.
Rear seats of the 7-seat
version, like those in the
second row, can be
tumbled and folded, or
even removed altogether,
which leaves a massive
3200 litres of load space.
The 5-seat version, with all seats in use, still offers a
big straight-sided and flat area, with 790 litres (28
cubic feet) of space. And it’s all loaded through a truly
gargantuan tailgate that will accept with ease the worst
that B&Q can throw at it.
The Doblo face is a cheeky chappie, not a thing to
grace the pages of Cool Car mag, but owners won’t
have started their search concerned about such
matters. The Doblo is for those to whom practicality is
all; the fact that their less enlightened children might
prefer them to park around the back of the school is
not going to have any effect on their decision to buy
one. It’s comfortable, spacious, easy to drive, and
relatively economic. I have to say that I really enjoyed
driving it, simply because all that practicality makes for
an easy life.
You may be driving what looks suspiciously like a van
with windows…….but you know it makes sense.
Size:
4.39m x 1.83m
Engines:
Petrol:
1.4 litres – 95PS
Diesel:
1.6 litres – 105PS
2.0 litres – 135PS
Gearbox:
5/6-speed manual FWD
Best Consumption:
1.6 diesel – 54.3mpg
Price at June ’10:
£12,295 to £17,145
Full details of the Fiat Doblo range available on the
manufacturer’s website: www.fiat.co.uk
Peter Cracknell - June 2010
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