JUST THE DOB? (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Fiat's Doblo van borrows shared engineering in third generation form. Jonathan Crouch sees how it measures up.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 46

Fiat's Doblo van has evolved and there's now the option of all an all-electric version. Much about this latest design is now shared with competing brands in the sector for compact LCVs, but this one still deserves a look if you're seeking a modern value-based package.

Backgroundword count: 160

For the first time in a long time, the Fiat Professional van range is looking properly modern and cutting-edge. Recent changes have seen the launch of the refreshed 'Series 8' Ducato large LCV and the all-new Scudo mid-size van, both with full-electric versions. Even more significant is the redesigned Doblo compact LCV model we look at here, which like the Scudo has switched to shared Stellantis Group underpinnings, specifically here the EMP2 chassis already used by the Peugeot Partner, Citroen Berlingo, Vauxhall Combo Cargo and Toyota Proace City. Which means there can now be an all-electric E-Doblo model too. There's inevitably good and bad in this. Good in that it brings us a much more sophisticated Doblo than businesses have ever had access to before. And bad in that it also brings us the priciest Doblo we've ever seen here. Value was always this Fiat van's calling card. Can this one still deliver in that regard?. Let's take a look.

Driving Experienceword count: 200

One day in the not-too-distant future, you won't be able to acquire a new van of this size with a combustion engine, but for the time being, fossil-fuelled powerplants are very much alive and well in the Doblo range. If you don't care about the current zeitgeist, you'll probably want a diesel, so Fiat offers two 1.5-litre units, one with 99bhp and the other with 128bhp. There's also a 1.2-litre three cylinder turbo petrol powerplant (also Peugeot/Citroen-derived) with 109bhp. A neat touch is Fiat's 'Grip Control System', designed to aid traction on slippery surfaces. And for those awkward deliveries on building sites, there's a Hill descent control set-up for gradients of over 3%. Your Fiat Professional dealer is also going to want you to consider the option of the alternative all-electric E-Doblo, which uses exactly the same powertrain as its Peugeot Partner, Citroen Berlingo, Vauxhall Combo Cargo and Toyota Proace City segment cousins. This sees a 100kW motor drive the front wheels powered by a 50kWh battery, which when fully charged can take the E-Doblo 173 miles (2 miles more than an e-Partner or an e-Berlingo). As usual with this powertrain, there are three driving modes, 'Normal', 'Eco' and 'Power'.

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