FIAT Doblò Cargo wins Best Small Van award in the 2016 Trade Van Driver Awards.

• FIAT Doblò Cargo wins Best Small Van award in the 2016 Trade Van Driver Awards
• Trade Van Driver Awards expert jury comprised of experienced panel of journalists and a panel of readers who use LCVs as part of their businesses
• Judges impressed with FIAT’s functional approach to design and practicality

Trade Van Driver, the UK’s top van magazine for small business users, has named FIAT Professional’s widely-acclaimed Doblò Cargo as the Best Small Van in the 2016 Trade Van Driver Awards. The magazine is the only publication which caters for the owner-driver and small fleet operator and the awards are judged not only by the magazine’s expert panel of judges, but also by a panel of readers who use light commercial vehicles as part of their businesses.

Matthew Eisenegger, Editor of Trade Van Driver, said: “FIAT’s functional approach to the design and practicalities of a small commercial vehicle make the Doblò Cargo the perfect tool for trade users who need a small van.

“Trade Van Driver Magazine prides itself on offering a true reflection of the thoughts and feelings of its readership,” he added.

Commenting on this latest award for Doblò Cargo, Andrea Patti, Marketing Manager, FIAT Professional UK says: “We are delighted that our Doblò Cargo has secured the Best Small Van award against increasingly strong competition. It is pleasing that the judges have recognised the class-leading attributes our Doblò Cargo range provides to small business users.”

This latest accolade joins an already impressive list of awards for the FIAT Doblò Cargo in 2016, which have included winning the 'Light Van of the Year' award at the 2016 What Van? Awards, being named VansA2Z’s ‘Light Van of the Year 2016’ and winning the ‘Best Small Van’ award in the 2016 Van Fleet World Honours.

The Best Small Van award was presented to Andrea Patti, Marketing Manager, FIAT Professional UK, by Matthew Eisenegger, Editor of Trade Van Driver, at the 2016 Commercial Vehicle show held at The NEC Birmingham this week.

The Trade Van Driver Awards aim to give recognition to the manufacturers, firms and people who, in the opinion of the judges, offer the very best to retail van buyers.

FIAT Doblò Cargo named Best Small Van at the 2016 Van Fleet World Honours.

• FIAT Doblò Cargo named Best Small Van at the 2016 Van Fleet World Honours  
• Van Fleet World judges were impressed by FIAT Doblò Cargo's wide range of engines, payload and load volumes, practicality, technology and breadth of range
• Priced from £13,245*, the FIAT Doblò Cargo is available in four bodystyles and four specification levels, with five powertrain options

FIAT Professional’s highly successful Doblò Cargo continues to impress the experts, this time securing the prestigious Best Small Van award at the 2016 Van Fleet World Honours announced today at a special ceremony in London.

Winning the Best Small Van award in the Van Fleet World Honours is no stranger to FIAT Professional as Doblò Cargo won the award previously in 2013 and has also won the Best Light Van Award in both 2010 & 2011.

Commenting on the FIAT Doblò Cargo's success, the Van Fleet World judges remarked: “Despite increasingly impressive competition, FIAT Professional’s Doblò Cargo remains the UK’s Best Small Van. Its unrivalled combination of engine choice, payload and load volumes, with no less than four body sizes available and a dropside pick-up, will appeal to the widest possible audience.”

“The face-lifted Doblò Cargo remains a pleasure to drive, with a wide choice of engine outputs and a cab that is bursting with useful technology,” said Van Fleet World editor Dan Gilkes. “However it is the van’s practicality that swung the judges’ decision, as the broad choice of body styles and load capacities deliver an unbeatable choice for fleets.”

Ricky McFarland, Country Manager FIAT Professional UK commented: “We are delighted to receive this prestigious award from the Van Fleet World Judges.”

“This is a very competitive segment and this latest accolade provides further recognition of what is clearly a class-leading van. The FIAT Doblò Cargo's value for money, versatility, practicality and economy has been appreciated by so many of our customers and we’re glad that the judging experts are in agreement too!" 

The Van Fleet World Honours awards are open to all motor manufacturers and the judging process combines the expert opinion of the Van Fleet World editorial team with data provided by a number of leading leasing companies and fleet advisors.

They are presented annually to those motor manufacturers, service companies and individuals who have, in the opinion of the judges, achieved the highest possible level of excellence in their sector.

About the FIAT Doblò:

The fourth-generation FIAT Doblò received a fresh exterior design, improved engine performance and a new "EcoJet" version when it was launched in early 2015. It was also first vehicle to wear the full "FIAT Professional" logo on its tailgate. It is produced in the Tofaşplant in Bursa, Turkey, a World Class Manufacturing Gold Medal winner.

Prices for the FIAT Doblò start at £13,245* and it is available in four bodystyles (Standard, Maxi, XL and Work Up) and four specification levels (Standard, SX, EcoJet and Tecnico) with five powertrain options (1.4 petrol 95hp, 1.3 MultiJet II 90hp, 1.6 MultiJet II 90hp Comfort-Matic, 1.6 MultiJet II 105hp and 2.0 MultiJet 135hp).

FIAT Commercial enjoys another record year of sales in the United kingdom.

• Almost 15,000 FIAT Professional vehicles registered in the UK in 2014, a record total for the brand
• New FIAT Ducato was key to this success, doubling sales in this key segment compared to 2013 despite only hitting showrooms in May
• Prospects look positive for 2015 with a full year of new FIAT Ducato sales and the launch of new FIAT Doblò Cargo scheduled for March

FIAT Professional has posted record sales for 2014 with 14,927 units registered, an increase of eight percent compared to 2013 which was itself another outstanding year for the brand! The results are a culmination of five years of sustained growth, which has seen FIAT Professional grow by 83 percent since 2010 in terms of sales.

