FIAT DOBLO': THE MODEL IN BRIEF

Young and informal with two incarnations

Its name is Fiat Doblò. It is young, informal and non-conformist with two incarnations: car and light commercial vehicle.

The Fiat Doblò car is fun, lively and able to meet all customer needs, however rational or irrational. It can do this because it boasts a strong personality with a unique level of practicality and versatility.

Perfect for young people and those who seek a multipurpose vehicle with a sense of fun. It is the ideal companion for leisure, sport or travelling with friends. It is also ideal for ferrying children to school or pool, commuting to work or doing the shopping.

In fact you can use this car to do just about anything that comes to mind - as you would expect from a multi-purpose vehicle. Because it is easy to handle, as convenient as a station wagon and as roomy as an MPV. It actually offers the same degree of versatility as an MPV at a lower cost and more compact exterior dimensions: the whole vehicle measures just 4.16 metres in length and 1.71 metres in width.

The Fiat Doblò Cargo sees our vehicle in commercial incarnations. It was created for customers who use their vehicle mainly for work: small businessmen, tradesmen, shop-keepers and agents.

Such customers are particularly demanding and spend many hours of the day in their cars. They have to negotiate town traffic and often have to stop and start to load and unload goods but also undertake fast intercity trips.

Customers like these expect space, running economy, ease of loading and easy driving from the Doblò Cargo. And that is not all. They also demand personal convenience and interior comfort.

The new model is the best answer to all these needs: its cleverly constructed space offers a universe of sensations and emotions. It is also a dependable and generous companion at work and play that easily overcomes day-to-day transport dilemmas.

Its two incarnations will appeal to two quite different markets.

The Fiat Doblò belongs to a new segment (its first appearance dates back to the end of 1996) that has grown apace in Europe and Italy within four short years. Nowadays the continental market amounts to more than 220,000 vehicles (about 1.5% of all cars sold) and the Italian market to some 24,000 (more or less 1%).

The Fiat Doblò Cargo slots into a segment that includes light commercial vehicles with payloads up to 800 kgs. This segment has grown by some 20% in Europe and 34% in Italy over the last four years,. In Italy, it is predicted that this market band will amount to some 45,000 vehicles by the end of 2000. It now represents one fifth of total demand for light commercial vehicles in Europe, with 370,000 vehicles sold to date.

This segment has boomed in recent years. The old boxy vans are gradually being replaced by new multispace vehicles based on a much more up-to-date product concept. The stage is set for the arrival of a new star.

Fiat is always ready to take up a new challenge. It has therefore designed a model that aims to repeat the success of the Fiorino while also winning over new customers and gaining the loyalty of old ones.

These aims are ambitious but we can certainly achieve them. Because the Fiat Doblò and Doblò Cargo are record-breaking vehicles, made unique by Fiat's long experience with utility cars and commercial vehicles.

The new vehicles' first record-breaking feature is generously sized sliding side doors: 645 mm on the Doblò and an impressive 685 on the Doblò Cargo. The second record is their ability to accommodate passengers up to the 99th height percentile. In practical terms this means that the Fiat Doblò is the only vehicle in its category able to accommodate an entire basketball team in comfort. It is also the only car with a gear lever in the middle of the facia. This solution allows safer driving because the lever can be operated more quickly.

The last two records are exclusive to the Doblò Cargo: it offers the best specifications in its category with a volume of 3.2 m3 and payloads of 625 or 805 kgs. The load compartment can also accommodate two Euro-pallets and the high-roof version offers no less than 3.8 m3 of volume.

The glory of this last record is enhanced by an exceptionally tall rear door frame of over 1.5 metres in height that allows any type of goods to be loaded with ease, however bulky. It goes without saying that this space is also enormously valuable because it allows great freedom of movement for the disabled. Fiat's Autonomy Department has exploited the space in the high-roof version to create a special version of the Fiat Doblò for the transport of people with motor problems: the only vehicle in its category able to ensure total mobility for disabled people and three accompanying passengers without structural modifications.

All these records are tangible expressions of the Fiat Doblò's attributes. The new model's main strength is its ability to offer space for everything and everybody.

And more. The space is designed to be practical. The Fiat Doblò can accommodate five people in comfort and also leave plenty of room for their luggage: 750 litres up to the level of the parcel rack, that can be increased to 3,000 litres by folding down the rear seat. The load compartment can also be used to the full because it is flat, regular in shape and easily accessible. It is also designed to accommodate a huge range of goods without problems, including bulky parcels and packages.

All these benefits add up to outstanding quality of life onboard. Oceans of glass also give the Fiat Doblò's interior an airy appearance that immediately conveys a gratifying sensation of comfort. Other strengths include good accessibility and interior ergonomics due to generously sized sliding side doors and excellent seat ground clearance that makes it extremely easy and natural to get in and out of the car. Plenty of passenger space is also available.

And the Fiat Doblò has another high-tech ace up its sleeve: a full array of electronic and on-line features that no other car in its segment can boast. From 2001, it will offer the CONNECT system. This sophisticated built-in communications system offers the following functions: radio with CD player, GSM phone, map satellite navigation system, SOS for service or assistance calls and voice control. It also displays trip computer information.

The Fiat Doblò also stands for safety: preventive, active and passive. Full control under all road conditions is assured by an easy drive and a category-topping grip on the road. The body easily meets the toughest and most recent crash requirements and is already prepared to meet more severe future standards in some cases. On the passive safety front, the new model also offers two front airbags and two sidebags. This array will shortly be complemented by two windows bags.

Practicality, comfort and safety. These attributes of the Fiat Doblò are apparent as soon as you look at the car. Its styling is rational and uncluttered without pointless frills or fussy details. The exterior is protective and solid and the interior looks welcoming, warm and family-oriented. Despite the vehicle's clearly functional design, its out-of-the-ordinary shape bursts with character and suggests plenty of ideas for a new type of four-wheeled relationship.

The Fiat Doblò and Doblò Cargo offer an incredible number of variants for all needs and individual personalities: 26 body configurations (with 3, 4 or 5 doors) divided into two trim levels for the Doblò (SX and ELX) and two for the Doblò Cargo (base and SX). They also come with four engines: a 47.5 kW - 65 bhp Fire 1.2 petrol unit and a 46 kW - 63 bhp 1.9 D aspirated diesel unit. These will later be joined by a 76 kW - 103 bhp 1.6 Torque 16v unit and a 74 kW - 100 bhp 1.9 JTD engine. The car comes with ten exterior colours and a wide choice of options and accessories.

This array of alternatives will be extended by versions converted by outside coachbuilders. The new model is well-suited to accept different types of outfit. For example, the vehicle load compartment can be lined and equipped with racks and drawers, mobile workshops and insulated cooling chambers for the transport of perishable goods.

The Fiat Doblò is due to go on sale from November in Italy and from 2001 in other European markets and South America. It will initially be produced in the Tofas plant in Turkey (with an output of some 100,000 cars per year when the plant is fully operational) and next year also in the Belo Horizonte plant in Brazil (with an output of 40,000 vehicles) for the Latin American market.

IMAGES DOBLO'

IMAGES DOBLO' CARGO