Fiat Doblo 2014 Review

Fiat Professional finally has a three-pronged attack in its quest to capture the hearts and wallets of Australia's commercial van drivers.

The compact Fiat Doblo, which has been on sale in Europe for over a decade but only arrived Down Under this month, joins the recently revised Ducato large van and Scudo mid-sizer in the Italian brand's revitalised light commercial line-up.

Like European rivals including Citroen Berlingo, Renault Kangoo and Volkswagen Caddy, the front-drive Doblo features a few passenger car-like characteristics, from the external and internal cabin presentation to refined and zippy performance on road.

But while coming to the party late the Doblo trumps its rivals in at least some areas, according to Fiat, with superior carrying capacity (up to one tonne and 4.2 cubic metres) and big, double slide-opening doors.

The Australian Doblo line-up starts at $22,000 for the only short-wheelbase, 1.4-litre petrol variant, topping out at $31,000 for the most powerful 2.0-litre turbo-diesel, long-wheelbase Doblo. All up, there are four engines, two transmissions, two wheelbases, two roof heights and two payload capacities on offer (for full details click here).

Fiat had all four Doblo models on hand for the local media launch, although we only had time to sample one on a brief drive route around Melbourne: the $27,000 Doblo 105 Multi-Jet, featuring a low roof, short (4390mm) wheelbase, 77kW/290Nm 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, six-speed manual and 750kg maximum payload.

Despite having the least grunt of all turbo-diesel Doblo vans, keeping up with traffic is never a problem, and the Doblo oiler impresses with punchy performance around town and comfortable cruising on the freeway.

Helping keep things on the boil is peak torque available from just 1500rpm, as well as a good spread of gears that allows the engine to hum along in top gear around 2000rpm at 100km/h. What's more the willing, Euro 5 engine is remarkably smooth, refined, almost petrol-like in its manner.

The smooth shifting six-speed ‘box, in combination with a light clutch, is also a pleasure to use. It's a good thing as the five-speed semi-automated transmission is only available with the more powerful, 1.6-litre diesel version. The hill-hold assist function also ensures smooth progress when taking off on inclines.

However, it's worth noting the relaxed performance and impressive fuel economy (6.7L/100km) was achieved without a decent load in the back.

The bi-link independent rear suspension helps keep the van stable and composed, even at speed around corners while delivering a mostly smooth ride, although the short-travel suspension is easily upset over rougher patches or when tackling speed bumps too fast.

Light but responsive steering, solid braking and a tight turning circle also add to the Doblo's driver-friendly, agile feel around town.

It's also relatively quiet on the freeway. There was noticeable tyre noise but minimal 'boom' from the steel-lined compartment, despite the absence of a bulkhead separating the cabin from the rear loadspace. No doubt the standard PVC cargo liner and plastic wall and door inserts, plays a part in dampening some of the ambient noise.

While still dominated by hard, shiny plastics, Fiat has gone some way to softening the Doblo's utilitarian cabin with quality cloth trim and textured grey and gloss black inserts placed around the dash.

All turbo-diesel Doblo models come reasonably well equipped with air-conditioning, electric door mirrors, a single-CD/radio unit with USB/MP3 connectivity, steering wheel controls and four speakers, cruise control and body-coloured external mirrors and bumpers.

While safety is taken care of with hill-hold assist, rear parking sensors, electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes with brake-force distribution and four airbags.

The most noticeable omission is a Blue&Me TomTom portable unit (about $500) that slides into a special slot on top of the dash and offers hands-free or touchscreen control of a mobile phone, sat-nav and the van's trip computer.

The Doblo also benefits from a grippy, two-way adjustable steering wheel and multi-adjustable seats, although the firm seats aren't quite as comfortable as the Ducato's. The smaller seat base and limited rearward travel means taller drivers could feel a bit cramped behind the wheel, but at least there's a foot rest.

However, the compact cabin has an airy feel and offers good all-round vision, thanks to large windscreen and windows and big side mirrors.

While storage areas are not a patch on its bigger Ducato brother, the Doblo has plenty of spots for your odds and ends including a glove box that fits a 14-inch laptop, and door pockets big enough for a couple of 500ml bottles. There's a couple of small drink holders and a spot for the mobile phone near the gear lever, close to a 3.5mm jack and 12V power socket. Our test van also featured a handy full width overhead shelf.

Unlike some of its rivals, the Doblo won't be available in Australia with cargo side windows. Nor will there be a seven-seat version, as sold in Europe, although a top-hinged rear door is available.

While curvaceous up front, the cargo space is purposely boxy in the SWB Doblo, to maximise the 3.4 cubic metres available within the 2.17m long by 1.23m wide (between the wheel arches) compartment. Aside from the aforementioned floor liner, there are six tie down hooks, an overhead light, small wall-mounted storage rack, and a 'protective ladder' on the driver's side, included as standard.

Accessibility to the loadspace is excellent, thanks to easy-opening, reasonably large sliding doors on both sides as well as side-hinged rear doors that open to 180 degrees. Rear loading is enhanced by a generous 130cm interior height, and low 54.5cm load height.

The Doblo is covered by a three-year/200,00km warranty but like other Fiat commercial vehicles, misses out on fixed-price servicing. And while the Doblo's cheerful face won't please everyone, it should appeal to businesses that want to stand out from the crowd. There's also some ability to personalise with two cloth trim patterns, 11 exterior colours and optional 16-inch alloy wheels in lieu of the standard 15-inch steelies.

While Fiat Professional executives couldn't be drawn on sales targets for the new Doblo, they're confident of it making a significant impact in the small van market, currently dominated by Volkswagen's ubiquitous Caddy.

And on first impressions, they have good reason to be bullish, backed by competitive pricing and the growing reputation of larger Fiat vans in Australia.

2014 Fiat Doblo 105 Multi-Jet pricing and specifications:
Price: $27,000 MRRP
Engine: 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine
Output: 77kW/290Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 5.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 143g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: N/A