In the fifth annual Professional Van & Light Truck Awards held at the British CV Show in Birmingham last week the Fiat Doblo Cargo won best Small Van.
Based on the fact that vans are bought primarily to carry goods and tools, the Professional Van & Light Truck award categories are clearly defined and determined by loadspace volume and payload. These provide a much more meaningful indicator to van buyers and drivers than the generic terms used within the industry, such as: car derived van, high-cube or panel van.
“The re-styling of Fiat’s Doblo Cargo two years ago merely emphasised this van’s position in PV< magazine’s Small Van category,” says PV< editor, John Fife. “Other manufacturers have produced new models in recent years, but the Doblo’s 3.2 cubic metre loadspace and 730 kg – upgradeable to 850 kg – are still hard to match, let alone beat.
“The sheer practicality of the loadbox space is complemented by a comfortable and spacious cabin, and the whole mix is topped off by a range of frugal engines including the surprising little 1.3 MultiJet.”
“We are delighted to take this latest award,” adds Gerry Clarke, director of Fiat Professional in the UK. “Doblo’s value for money, versatility and practicality is a vote winner with so many of our customers – and it seems the same goes for the experts!”
The Fiat Doblo Cargo comes with a choice of three engines – the 1.4 Fire 8v petrol, and the 1.3 MultiJet 16v and 1.9 MultiJet 105 diesel units. Available with numerous equipment levels, Doblo Cargo starts at £9,445 plus VAT for the 1.4 MPI, rising to £10,950 for the 1.9 MultiJet SX.
Fiat Doblo Cargo is no stranger to commercial vehicle awards – a former International Van of the Year 2006, Doblo Cargo also won the magazine’s Compact Van (3.4-4.5 cu metres) award in 2006.
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