The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire October 2014 | Page 12

REVVED UP NEW DUCATO. MORE TECHNOLOGY. MORE EFFICIENCY. MORE VALUE. Combining sophisticated car-like design with LCV versatility, efficiency and robustness, the hugely successful Fiat Ducato continues to set the segment benchmark. Combining sophisticated car-like design with LCV versatility, efficiency and robustness, the hugely successful Fiat Ducato continues to set the segment benchmark. For 2014 a new exterior style brings sophisticated ‘car design’ to the light commercial vehicle segment, conveying the new Ducato’s dynamism, quality, safety and robustness. The all-new front end features new headlights with integrated daytime running lights, LED on Tecnico models, and a bold new grille design. The chunky new front bumpers help to define the muscular look of the new Ducato and, because they’re comprised of four sections, they also help reduce running costs by allowing repairs to be carried out on damaged portions only. Even the shape of the 2014 Ducato is designed to help reduce fuel bills – it offers class-leading aerodynamic efficiency, more akin to a mid-sized saloon than a commercial vehicle. Inside, it offers a comfortable, attractive and functional cabin environment. New, well-appointed, multi-adjustable seats offer car-like comfort levels with lumbar support and a driver’s armrest as standard on all models, while a new dashboard console can accommodate two 750ml beverage bottles as well as storage, charging and USB/Aux-in facilities for mobile devices. A highlight of the revised cabin is a new segmentexclusive Multifunction Tablet Holder which can safely secure any one of a variety of devices such as smartphones 12 THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2014 and tablets, as well as traditional clipboards and A4 pads. The 2014 Fiat Ducato also benefits from more advanced infotainment systems – a four-speaker audio system with Bluetooth technology and MP3 playback is now standard on all models, while the range-topping Tecnico model is equipped with Fiat’s new Uconnect™, five-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system. The new unit features an integrated TomTom navigation system complete with bird’s eye mapping, progressive route guidance and a ‘One-Step Voice Entry Destination’ function. It also includes an advanced Bluetooth interface to access extra functions, such as phone call management, reading received SMS text messages via text-to-speech technology and audio streaming that plays music files and web radio stations directly from a smart device. Remote steering wheel controls, DAB digital radio and a reversing camera, in combination with rear parking sensors, are also part of the standard infotainment system on Tecnico versions. Under the bonnet, Fiat Professional has been equally as thorough, working to reduce emissions and improve economy by around 10 percent across the Euro 5+ engine range. All FIAT Ducato models are equipped with a sixspeed manual transmission as standard and now boasts best-in-class efficiency figures, with CO2 emissions for the entry-level 2.3 MultiJet II 110hp as low as 170g/km and an impressive fuel economy figure of 44.1 MPG on the NEDC cycle. Every engine in the Fiat Ducato range has 30,000 mile service intervals to help lower service bills and reduce time the vehicle spends off the road for maintenance. In terms of offering specific vans for specific needs, the new Fiat Ducato offers the widest front-wheel-drive range on the market: with 10,000 variants available to customers across its commercial, passenger and chassis vehicles. Within the van range, this is a choice of eight different load volumes, ranging from 8 to 17 m³, across four lengths, three wheelbases and three heights, with payloads of between 800 and 2,100kg, as well as three different sizes each of side-sliding and rear. The squared-off load compartment offers class-leading cargo space between the rear wheel arches (1.42 m) as well as category-leading internal dimensions and accessibility. The new Fiat Ducato also boasts best-in-class space efficiency, particularly on versions of less than six metres which are predominantly used in urban areas where the external footprint needs to be as small as possible. The New Ducato is available to test drive and order at T H White Fiat Group Brand Centre. For the latest offers across the Fiat Professional range, including the New Ducato, visit motors.thwhite.co.uk or call Steve Woodward, Commercial Vehicle Specialist on 07702 721263 or [email protected].