Fiat's Scudo fills the gap
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CM has driven the Fiat Scudo, a small panel van that will go on sale in the UK next July.
by Toby Clark • The Scudo is Fiat's entry in the 800kg European 'compact' panel van sector which is set to expand dramatically over the next year. Fiat's commercial vehicle supremo, Dr Luigi Ferrari, says the Scudo "enters a market which has not been explored until now". He forecasts sales of around 20,000 next year. The van's price in Italy has been set at around £8,800-£9,800.
The Scudo is stablemate to the Peugeot Expert and the Citroen Jumpy (Despatch in the UK): it is built by the Sevel joint venture at Sevel-Nord in Normandy.
The new van fits into Fiat's range between the Fiorino highcube van and the Sevel-built Ducato panel van; it goes on sale in the UK next year.
The Scudo's success will depend largely on its price: its loadspace and appearance could tempt some buyers away from high-cube vans and could attract those who find a "proper" panel van intimidating.
The front-wheel-drive Scudo is derived from the Sevel peoplecarrier, sold by Fiat as the Ulysse: it shares the floorpan and front end, but the roofline is higher and its side and rear panels are different.
The Scudo's closest current equivalent is the Nissan Vanette Cargo (derived from the Serena people-carrier), but next year they will be joined on the UK market by the Mercedes TO, as well as the Despatch and Expert.
The Scudo is available as a van, a platform-cab or the Combinato (a 5-9-seat van/minibus)—a glazed van is offered on the Continent.
There is a choice of petrol, diesel or turbo-diesel engines with power outputs from 69hp to 92hp. Unlike the Ducato, the Scudo shares all its engine options with the Peugeot and Citroen variants.
The 4m3 loadspace is reached via double rear load doors and one or two sliding side load doors. A half-width load guard is standard with a glazed steel bulkhead as an option.
Two equipment levels are offered (Basic and EL) with options including anti-lock braking, a driver's-side airbag, power steering, a dual passenger seat and air conditioning.
Impressions CM ciruve the diesel and turbodiesel versions of the Scudo over motorways and hilly roads near Turin. We liked its handling and performance. Both versions were at home on the motorway; the controls were light and the long wheelbase made for stable cornering.
The driving position is carlike, though the positions of the handbrake (beside the driver's door) and the gear lever (on the dashboard, like the Ducato's) are unusual. The flat floor makes the cab feel roomy, the trim is substantial, there is plenty of leg and head room—an overhead document tray is available— and storage space is good. The optional bulkhead takes up a fair bit of space.
The loadspace itself looks practical, with a minimum floor height of around 490mm and full-height load doors. We also saw a number of variants built on the platform-cab version, including an ambulance and a security van.
Our short drive revealed a blind spot due to the substantial windscreen pillars, a 'pogoing' motion at some speeds, a slightly imprecise gear change and a high-mounted accelerator pedal, but overall the Scudo was remarkably civilised.