FIAT Professional will be building on its success at this year’s Interbuild 2008 with an impressive range of products for customers working in the construction industry. Its stand at Birmingham’s NEC, features many examples of the brand’s award-winning vehicles.
Taking centre stage is the new Fiorino, recently named International Van of the Year 2009 by a jury comprising journalists from 20 European countries, specialists in the commercial vehicles sector.
This is the third time in the last four years that a Fiat Professional product has won this prestigious award, with the Fiat Scudo being voted International Van of the Year 2008 and the Fiat Doblo Cargo taking the title in 2006.
The award recognises the many important developments incorporated in the Fiat Fiorino, a unique vehicle created to meet the needs of customers who require a compact van which is cheap to run, nimble in traffic and easy to park.
The jury of the International Van of the Year particularly liked the fact that the Fiorino is creating a new market segment. Over the last few decades, light commercial vehicles have evolved in their load capacity, leaving a gap at the lower end of the range.
Thanks to the Fiorino, customers in this segment have the opportunity to buy a vehicle ‘made-to-measure’ for their work and activities. With a load-carrying capacity of 610 and 660kg, volume of 2.5 cubic metres, internal length of 1.5 metres (which become 2.8 m3 and 2.5 metres with the optional foldable passenger seat folded down), the Fiorino fully meets their requirements.
Distinguished by an original and dynamic style, the Fiat Fiorino is 3.86 metres long, 1.72 high and 1.71 wide. These compact external dimensions, with which any city centre can be negotiated with ease, are also enhanced by a turning circle of just 9.95 metres.
The Fiorino, is joined at the 2008 show by the award-winning Fiat Scudo together with the Ducato and Doblo ranges.
Also at the show will be two versions of the Fiat Ducato range. They include a 35 LWB factory built Crew Cab Dropside with a 2.3-litre 120 MultiJet diesel engine, and a 30 SWB Van fitted with a 2.2-litre 100 bhp MultiJet diesel engine.
In addition, available but not on display, customers can choose from a range of vehicles from Fiat Professional’s one-stop-shop conversion service, called Built For Business. Using this facility, customers will be able to specify the type of vehicle they need and have it delivered completed, rather than buying the chassis first and having to wait while the conversion is carried out. Vehicles available include Tipper and Dropside conversions by Ingimex, Luton and Box vans by Aire Truck Bodies and Crew cab van conversions by Snoeks.
Completing the Fiat Professional line-up is the widely acclaimed Doblo Cargo range which offers class-leading payload and load volume, and powerful yet economical MultiJet turbodiesel engines, as well as high levels of safety, comfort and ergonomics. On the stand will be a Doblo Cargo with the optional high roof, powered by a 1.9 MultiJet turbodiesel engine.
