FIAT

DO YOU DO SCUDO? Fiat’s Scudo certainly stands out from the small panel van crowd on looks but can it attract buyers who prioritise more practical criteria. Steve Walker reports

Unadventurous, derivative, dull; these charges and others like them are becoming tougher and tougher to level at modern panel vans. This category of commercial vehicles was once the very embodiment of function over form but in recent years the leading manufacturers have unshackled their designers somewhat, allowing them freedom to inject a spark of creativity into the mix. Where once choosing a panel van for your business was largely an exercise in statistical analysis, now buyers must also ask themselves which model they most like the look of. Fiat hope their latest Scudo will attract its fair share of admirers.

There are certainly some distinctive-looking panel vans out there at the moment but manufacturers remain unwilling to shoulder the development costs of these vehicles alone. That’s why we see new models brought to market by groups of manufacturers with each individual marque branding the vehicle as their own. This Scudo, like its predecessor and its bigger brother the Ducato, is a product of Fiat’s alliance with PSA Peugeot Citroen so you can also get it badged as a Citroen Dispatch or a Peugeot Expert. It’s an unorthodox-looking van whatever insignia adorns its grille with a steeply raked windscreen, a huge front bumper and dramatically elongated headlamps. The styling themes are definitely more Peugeot than Fiat with the large front overhang and the bonnet that rises at the edges before easing up into the A-pillars. Half close your eyes, stand on your head and on a foggy morning, you could almost mistake it for a 407. The Scudo is one of the smaller panel vans you’ll encounter on your commercial vehicle search but, crucially, it’s not as small as the old Scudo model it replaced. During its marathon innings that stretched from 1995 to 2007, that model sold some 350,000 units partly because there was nothing else on the market quite like it in terms of size – with the obvious exception of its Citroen and Peugeot sister vehicles. Where the old Scudo slotted into the no van’s land between smaller panel vans like the Volkswagen Transporter and larger little vans like Ford’s Transit Connect, this model goes head to head with the first group. If it’s going to beat these rivals on a level playing field, it will need to be good.

"The Multijet diesel engines are predictably strong"

The Scudo range is far broader than before. Buyers can vary the available load space in their model by selecting from two wheelbases (L1 and L2) and two roof heights (H1 and H2). This gives rise to payload capacities between 1,000kg and 1,200kg with load volumes of 5m3, 6m3 or 7m3. The Scudo offers a class-leading loading height of just 490mm (which the optional air-suspension can drop further) and impressive load access with full-height rear doors and a sliding side door on each flank. With openings of 924mm wide, these sliding side doors are big enough to take a standard Euro pallet. This, along with the 1,245mm loading width between the wheelarches and the square shape of the loadbay generally, helps make the Scudo one of the best small panel vans when it comes to accommodating larger objects. As well as the panel van models, Fiat are also offering platform cabs ready to take all manner of conversions and Combi models with between five and nine seats aimed at taxi firms or even buyers with large families who may have been considering a large MPV. The cab area is impressively spacious for two passengers with firm, supportive seating and plenty of adjustment in the driving position. If you specify the front bench expecting to get three across the front row, you may be disappointed as the dash-mounted gear lever severely restricts legroom for the middle passenger. The light grey plastics aren’t of the soft-touch variety but they do seem tough and the layout of the controls is largely conventional with all the important stuff sited on the steering column itself. For storage there are narrow door pockets, a large pot in front of the passenger and a small glovebox but you might need that third front seat to sit larger items on. The overhead shelf increases the oddment space available but you have to reach up and feel about blindly for anything you’ve put in there, so leave that box of roofing tacks in the glovebox. Standard equipment includes a CD stereo, power steering, remote central locking and a height adjustable driver’s seat. The Scudo cabin sits noticeably lower than other small panel vans and this has advantages when it comes to getting in and out. You don’t have to hoist yourself up to the driving seat and once you’re there, the actual driving position is more like that of an MPV than a van. This has advantages in terms of comfort on longer trips but you do loose out a little on visibility. The Scudo sits you a long way back from the base of its steeply raked windscreen, so it’s hard to pinpoint where the nose of the van is on parking manoeuvres and the long front overhang means that the turning circle isn’t particularly tight. On the open road, the Scudo is very pleasant to drive with the suspension taking care of the bumps admirably and the light steering easily adjustable. The Scudo corners with good body control for such a high-sided vehicle and the braking is assured with ABS and EBD as standard. Without a full bulkhead, noise levels in the cab are quite high but the Multijet diesel engines are predictably strong. Don’t necessarily let the modest 1.6-litre capacity of the Scudo’s entry-level engine put you off. This 90bhp unit chips in with a sizable 180Nm torque rating and it will be more than adequate if you do most of your driving around town. The 2.0-litre engines are stronger for those carrying bigger loads on longer trips. There’s the choice of 120bhp or 140bhp power here and that means torque of 300Nm or 320Nm, both at a lowly 2,000rpm. These are excellent commercial vehicles engines with strong economy and power enough to make you question the need for the lager 2.5-litre units employed by some rivals. The 120bhp 2.0-litre is probably the pick of the range. The Fiat Scudo is definitely a strong product with flamboyant styling for a panel van but whether it has the wherewithal to tempt buyers away from their Vivaros and Transporters remains to be seen. Where the previous Scudo had its unique halfway house dimensions to set it apart, this larger Scudo must tackle the class leaders directly. Many will choose it on merit with the punchy, economical engines, cab comfort and versatile load area being particular draws but ultimately, Fiat will be happy to settle for a smaller slice of a larger pie.

