Driven: 2015 Fiat Ducato Maxi LWB

Fiat Chrysler has kept it simple with the introduction of the 2015 Ducato range because only two models of delivery van are available.

There’s a long wheelbase medium roof Ducato van (as pictured here, model code 295.BGD.4) which has a 13 cubic meter capacity, a payload of 1445kg, and a GVM (gross vehicle mass) of 3500kg. Its maximum length is 5998mm.

Then its a step up to the Xtra-long wheelbase medium roof Ducato van (model code 295.HGD.4) which has a 15 cubic metre capacity, a payload of 2065kg, and a GVM of 4250kg. Its maximum length is 6363mm.

Both vehicles are equipped with manual air-conditioning, a bulkhead with viewing window, cruise control, a two-seat passenger bench seat arrangement with 3-point lap and diagonal belts for each occupant, rear parking sensors, 270 degree rear door opening, and a 5-inch touchscreen radio with Bluetooth.

A reversing camera is optional, and would absolutely be worth the investment as we found in certain parking situations, the lack of side windows creates a large blind spot that makes manoeuvring difficult.

The long wheelbase version retails from $63,990 and the extra-long variant retails from $67,990. Both are supplied “blind” but window glazing is available if required.

Both versions have a wide opening side sliding door on the left hand side of the vehicle, which is wide enough to accommodate a Euro pallet.

What’s new for 2015

The smarter looking 2015 Ducato now features daytime running lights with optional LEDs and a new grille design, as well as a new three-part front bumper which helps to reduce repair costs.

At the rear, the new light clusters now have a distinctive ‘L’ shape. Side visibility and lamp life has also been improved thanks to pulse width modulation technology as well as the presence of the double side light.

There’s been a significant upgrade inside the cabin including new seats, new upholstery and technology upgrades, such as the Uconnect five-inch colour touchscreen infotainment unit.

Fiat Professional says the paint has increased durability, with its exclusive new white paint acting as a barrier against UV rays, while preserving the quality of the paint over years of use.

A higher level of strength was obtained by further reinforcing the key nodes of the body and door surrounds and by redesigning and improving the hinges, sliding rollers, stops and door seals.

By doing this the goal of extending the endurance of the body by more than 50% has been achieved says Fiat Professional.

Further improvements to efficiency and running costs have been gained by working on kerb weight reduction and increased payload through the use of composite materials in the rear suspension.

Both Ducato models have electronic stability control (ESC) system as standard, but it now integrates a rollover mitigation system to protect the load from unexpected motion, in conjunction with load and centre of gravity detection (LAC), hill holder, anti-slip (ASR) and electronic braking assistance (EBA) systems.

Servotronic power steering continues to be offered as standard, while further driving assistance systems are available on request, such as the extra cost option.

Driving impressions

It might have been the smaller of the two vans on the market, but the long wheelbase Ducato (295.HGD.4) isn’t a little fellow at nearly 6 metres long and more than 2 metres wide. Basically its a truck in a van body, so while it may be car-like to drive, you have to drive it in the same style around the city as you would a box-body truck, slowly, carefully and swing wide around tight corners least you take out any parked vehicles.

Surprisingly though, and possibly due to that fact that it’s front-wheel-drive, the big Italian beast is quite nimble on its feet.

The six-speed manual gearbox is a joy to use. The stubby wee gearstick is dashboard mounted, which also allows a “walk through cabin” as the handbrake is mounted to the right of the drivers seat.

I must confess however, there were a couple of times while climbing out of the drivers seat, I managed to snag my shorts on the handbrake lever, which no doubt sounds as comical as it looked.

On the road, the view out from the cab is superb, and the rear view mirrors have concave and convex lenses, which give a narrow and wide angle view of the road and vehicles behind and beside you.

You really do have a commanding view of the road from the driver’s seat, and better yet, thanks to the remote controls on the steering wheel for the audio, bluetooth and cruise control, the driver remains in control of the wheel at all times.

The Ducato happily hums along the motorway at 100km/h in sixth gear, unprovoked by side gusts, and its provides a relatively quiet drive in the cabin. Talking hands free on the phone is no problem at this speed.

Large vans such as the Ducato often do double duty as a mobile office, hence there’s a built in clipboard, plenty of power outlets for cell phones and the like, as well as bottle holders, cupholders and storage cubbies. I also liked the fact that a small bag could be hidden under the middle seat in the cabin, well out of sight of miscreants.

In the cargo bay area, theres a small under roof shelf (which sits above the cab roof), and numerous tie down points throughout.

As is customary whenever I have a van on appraisal, somebody needs some furniture removed or delivered.

The Ducato easily moved a queen sized bed from Takapuna to Parnell, and then took a load of furniture, plants, bed linen, and personal chattels from Mt Roskill to Kingseat.

I simply used bungee cords around the outside of the packing blankets to secure the larger items loaded, and nothing moved or was damaged during transit.

The accommodation in the cabin is fine for two people, but to be perfectly honest fitting three large Kiwi size (95th percentile) blokes in the Ducato will only work for short urban trips, there is not a lot of leg or shoulder room for the poor beggar who ends up in the middle seat!

But for two small kids, or one adult and one small kid, it’s not an issue.

Reversing the big beast into a parking space was certainly made easier by the fitting of the rear parking sensors, and had the optional reversing camera ($1500) been fitted, that would also have been worth its weight in gold.

Other options available for the Ducato vans include a vision pack (rain and dusk sensors, lane departure warning system, and high beam recognition system) for $1850, the robotised gearbox is $3000, the LED daytime running lights are $950, a second sliding side door is $2500, and a bigger 125L fuel tank is also $950.

In summary the newly revised Ducato builds on a successful recipe, more than 2.6 million have been built and sold around the globe since 1982.

The improvements to the braking system, front and rear styling, suspension, cabin appointments, and safety features for the model year 2015 Ducato, will no doubt cement the big Fiats, position as the workhorse of choice for many transport and commercial fleets.

Facts and figures: 2015 Fiat Ducato LWB (295.BGD.4)