CV SHOW 2015 - FIAT celebrates with a double win at the CV show, for the Ducato and Fiorino.

• FIAT Ducato wins the “Trader’s Choice” award in the 2015 Trade Van Driver Awards
• FIAT Fiorino takes the Trade Van Driver “Best City Van ” award for the second  time
• Trade Van Driver Awards expert jury comprised of experienced LCV journalists and a panel of readers who use LCVs as part of their businesses
• Awards presented to Sebastiano Fedrigo at the 2015 Commercial Vehicle Show (NEC Birmingham) where the new FIAT Doblò Cargo, new FIAT Ducato and FIAT Fiorino Adventure are on display

Trade Van Driver has named the FIAT Ducato as the “Trader’s Choice” in the 2015 Trade Van Driver Awards. The magazine, which is the only publication to cater specifically for owner-drivers and small fleet operators, also named the FIAT Fiorino as the “Best City Van” for the second time.

Adjudicated not only by a team of expert Trade Van Driver journalists but also by a panel of readers who use light commercial vehicles as an integral part of their businesses, the Trade Van Driver awards offer a true reflection of the thoughts and feelings of its readership.

Commenting on the FIAT Ducato, the judges noted: “Trade van buyers have special needs. They want low front end costs, good build quality, frugal running costs and good residual values. The Ducato ticks each one of these boxes, making it an ideal winner.”

Commenting on the second win for the FIAT Fiorino in the “City Van” category, the jury said: “The Fiat Fiorino well and truly broke the mould in the city van sector when it was first launched in 2008, with its tough build quality and high-cube loadspace. Since then, in the eyes of the judges, no other rival has come close to matching the style, practicality and cost-effectiveness of this cheeky little performer.”

Sebastiano Fedrigo, Director, FIAT Professional UK, said: “We are very happy that the editorial experts and readers of Trade Van Driver have recognised the class-leading attributes of the FIAT Ducato, not only in terms of versatility, performance and features but also the equally important elements that owner-operators and small-fleet managers really appreciate – the customer service, the real-world running costs and peace of mind you get from knowing you’re running a tough and dependable van. This is equally true of the FIAT Fiorino – it may be much smaller and more affordable, but our Fiorino operators get the same high levels of engineering, content, support and service as all FIAT Professional customers.

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. Both trophies were presented to Sebastiano Fedrigo, Director, FIAT Professional UK, by Matthew Eisenegger, editor of Trade Van Driver, at the 2015 Commercial Vehicle show held at The NEC Birmingham this week.

FIAT wins Best City Van, at recent awards ceremony.

• FIAT Fiorino Cargo 1.3 MultiJet 75 Tecnico Start&Stop named Best City Van in the 2015 Business Vans Van of the Year Awards
• Judges highlighted its manoeuvrability, practicality, high specification, payload and low running costs
• Award presentation made at a special Business Vans award event in London today, January 22, 2015

FIAT Professional is celebrating another awards success following the announcement that its versatile FIAT Fiorino Cargo has been named Best City Van in the Business Van of the Year Awards 2015. Business Vans is an online publication dedicated to the SME sector, providing expert advice for small businesses and owner-operators to choose the right van for their trade or company.

The independent judges, all experts in the commercial vehicle world with senior positions in commercial, leasing and editorial firms, are led by chairman Keith Hawes, MD of Magma Automotive Service, who also chaired the judges last year.

The judges were impressed by the FIAT Fiorino Cargo’s compact dimensions, practicality, high specification, payload and load volume (660kg and a load volume of up to 2.8 cubic metres) as well as its low running costs. Thanks to its advanced MultiJet II turbo-diesel engines the FIAT Fiorino returns up to 65.7 MPG on the combined cycle while also offering its users low maintenance and repair costs.

The Business Van of the Year Best City Van award was specifically bestowed upon the FIAT Fiorino Cargo 1.3 MultiJet II 75hp Tecnico Start&Stop which represents great value for money at £8,995* and features air conditioning; Blue&Me™ connectivity with a TomTom satnav dock; front fog lights and rear parking sensors all as standard.

The recently-launched Sportivo version of the FIAT Fiorino builds on the high specification of the Tecnico model by adding alloy wheels, Sportivo side-stripes and an engine power upgrade to 95hp with no fuel economy or emissions penalties.

Commenting on the success of the FIAT Fiorino, Business Vans editorial director Ralph Morton said: “FIAT’s baby Fiorino has built a reputation as being a perky little van that’s fun to drive. Despite its compact dimensions, it’ll swallow a Euro pallet making the economical Fiorino perfect for city deliveries and the extra spec of the Tecnico version makes it perfect as a business van.”

Sebastiano Fedrigo, director FIAT Professional UK, commented: "We are delighted and proud to receive this prestigious award from the Business Vans team of expert judges. The FIAT Fiorino has firmly established itself as a class-leading product in its respective segment and is widely-regarded throughout the industry. This latest award provides further endorsement of the quality and strength of the award-winning FIAT Professional range."