Facts At A Glance VAN: Fiat Scudo van range ENGINES: 90bhp 1.6 / 120bhp 2.0 / 140bhp 2.0 / Multijet diesels MAXIMUM PAYLOAD: 1,000kg-1,200kg LOAD VOLUME: 5m3-7m3 KERB WEIGHT: (panel vans) 1,661kg-1,763kg

ROOM WITH A VIEW We’re not going to patronise you by dressing the Fiat Scudo Panorama up as anything other than a van with seats and windows but don’t let that fact undermine its ability. Andy Enright reports

It’s a curiously British affliction to recoil in horror from any passenger vehicle that shares its roots with a commercial vehicle but the Fiat Scudo Panorama shows that if you can sacrifice some polish, you’re rewarded with a whole heap of practicality. If you need to lug family and a lot of gear, it’s well worth a look.

Let’s not beat around the bush. As much as the Scudo Panorama plays the MPV card, it’s effectively a Scudo van with seats and windows fitted. This Scudo, like its predecessor and its bigger brother the Ducato, is a product of Fiat’s alliance with PSA Peugeot Citroën who badge their wagons Expert and Dispatch. It’s an unorthodox-looking vehicle with a steeply raked windscreen, a huge front bumper and dramatically elongated headlamps. The styling themes are definitely more Peugeot than Fiat with the large front overhang and the bonnet that rises at the edges before easing up into the A-pillars. Half close your eyes, stand on your head and on a foggy morning, you could almost mistake it for a 407.The Panorama model is offered in either long or standard wheelbase guises with a 2.0-litre Multijet diesel cranking out either 120 or 140bhp. Fiat claims it’s a 5/6 seater but an additional row of seats can be fitted if necessary. The Scudo Panorama isn’t going top be the first port of call for those MPV buyers looking for a sparkling driving experience. Unless your work vehicle is a pantechnicon, the Panorama isn’t going to feel especially lively. Load it to the gunwales with passengers and related gubbins and you’ll probably want the more powerful of the two engines if you’re to make anything other than stately progress. On the open road, the Scudo is very pleasant to drive with the suspension taking care of the bumps admirably and the electrically assisted steering being light and accurate. The Scudo corners with good body control for such a high-sided vehicle and the braking is assured with ABS and EBD as standard. The 2.0-litre engines both feature second generation JTD Multijet technology and that means torque of 300Nm or 320Nm for the 120 and 140bhp models respectively, all generated at a lowly 2,000rpm. Refinement is acceptable although there is inevitably quite a degree of wind noise and you’ll notice crosswinds when motorway cruising. The suspension setup is a fairly rudimentary arrangement of struts up front and a torsion beam at the back and there is some bump and thump overt city potholes as a result.

"The Scudo Panorama is all about space and a lot of it. …."

The Scudo Panorama is all about space and a lot of it. The eternal problem with MPV-style vehicles is that once you’ve loaded them with all the family, there’s nowhere to put the luggage. I drove one such vehicle recently where when it was configured in seven seat mode there was not even enough space behind the rearmost seats to carry a modestly sized briefcase. Inexcusable, really. That’s certainly not the case with the Scudo Panorama. Specify it in standard 5/6 seat guise and even the regular wheelbase model has enough space back there for enterprising estate agents to slap a For Rent sign on it. The Scudo Panorama is offered in either standard wheelbase (3000 mm) 5/6 seater or long wheelbase (3122 mm) guise, with commensurate luggage payloads of 610 kg and 530 kg for five and six seat versions respectively, or 328 kg and 249 kg for the optional eight and nine seat variants. The light grey plastics aren’t of the soft-touch variety but they do seem tough and the layout of the controls is largely conventional with all the important stuff sited on the steering column itself. For storage there are narrow door pockets, a large pot in front of the passenger and a small glovebox but you might need that third front seat to sit larger items on. The overhead shelf increases the oddment space available but you have to reach up and feel about blindly for anything you’ve put in there, so leave that box of roofing tacks in the glovebox. Only one trim level is offered but it’s fairly well equipped, as it needs to be in a market stuffed with so many arresting alternatives. Equipment includes electric front windows, dual zone automatic climate control, front fog lights, a CD stereo with wheel-mounted controls, twin front and side airbags, sliding doors on both sides, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and a height adjustable driver’s seat. There will always be buyers who need a vehicle capable of hauling a big family and all their paraphernalia but the fact remains that these customers are often among the most cash strapped and have other diversions for their cash. Other than a questionable depreciation performance, the Scudo Panorama turns in some decent results. Both engines are respectably economical and the combination of long-legged six-speed gearboxes and huge 80-litre fuel tanks gives the Scudo Panorama some real reach when it comes to distance between top ups. Emissions are amazingly good too, the 120bhp version emitting 194g/km of carbon dioxide and the 140bhp engine only slightly worse at 196g/km. Parenthood does some strange things to us. It changes our worldview, it breeds tolerance and we learn to put up with things that previously would have seemed utterly unbearable. Curiously that includes driving a car that is, in effect, a van with seats and windows. Who cares if it doesn’t look particularly sassy or that it won’t corner like a BMW? You’ve got your family with you, you’ve pacified the kids with their favourite toys, their mountain bikes and their entire Nintendo Wii games collection and that has to be worth more than the fitment of expensive soft-moulded plastics or leather seats. The Scudo Panorama answers a very particular call and does the job very well. It’s big, easy and inexpensive to run, agreeably rugged and comes fitted as standard with a refreshing lack of pretension. Surprise yourself. Do something sensible next time you buy a new family vehicle. That way you have credit in the bank stored up for the mid life crisis.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Fiat Scudo Panorama range PRICES: £18,000-£19,100 - +VAT INSURANCE GROUPS: 11-13 [est] CO2 EMISSIONS: 194-196g/km PERFORMANCE: [140bhp] Max Speed 106mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [120bhp] 38mpg (combined) [est] STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: twin front and side airbags, ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length 4805mm (SWB) 5135mm (LWB)