The 2017 Fiat Fiorino Cargo is a compact van with an economical engine, and is perfectly suited for your refrigerated van business if you will be driving the van primarily within the city. The Italian brand designed this van to be easy to access and manoeuvre, particularly in busy and tight urban areas. Among all of Fiat’s commercial vehicles, the Fiorinos is the smallest in the range, behind the Fullback, Ducato, and Talento.
Design
While there is not too much of a difference in the external aesthetics of the Fiorino’s front bumper, it has been restyled. The Fiorino keeps its high-mounted headlamps that not only form an important part of the van’s identity, but are also practical in terms of reducing parking mishaps and aiding visibility, which can be very useful when your refrigerated van has to do rounds after dusk. To maximise manoeuvrability and interior space while retaining the compactness of the van, the wheels are extended to the van’s corners. The alloy wheels certainly look better in the 2017 model and there are new graphics on the instrument cluster, as well as a new touchscreen infotainment system.
Performance and Driving
The engine of the Fiorino performs quickly and is ideal for shorter journeys around the city, but is not cut out for longer distances. Fiat’s applauded lightweight and compact 1.3L Multijet oil burner with Euro6 compliance has been fitted into the van, coming with a 95 or 80bhp. Not only does it offer superb fuel economy, but it also feels strong with a torque of at least 190Nm. In addition to the engine, the smooth and accurate steering of the van makes it pleasant to drive.
The makers of the Fiorino refrigerated van have fitted all models with standard 5-speed manual transmission, while the diesel variant may be obtained with a Comfort-Matic manual gearbox offering 6 speeds. The Comfort-Matic can also be operated automatically, making it exceedingly comfortable to use.
Dimensions
The Fiat Fioriono is available as a Combi model and as a regular panel van. In the Fiat Cargo model, the passenger seat is foldable and when folded flat, extends the van’s load length up 968mm to 2491mm. You will be pleasantly surprised to find that the rear seats in the combi version do nothing to deplete the van’s 660kg payload and 2.5 cubic metres of loadspace. To make even more room, the rear seats of the Combi are foldable, letting you take full advantage of the available loadspace. An added advantage of the Fiorino is the ease of unloading and loading, made possible by the 530mm low loading sill.
Economy
With its footprint much like a passenger car, the Fiat Fiorino is a small van and drives like a car. It’s Multijet II diesel engine produces low CO2 emissions as low as 115g/km. Even when you have your refrigerated van filled with goods, it will still be able to negotiate corners confidently and handle as well as it would when empty.
