Fiat Ducato Maxi MWB 2016 Review

Fiat Ducato Maxi MWB
2016 Large Van Comparison Test

Available now for a little over a year, Fiat's revised Ducato has refreshed styling, an updated interior and some new tech features. The entire Ducato range is powered by Fiat's Multijet 180 four-cylinder turbo-diesel, a 3.0-litre engine with a potent 130kW and 400Nm, with this medium-wheelbase low-roof Ducato Maxi putting its power down via a six-speed automated manual transmission. The Ducato range is priced from $38,000 to $52,000 with our test vehicle priced at $44,000 (plus on-road costs).

You've got to hand it to the Italians – they can take something even as utilitarian as a van and make it look good. Case in point, Fiat's updated Ducato Maxi.

Introduced at the end of 2014, the model's latest iteration sports a sleek new look, an updated cabin (with new 5.0-inch multimedia touchscreen system) and roll-over mitigation.

On paper the Ducato presents some compelling figures. It's the most powerful vehicle on test, its Multijet 180 engine producing 130kW/400Nm, and it has the longest service interval at 48,000km (albeit with oil changes at 24,000km).

Our medium-wheelbase, low-roof test vehicle also has the shortest wheelbase in this company, at 3450mm, yet it still boasts a healthy internal volume of 10 cubic metres and a payload of 1480kg.

There are no A-pillar grab-handles to aid cab entry, and in the wet care must be taken on the sturdy but slippery plastic step and flooring.

The cab itself has some pleasing aesthetics – it's the only vehicle on test to feature a touchscreen and the centre stack has a piano black fascia – but the panel fit is a bit hit and miss and some controls, like those for the air-conditioning, feel a bit flimsy.

The attractive seating is supportive and the driver's seat has six-way adjustment (plus an armrest and lumbar support), but the seating position is low in relation to the steering wheel (which is adjustable for reach but not tilt). Increasing the seat height offers no solution, raising the driver's line of sight to the very top of the windscreen. It's tricky to get to the seat adjustment too, as the right-hand-mounted park brake tends to get in the way.

Cab storage isn't its strong suit, either. There's no overhead shelving and just the one concealed dash-top tray (on the passenger side – it's chilled). The glovebox is tiny but there are a couple of trays for knick-knacks, while the two main cup/bottle holders are right down low, at the bottom of the centre stack. There's no storage under the twin passenger seat either – that's taken by a dedicated compartment for the wheel jack – and we noted the twin-deck door side pockets has some sharp edges.

There are two more cup holders on the back of the folding centre seat, however, along with a handy clip-board, with a further clip-board holder flipping up on the dash.

The dash does slope steeply down to the base of the windscreen so you could store all and sundry there, if you don't mind everything being on display.

The steering wheel is the most stylish of all the vehicles on test, featuring a perforated leather wrap plus integrated controls for volume and the Bluetooth telephony. A USB and 3.5mm auxiliary audio jack are located low on the centre stack, by the mobile phone holder.

The 'UConnect' multimedia unit offers touchscreen operation of the radio and CD player. There's no sat-nav but the screen can be hooked up to an optional reversing camera.

Forward vision is hampered to a degree by wide A-pillars and plastic shrouding around the quarter windows, but the side mirrors are the largest on test and both the standard and convex mirrors feature electric adjustment.

Once underway the standard steel bulkhead with sliding window dampens cab noise to a degree, but a reasonable amount of engine noise still encroaches. The engine pumps out dependable urge from just off idle and it's fair to say the Ducato is a brisk performer on the road, barely noticing the weight in the back even when tackling some steeper climbs.

The automated manual transmission (AMT) encourages smooth and measured progress, aiding fuel economy, and it gears down nicely to aid descents. Fiat says the AMT (the only one on test) can improve fuel economy by up to five per cent over six-speed manual models – no auto option is available.

We did however note a little 'twitchiness' to the throttle when making small inputs, like when parking, and the transmission shudders a touch when reversing up an incline.

Speaking of parking, reversing sensors are standard, while our test vehicle also came with a reversing buzzer. The latter was effective – and sure to please the neighbours on early morning departures!

On the fuel economy front, the Ducato returned an economy of 9.6L/100km. That's roughly mid-pack in this company, which is actually pretty good considering the top power and torque on offer.

The instrumentation is on the 'busy' side, especially the central digi display, but there's a gear shift indicator along with all the usual trip meter functions. Overall you'd have to say the Ducato's dash and instrumentation are a cut above the Daily, but not in the same league as the Transit, Master, Sprinter or Crafter when it comes to refinement.

The load bay has a low floor height – at 515mm, only the Master's was lower – and the biggest measurement between its wheel arches (1420mm). It's a fairly tidy affair, with 13 large tie-down anchor points and mid-height plastic protection. This particular model boasts a healthy 1480kg payload capacity and a 3000kg towing capacity, the latter only outdone by Iveco's Daily.

The stability control system now adds roll-over mitigation to other features including traction control, electronic braking assistance, load-adaptive control and a hill-holder. Traction+ (for difficult terrain, also featuring hill-descent control) is offered as an option ($1500), as is a Vision pack with lane-departure warning system and auto lights and wipers ($900), and LED daytime running lights ($500). A driver's airbag is complemented by a dual passenger airbag.

Fiat's Ducato comes with a three-year/200,000km warranty. As mentioned, service intervals are indicated at every 48,000km, but oil changes are recommended every 24,000km.

It's stylish, capable but quirky, as Latin creations often are. However, the Ducato's competitive pricing is catching buyers' eyes as much as its sleek exterior, which is why the model's sales were up by 23.9 per cent last year.

Related reading:
>> Large Van 2016 Comparison: Introduction
>> Ford Transit (from $47,680 plus ORCs)
>> Fiat Ducato (from $44,000 plus ORCs)
>> Iveco Daily (from $49,501 plus ORCs)
>> Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (from $44,490 plus ORCs)
>> Renault Master (from $40,990 plus ORCs)
>> Volkswagen Crafter (from $41,990 plus ORCs)
>> Large Van Comparison - The Verdict

2016 Fiat Ducato Maxi MWB pricing and specifications:
Price: $44,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 130kW/400Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automated manual
Drive: Front
GVM: 3510kg
Wheelbase: 3450mm
Payload: 1480kg
Load space: 10.0 cubic metres
Towing (braked): 3000kg
Fuel: 9.6L/100km (as tested)