Fiat Ducato Van Finance
The Fiat Ducato is a light commercial vehicle that has been produced since 1981 by the joint venture between Fiat and PSA Peugeot Citroen. It shares the same manufacturing platform and is almost exactly the same as the Citroen Relay and the Peugeot Boxer – which are produced in the same Sevel factory in Italy. The Ducato is the largest Fiat commercial van and the most common vehicle used as a motorhome in Europe – with two out of three motorhomes today using the Ducato base. Since 1981, more than 2.4 million vehicles have been produced and Fiat Ducato has become one of the most common vans on the UK’s roads.
Awards
Fiat Professional is the commercial vehicle wing of the Fiat Group and Fiat Ducato is the top model in their range. The van, which has always been very popular with European customers and is the number one favourite of Italians, won the Van of the Year award in 1994. The company has also been named LCV manufacturer of the year at the 2013 Green Fleet Awards for their efforts to reduce CO2 emissions and increase fuel economy in the LCV sector.
Fiat Ducato: History
Since its beginning in 1981, the Fiat Ducato has been produced over several generations. The first generation, produced from 1981 to 1993, was an angular looking vehicle which had a wide selection of engine choices and load capacities. Model variants were named according to carrying capacity: Ducato 10 (1.0 tons), Ducato 13 (1.3 tons), Ducato 14 (1.4 tons) and Ducato Maxi 18 (1.8 tons).
The vehicle was redesigned in 1994 and the second generation of vehicles got a modern look and feel. In 2006, the third generation was launched – weights were again increased, with the following designations for all-up weight: Ducato 30 (3 tonnes), Ducato 33 (3.3 tonnes), Ducato Maxi 35 (3.5 tonnes) and Ducato Maxi 40 (4 tonnes).
30 years after the first Ducato was introduced, in 2011, the latest model appeared. The present generation comes with Euro 5 emissions-compliant diesel engines and is now more powerful and more efficient than ever. The van comes in 3 wheelbases, 4 lengths, 3 heights and 7 volume options, from 8 to 17 m³. Its payload varies from 1000kg to 2000kg. The range of Fiat engines used includes a strong 2.3 litre diesel in various power outputs and a very swift 3.0 litre diesel with 180PS.
The rear space volumes range from eight cubic metres to 17 cubic metres, so there’s a big difference in the size you can buy. There’s further choice, thanks to the Ducato being offered in minibus or chassis cab versions – and 28,000-mile service intervals also mean less expense for the van’s owner. In April 2013, Fiat finally made ESP (electronic stability programme) standard across the entire range of Ducato vehicles.
Fiat Ducato Finance
The number of older Ducatos on the road shows there hasn’t been much in the way of problems in the past – and with decades of proven experience, the Ducato makes a good choice for anyone who chooses to buy it. If you are thinking about buying one of these popular LCVs, The Car Loan Warehouse will be happy to arrange finance for you – just give our friendly team a call on 0800 066 2888.
You may also like to visit our van finance calculator where you can get an idea of monthly payments before you apply online.
