1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188 
PROPHET'S CHARIOT
Page 60
Page 61
Page 62
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
The future is here, housed, a little surprisingly, n the unassuming body of a Fiat Doblo. CM looks under the surface.
While 1984 was meant to be the year of the totalitarian society and 2001 was when man connected with superior life forms in space, it was not so long ago that 2004 would see us driving round in silent electric vehicles powered by shoes. Such was the hype of the brave new world when it came to alternative energy The reality with all these dates is very different to what was predicted.
And in the world of commercial vehicles, while manufacturers can bang on about their latest developments in the world of shoe power and how it's going to change the world,the diesel engine still rules absolutely. But what if you like the idea of alternative power such as hydrogen— there's actually no such thing as shoe power— due to its cost and benefit to the environment, but are unsure of whether to commit due to the government's undecided future policy or the limited fuelling stations available? Enter the Fiat Multijet 16v. More advanced than an iPocl it takes the level of diesel technology to an almost Zen-like art, squeezing every last bit of usable power out of its 1.3-litre capacity — 70hp. while torque is a handy 180Nm. And, being so small, decent fuel economy—in theory —should follow shortly behind.What the company has done is create an engine of exceptional lightness due to the superior packaging of all components (remember class,what does less weight mean?) and combine it with the very latest Lmultijet" technology that allows three to five injections into the combustion chamber as opposed to the previous Lunijer benchmark—though this was actually two.
To cut a long story short they have produced the smallest four-cylinder common-rail diesel engine on the market.And if that's not enough it requires no maintenance to its mechanical parts, and oil changes are extended to 30,000krn from the previous 20,000km mark. Further benefits include a reduction of 10% in fuel consumption and 50% lower emissions compared to the 1.91113 engine.
What's more, noise levels should be reduced due to fewer moving components. So while its not the space age development that many predicted when it comes to engine power, this is as good as it gets at the moment in the LCV world. So how's it going to find a Fiat Doblo for company?
Well, the Dobli) has recently received a makeover itself with an updated interior, improved soundproofing. and a high-roof version (CM 1 July 2004)— though not on this test vehicle. It's also competitively priced at £9,800 (the non-SX is £9,025). Combine this with potentially decent fuel economy from the Multijet engine and it adds up to a tempting package.The price compares favourably with Ford's 220 Connect 1.8-litre TDDi LWB at £11,685, though granted it does have a bigger engine, and the Citroen Dispatch 2-litre HDI at £12,640.
Standard equipment on the SX model includes power steering, front foglights, height adjustable steering wheel, electric windows, manual central locking, driver ai rbag. nearside sliding door and a radio-cassette player — remember them? Extras include increased payload from 625kg to 805kg (£150 and fitted on test vehicle), ABS (£480), remote central locking (ft 66), parking sensors (£100) and a passenger airbag (£175).Also available is Connect NAV+, which is a centrally mounted 5" TFT screen that includes dual-band GSM phone, hands-free full duplex, GPS and map navigator (£1,133).
Productivity
After all the hype regarding its Multijet engine the Doblii had plenty to live up to in the fuel consumption stakes. Failure to do so would result in severe humiliation and a proper telling off for wasting our time.
So when we managed an average of 51.36mpg for a laden spin round CM'S Kent fuel route there was a collective nod of approval from the CM test team.To give you some indication of the significance of this figure. its bigger engjned brother, the Cargo 1.9-litre JTD. managed 43mpg.Further comparisons show the Connect LWB with 42.3mpg (bigger 110' engine accepted) and Citroen's 2-litre Dispatch with 37.9mpg.
Now before we are accused of severe bias you should be made aware that the comparisons in cubic capacity are slightly skew-whiff. But, if you look at the bigger picture the difference in power loss is greatly made up in vehicle price, servicing costs and fuel consumption.
On the downside load volume is 3.2m, upstaged by the Connect's 3.7m' and some way off the Dispatch's 4m3. Payload is also slightly off the pace with 805kg Connect and Dispatch both show in at 900kg. Loading is a synch with twin sliding side doors, a flat cargo area and rear doors that open out ISO*.
On the road while the engine may dominate conversation it's worth remembering that the Doble is still a good all-rounder on the road. Overall handling is safe with plenty of grip through the corners and a controllable level of under-steer when pushed. On A-roads and motorways it feels secure for a van this size, suffering little interference from crosswinds.
The ride is also smooth and undulations and bumps are taken in its stride build quality is also surprisingly tight for, well, a Fiat. One negative is the highly geared steering. Though it causes no problems during most manoeuvres, when the Doblii is fully loaded its compact turning circle induces a degree of lurch at speed as the vehicle tries to track the front wheel's path. However, it must be said that in normal circumstances it is of little consequence and shows the price you pay for a tight turning circle, which is also a benefit, especially in towns and other built-up areas.
Adding to the driving effect is that engine. OK, it's no rocket, but it is smooth and progressive in its power delivery. Those in a hurry with a full payload may need a bit more oomph but for most applications it's more than adequate.
The individual look of the Doblo is carried over inside and to no ill effect. While not the most 'modern' layout in the class the cabin is practical and the colour scheme, with no less than four different shades, complements the quirky instrument layout.A decent driving position is achievable with a multi-adjustable seat and rake adjustable steering wheel. Storage is good with roof mounted parcel shelf, door bins, glovebox and numerous cubby holes. •