Fiat keeps Ducato fresh with 2010 upgrade

FIAT has introduced a 2010 upgrade for its Ducato light commercial vehicle range in Australia, with both van and cab-chassis versions benefiting from heavy-duty enhancements including uprated suspension, improved external body protection and the standard fitment of 16-inch wheels across the range.

Other features added as standard across the 2010 Ducato line-up include cruise control and Bluetooth hands-free mobile phone and USB connectivity, extending a list that already includes driver and front passenger airbags, ASR traction control and ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution (EBD).

Standard cabin equipment also continues to include air-conditioning, electric windows/mirrors, remote central locking, a trip computer, steering wheel-mounted controls, and a large (laptop-size) and lockable glovebox.

Options include stability control, side and curtain airbags, rear parking sensors, metallic paint and, on the vans, a second sliding door.

Priced from $44,290, the entire Ducato range has driveaway pricing and spans three wheelbases – medium (3000mm), long (3450mm) and extra-long (4035mm) – with van roof heights either low (1662mm, on the medium wheelbase) or medium (1932mm, available across the range).

The cab-chassis is based on a 3800mm ‘medium wheelbase’ (MWB), although this is 800mm longer than MWB van and 350mm longer than the long-wheelbase (LWB) van. Only the extra-LWB van out-stretches it.

Van load compartment volumes start from eight cubic metres for the low-roof van and top out at 15 cubic metres for the extra-LWB version, while payload ranges from around 1700kg to two tonnes.

All Ducato models use a “Multijet” common-rail direct-injection four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, which drives the front wheels through with a six-speed manual gearbox or, on select models, a six-speed ‘MTA’ automated manual transmission.

There are two versions of the engine on offer, depending on the model variant. MWB and LWB vans and the cab-chassis use a 2.3-litre unit, which produces 88kW of power at 3600rpm and 320Nm of torque from 2000rpm to 2800rpm.

Alternatively, the MWB mid-roof and LWB vans can be specified with a higher-output version that develops 115.5kW at 3500rpm and a gutsy 400Nm between 1700rpm and 2500rpm.

This is also the standard engine for the extra-LWB model.

All Ducatos use an independent MacPherson strut front suspension and a rigid axle with leaf springs at the rear.

The steering is rack and pinion with power assistance (variable power-assist on the extra-LWB model), while the brakes comprise 280mm diameter ventilated discs front and rear.

Federal government tax incentives assisted Fiat in boosting Ducato sales by 15 per cent last year.

2010 Ducato pricing:
MWB low-roof van 2.3	$44,290 driveaway
MWB mid-roof van 2.3	$46,890 driveaway
MWB mid-roof van 3.0 (a)	$52,590 driveaway
LWB 2.3 van	$48,990 driveaway
LWB 3.0 van (a)	$54,590 driveaway
Extra LWB van 3.0	$54,490 driveaway
Extra LWB van 3.0 (a)	$57,490 driveaway
Cab-chassis 2.3	$44,790 driveaway