Key to the brand’s 2014 success is the new FIAT Ducato, which has managed to almost double volumes compared to 2013 and increase its market share in the UK’s largest LCV segment by an impressive 2.7 percent, despite only being launched in the UK in May.  

FIAT Professional has also increased the retail proportion of its sales by 45 percent, appealing to more user-choosers and owner-operators than ever before, thanks to FIAT Professional’s combination of reliability, versatility, low running costs, advanced technologies and outstanding customer care.

Sebastiano Fedrigo, Director, FIAT Professional UK, commented, “We’re very proud of increasing our volumes to record levels in 2014 and in particular our engagement with retail customers, more and more of whom are relying on their FIAT Professional vehicles to get the job done. 

The new Ducato coming on stream mid-year gave us a significant boost and we have similar expectations of the new FIAT Doblò Cargo when it goes on sale in March. Combine those two vehicles with the rest of the outstanding FIAT Professional range and we are very confident in having another successful year in 2015.”

The new FIAT Doblò unveiled with bold new exterior style

• The new FIAT Doblò unveiled with bold new exterior style
• New Doblò retains outstanding versatility, practicality and dynamics of the current model but with improved refinement
• UK range completely revised to focus on key models and offer customers more value
• On sale in the UK in January 2015 priced from £13,480

The new FIAT Doblò has been unveiled, building on the strengths of the current model as it evolves to meet the ever-more diverse needs of its demanding and loyal customers.

The fourth generation of the FIAT Doblò, which has amassed 300,000 sales since it was first launched in 2000, features a restyled front end for 2015 with a sculpted bonnet; new front wings; distinctive new headlamps and a bold new grille, all of which bring an air of sophistication and elegance to the new FIAT Doblò’s design.

The sleek new front bumper, lower air intakes and fog light shrouds adopt a more car-like appearance while also exuding solidity and robustness, and at the rear there are new light clusters, with a sleeker shape and more sophisticated graphics and a new body-coloured moulding across the tailgate. A new dark grey exterior colour and new wheel cover / alloy wheel designs round out the exterior revisions.

The 2015 FIAT Doblò continues to offer one of the broadest and most comprehensive ranges in its segment, with three engine/transmission choices, three trim levels, two roof heights and a choice of five- or seven-seat versions. Twin sliding rear doors are standard, while a choice of tailgates and the option of a fold-flat front passenger seat give customers even more scope for choosing the perfect Doblò to suit their lifestyle.

Inside, the new FIAT Doblò retains its outstanding versatility and practicality – five seat models have a vast 790 litre boot (up to the parcel shelf) which can be boosted to a class-leading 3,200 litres when all the passenger seats are folded down, and even the parcel shelf does its bit: it can be positioned at different levels and can carry loads of up to 70kg! Other subtle improvements to the 2015 FIAT Doblò include lighter and more precise gear changes, a more responsive throttle pedal, new instrumentation and even better noise insulation.

The new FIAT Doblò continues to offer the best ride and handling in its class, mainly thanks to its segment-exclusive, bi-link, independent rear suspension, with dual-rate shock absorbers, high-performance springs and a rear anti-roll bar all tuned to provide the ideal combination of handling and damping performance on all roads.

The UK range has been completely revised for 2015, offering better value on key models and aligning it more closely to customer expectations in the segment. A new entry-level Pop trim joins the range for 2015, equipped with Start&Stop, remote central locking, electric front windows and a 60/40 split rear seat as standard. In terms of safety, every new FIAT Doblò is equipped with ESC (Electronic Stability Control); ASR (Anti Slip Regulation), HBA (Hydraulic Brake Assist), Hill Holder; ABS with EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution); front airbags (side bags are optional) and TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System). 

Available with a 95hp, 1.4-litre petrol engine, the new FIAT Doblò Pop starts at £13,480 OTR, reducing the entry-level price of the FIAT Doblò range by £1000 compared to the current range.

The “MyLife” trim level is replaced by the new “Easy” version and adds body-coloured bumpers front and rear, front fog lights, body-coloured electric door mirrors, steering wheel audio remote controls and a height adjustable driver’s seat compared to the Pop specification. 

Prices for the FIAT Doblò Easy start at £14,650 OTR for the 95hp 1.4-litre petrol engine, with the 1.6-litre MultiJet 2 105hp priced from £15,900 OTR. A new “Easy Air” special edition adds manual air conditioning to the Easy model for only £345 more (normally a £655 option) and the FIAT Doblò Easy 1.6-litre MultiJet 2 90hp Dualogic (equipped with FIAT’s automated-manual transmission) is priced at £16,700 OTR.

The new top-of-the-range Lounge trim replaces the Eleganza version and, compared to the Easy model, comes equipped with air conditioning; 16-inch alloy wheels; rear parking sensors; an audio system upgrade including Bluetooth and USB/Aux-in connectivity; rear electric windows; power folding door mirrors; a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear knob; dark tinted windows and cruise control all as standard. 

Pricing for the Lounge version starts at £17,980 OTR for the 1.6-litre MultiJet 2 105hp, while the 1.6-litre MultiJet 2 90hp Dualogic version (equipped with FIAT’s automated-manual transmission) is priced at £18,780 OTR.

Built at the Tofaş plant in Bursa, Turkey (a Gold Medal winner in the World Class Manufacturing assessment) the new FIAT Doblò goes on sale in the UK in January.