Small and versatile
Page 48
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The start of 2010 marked the end of our time with the Fiat Fiorino 1.3 Multijet SX, and the absence of the little red Multijet has left a big hole in our car park.
Since its arrival in the summer of 2009, the Fiat has been called on to do everything from grocery shopping to six-hour motorway journeys, the daily commute, and, of course, the odd house move.
Aside from these tasks, the Fiat also had some real work to do in the form of a full road test (CM 30 July 2009), plus a three-way shoot-out between it, a petrol version of the Citron Nemo and an LPG conversion of the Nemo (CM 17 September 2009). By all accounts, it proved its worth, but that's not to say the vehicle is without fault.
The Fiorino has been designed and built with the city in mind, and, around town, the Italian really excels. It has a tight turning circle, acceptable fuel consumption and a nippy engine, but it's a different story on the motorway.
When you get up to the national speed limit, the steering and suspension begin to feel a little light and unresponsive. And since the suspension isn't really in tune with the road, you feel every bump and rut. Imagine 'driving' a pogo stick and you'll soon get the picture.
However, having a payload in the back makes all the difference; it helps to settle the Fiat on the open road.
Also in CM's fleet was the Renault Kangoo, which, like the Fiat, was compact, versatile and zippy around town and it gave us a good basis to compare one against the other. With the Renault, we liked the electrically folding wing mirrors, which the Fiat didn't have, but we preferred the Fiat's larger cargo area and side-sliding door. Access to the load area was a particular plus-point with the Fiat. The rear doors open out a full 180 degrees and with the aforementioned side-sliding door, it's simple to climb in and out of the van to pack bedside tables and other homewares in. for example.
An engine to be proud of A further plus point for the Fiat is its price.At 110,035, you'll agree it is pretty good value for such a small and versatile van. Even now, after eight months or so of service, the Fiorino has retained its value, with secondhand prices holding strong above the L7,000 mark.
We've told you about the ride, price and productivity, but we've failed to mention this van's best attribute: the engine.
Inside and out, the Florin() is identical to the Peugeot Bipper and Citroen Nemo, but the difference between them is under the bonnet. The French offerings both sport 1.4-litre 75hp turbo-diesel engines, while the Fiat has its own 1.3-litre 75hp Multijet powerplant that's smoother and more refined than its French chums. It's quieter, too; with only a hint of diesel clatter permeating the cabin at idle.
Don't think that our time with the Fiorino has been uneventful, though. The week before it was due to go back (the same week as the heavy snowfalls), it was involved in a minor bump. An ungritted residential road meant the Fiat lost its grip and slid into the kerb, where it sustained right-front wheel damage.
Since the wheel was damaged, but, amazingly, the tyre wasn't deflated, we set about changing the tyre, which was by far the most technical and complex task we've ever come across.Thank heavens for the user manual!
Despite this slight ding, the Fiat has still proved it is an impressive and capable performer, and there's definitely a lot to recommend it. Sure, the interior plastics might be low-rent and the motorway ride is a hit jumpy, but for a circa-L10,000 van, it still represents a bargain. • Ian Tonkin