Content area
Full Text
With its own in-house engine, Fiat's Fiorino brings an extra twist to this French-Italian-developed mini van.
While the CM test team rarely gets it wrong, we have to admit we were taken a bit off guard with the success of the mini van collaboration between the PSA Group (Citroën/Peugeot) and Fiat, which produced the Nemo/Bipper/Fiorino last year.
On first impressions, it was thought the resulting LCV was a size too far in terms of its condensed dimensions 'Good van,' we said, 'but who would want to go this small?'
Well, plenty of you, it seems. In fact, the buying public have embraced this diminutive vehicle, introducing it into the urban environment where it has thrived and multiplied.
It just goes to show that at CM we're open-minded about such things, so we've taken an example on a long-term test, and this being the Fiat version, it gets its own engine - a 1.3-litre unit from the company's acclaimed Multijet range, that produces 75hp and 190Nm of torque.
Available in two trim levels - priced £9,360 and £10,035 respectively - the base model gets ABS with EBD, ladder bulkhead, radio/CD player and not much else, while the SX (our test vehicle) adds remote central locking, electric windows and nearside sliding door.
Options abound with everything from Bluetooth (£125) to reverse parking sensors (£105) and automatic 'box (£630), giving an indication of tbe advancement in the stature and usage of small vans.
Competition amounts to the aforementioned French collaborators together with Renault's Kangoo, which starts at £8,690 and has a load volume of 2.3m^sup 3^ and payload of 500kg.
Productivity
Small van, small engine, do we need to say more? The laden run for the Fiorino produced an impressive 51.4mpg, while unladen, the figure of 55.8mpg gave some insight into its potential when running light.
Elsewhere, while it might not come as a surprise that this pocket van allows for only a limited load in the rear, the Fiorino's overall dimensions belie the business end's potential.
Packing a load volume of 2.5m^sup 3^ is not a bad deal considering, and this extends to 2.8m3 when you spec the folding passenger seat option (£85). This combines with a payload of 610kg, which again is impressive for a...