Fiat Ducato 4x4
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Imagine a meeting of Fiat, Citroen and Peugeot, the three partners in the Sevel project: the van market is dead in the water, and they are desperate to grab sales not just from their competitors but also from each other. With products that are so similar, they need to use the marketing tool of "product differentiation" to help the customer tell the difference between brands: "sell the punters something they didn't know they needed".
This is where the 4x4 variants of the Sevel come in: both the Peugeot Talbot and Fiat brands broaden their range by offering four-wheel-drive panel vans (Talbot also sells a 4WD version of the chassis-cab), although Citroen has dropped its version, concentrating on cheaper breadand-butter models.
The difference between the identically priced "French" and Italian vans lies in their engines: the Talbot uses the ex-Citroen CX 2.5-litre diesel, in naturally aspirated (54kW) or turbocharged (70kW) form, while the Fiat is allItalian, using a Sofim direct-injection turbo-diesel of the same capacity, producing a comparable 71kW (95hp). The front-wheel-drive Ducato 14 (at 3.1 tonne GVW) is fitted with Fiat's own car-derived 1.9-litre 61kW (82hp) turbo-diesel; presumably the low-speed torque of the Sofim unit is deemed necessary for rugged terrain.
Aimed more at all-weather operators than all-terrain users, the 4WD Sevels compete directly against only the Renault Trafic 4x4 since Vauxhall dropped the
4x4 Midi. Ford has yet to come up with an all-wheel-drive Transitunless you count County's hairy-chested off-road conversions—while the pricey Iveco Daily 49.10W is a military offroader in civvies. The strongest competition will arrive soon in the shape of the new VW Transporter Syncro, based on the current front-wheel-drive model.
The previous model—derived from the rear-wheel-drive Transporter—proved to be useful on slippery roads at moderate speeds, but limited in off-road use by its tyres and ground clearance.
The Ducato 4x4 shares some technology and origins with the Transporter: both vehicles use permanent four-wheel-drive with a viscous-coupling Fergusontype centre differential, and the drivetrains of both the Sevel 4x4 and the old Syncro were developed by Steyr-Daimler-Puch in Austria.
The -first question has to be whether 4WD has compromised the Ducato's payload. The answer is yes: the larger engine, and the extra complexity of driveshafts and rear and centre diffs, makes the van's kerb weight about 200kg higher than that of the Ducato 14; with the 4x4's slightly lower GVW, payload is reduced to 1,205kg. But the Sevel has always been an efficient load-carrier, so this figure is competitive with the 4x4 Renault Trafic T1100D's payload of 1,145kg. There's a decent 300kg of axle tolerance, too.
The driven rear axle has increased load height, but it's still an acceptable 670min, and the load floor remains flat.
Our test vehicle was fitted with the top-hinged tailgate, an extracost option replacing twin rear doors. It was well engineered, with a handy wash/wipe and a heated window, and gas struts to take the weight, but a short person might have great trouble closing it (a strap, or "Duchess handle", would help). One surveying company CM spoke to regards a tailgate as its main requirement in choosing a van— simply because they can work underneath it when it rains...
The Ducato can sustain an excellent average speed, thanks to the reassuring 4W1) handling and the big turbodiesel—it covered our Kent route at 70.9km/h—while hill climb times were a match for any diesel panel van that we've tested.
We found the Fiat's fuel economy to be a little disappointing, at 12.0 lit/100km (23.5mpg), against the Citroen equivalent's figure of
11.11it/100km (25.5mpg), particularly as the direct-injection design of the Italian engine should be more efficient than the French IDI unit. The Citroen ran at a slower average of 67.7km/h, however, and the Fiat's fuel figures are certainly no disgrace.
First, find your ignition switch— not obvious, as it's on the left-hand side; the glow-plug light stays on for no more than the blink of an eye, and you can start.
The Sofim unit is a typical example of the turbocharger's art there is a little throttle lag, and a definite boost at high revs, but torque is good even at lower speeds. The turbo's unmistakable whistle fails to mask the diesel's direct-injection design, however: the unit clatters at all speeds, and though wind and road noise don't intrude too much, the cab's sound insulation should be better.
The Ducato's handling is typical, too: like most permanent 4WD vehicles, it has excellent grip and it's utterly neutral round bends: almost boringly easy to drive. If really pushed, it will simply take a wider line.
The snag to this well-mannered behaviour is that there isn't much feedback. It might not be obvious that you're pushing too hard but this will only happen under conditions which few van drivers would inflict Qin their vehicles.
Again, many four-wheel-drive vehicles suffer from 'peculiar straight-line behaviour at speed, and the Fiat was no except ion: it exhibited a slight, but disconcerting, tendency to wander on the motorway.
Visibility from the high dri
ving position is good, and the large window of the tailgate is useful. The door mirrors are OK, but the passenger side mirror is too far forward; it's partly obscured by the door pillar.
Off-road progress is limited by the van's tyres, which clogged up all too readily as we climbed a muddy slope during our photo shoot, and by its limitei clearance. The Fiat al low-range gears; there re question of its being a roader.
The Dumto 4x4 shouldn taken for an all-terrair but it a fine, economic the user who needs unpleAciant weather a road surfaces. The UK n such vehicles is pretty present—in the hundre than the thousands— only grow if competitior manufacturers generate from the public. Much on the pricing of Volk new Syncro, and the introduction of a 4W1) 'I
The Italian van be Sevel origins by a fe edges and a noisy cab—
gift home but it han and can be relied upon substantial load from quickly and safely.