Ono base for Fiat Fiorino
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• As predicted, Fiat's new Fiorino van will be based on the popular Uno passenger car model (CM 13-19 August 1987), and will he available in the UK from July. Although the vehicle will be manufactured in pickup, van, and dual-purpose form for Continental markets, the UK will only get the van, in petrol and diesel forms.
The petrol engine is a transverse 1.3-litre four-cylinder unit developing 49kW (67hp) at 5,000rpm, and 101Nm (741bft) of torque at 2,500rpm. The optional L 7-litre diesel is an indirect-injection engine, giving 44kW (60hp) at 4,500rpm, and 103Nm (761bft) at 5,000rpm. This is the first time that the Fiorino is available in the UK with a diesel engine, and Fiat will be importing a 50/50 model mix to start with. All vans will be fitted with five-speed gearboxes as standard.
The Fiorino's body will be the same as the Uno passenger car back to the rear of the seats; the body style will be similar to that of the current model, giving 2.7m3 of load volume. The load box is, however, larger than the current model, measuring 1.57m long x I.33m wide x 1.57m high internally. The width between the wheel arches is 0.95m, and the door opening is 1.3m high x 1.22m wide.
A nett payload of 460kg (including a 75kg driver) leaves the new Fiorino behind its major competitors in weight carrying stakes. The equivalent figure for the Citroen C15D is 510kg, and the Renault Extra diesel has a nett payload of 500kg. Fiat, however, claims that the Fiorino is a "more robust vehicle", with a greater kerb weight than that of its main rivals.
Price is likely to be competitive with the Citroen and the Renault, but will not be released until July. Production lead-in times have caused the delay, and Spain will have to wait until September for the new model.
The Macpherson strut-type suspension is retained from the old model, with a transverse semi-elliptic spring at the rear and offset coil springs at the front. The van also retains the old model's plastic roof rack; Fiat defends the decision to keep this by claiming that it acts as a spoiler for the boxy cargo body.