Fiat debuted its Fiorino van in Italy yesterday, some three weeks ahead of its scheduled launch. The decision to premier it at Milan’s Transportec Logitec show is rumoured to have come as a surprise to partners Peugeot and Citroen, both of whom were planning to give the new lightweight van its first public airing at Amsterdam’s RAI Show.
The Turkish-built Fiorino, which is almost identical to its new Citroen Nemo and Peugeot Bipper equivalents, is an addition to each of the manufacturer’s
van ranges. In the case of Fiat it will slot in between the Grande Punto and the Doblo Cargo. Likewise it will fit neatly between the Citroen C2 Enterprise and the Berlingo (which itself is due for replacement next year).
The Fiorino, which shares its name with a long-forgotten Uno-based product of the 1980s, offers a 2.5 cu m load space and 610kg payload potential. Its compact dimensions, coupled to an impressive 9.95m turning circle, are likely to make it a handy tool for urban distribution.
Power comes from Fiat’s highly respected 1.3-litre turbo-diesel Multijet engine, in this case rated at 73hp. It is mated to a choice of five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions. There was also an electric version on show, featuring lithium-ion batteries. This is reportedly capable of a maximum speed in excess of 80km/h, reaching 50km/h in 7 seconds.
The van will hit dealer showrooms on the Continent at the end of this year, but UK buyers are likely to
have to wait until well into 2008 for a right-hand drive version.
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