Fiat Professional with its full range. (Photo: © Fiat Professional)
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February 1, 2017
Fiat Professional is a full-line provider of light commercial vehicles and has a suitable model for every application.
Forward-thinking – there's no other way to describe the strategy of the Italian car manufacturer Fiat . What is common practice today, namely developing models in collaboration with at least one partner , the Italians started as early as 1978. From 1982 onwards, they built their classic Ducato together with the PSA Group, i.e., the Citroën and Peugeot brands – as a separate company called Sevel, Societa Europea Veicoli Leggeri, or European Commercial Vehicle Company.
The Fiat Ducato; Photo: Fiat Professional And because the corporations had divided the European market between themselves, it was primarily the Ducato that shaped the image of the cooperation in Germany, while the Peugeot J5 and the Citroën C25 (which became the Boxer and Jumper) only made the leap to Germany later.
Today, collaborations have long been commonplace, and Fiat has completely reshuffled its partnerships. They still build the Ducato with the PSA Group, but their contract with PSA for the Fiorino micro-delivery van has expired. They acquired the Talento from the Renault Group, and they are once again supplying their Doblò urban delivery van to Opel as a Combo, albeit in the previous generation. Added to this is the one-ton Fullback pickup truck, which stems from their collaboration with Mitsubishi.
Fiat Talento, photo: Fiat Professional The biggest advantage of this diverse mix of cards: Fiat can offer a model for every light commercial vehicle segment – the only provider besides Ford to manage this program without partners, unlike Fiat. When you factor in the customization options for each commercial vehicle, the Italians can truly deliver the right vehicle for every application, for every situation. And they have taken great care to always bring excellent partners on board.
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Last year, the Italian manufacturer welcomed two significant new additions to its portfolio. The Talento replaced the previous Scudo. Fiat Professional is partnering with Renault for this. The new Talento comes in two wheelbases, something the Scudo lacked, significantly expanding the range. The Talento offers up to 8,6 cubic meters of cargo space and a payload of between 877 and 1.374 kilograms. With numerous variants to come, Fiat expects the greatest growth potential here. After all, this segment accounts for 40 percent of all light commercial vehicle sales.
Fiat Fullback; Photo: Fiat Professional The second major newcomer is the Fullback, a pickup truck in the one-ton segment. Mitsubishi is a licensed partner here, and its L200 now bears the Fiat logo as the Fullback. In addition to powerful engines and a 3,1-ton towing capacity, all-wheel drive is one of the key selling points. Fiat also aims to make significant gains in its first full year of sales and capture a slice of the ever-growing market.
For the 2017 model year, Fiat Professional also refreshed the Fiorino and made some interior changes, such as a larger glove compartment. The engine lineup has also inevitably been slightly altered to bring the car into compliance with the Euro 6 emissions standard. More power, lower fuel consumption, and—like the Doblò—Fiat manages to meet the Euro 6 standard even without AdBlue.
Fiat Doblo; Photo: Fiat Professional In addition to the Doblò, which sets numerous benchmarks in its class, the Italians also offer the classic Ducato. The successful cooperation model with the PSA Group—this collaboration will continue for at least another two years and looks set to continue—continues to be very successful and, according to the company, is the best-selling commercial vehicle in its segment across Europe.
The Fiat Fiorino; Photo: Fiat Professional Fiat is taking a new, expanded approach in 2017 regarding warranties, as well as factory-installed conversions and modifications. First, Fiat Professional offers a four-year warranty on all its products. Customers can extend the 100.000-kilometer warranty to 150.000 or 200.000 kilometers for an additional charge. In addition to four industry-specific models ex works, the commercial vehicle specialist offers solutions at a cost-effective price with 23 conversion partners. These include classic solutions with shelving and modular systems from Sortimo and Würth, as well as solutions such as tipper trailers, box trucks, and refrigerated vehicles.
Photos: Fiat Professional
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