Fiat gets the gold with new Fiorino adventure

Roland Rendell gets to grips with the latest small van to roll off of the Italian production line, with a fresh look and new Euro 5 engine.

With there being plenty of gold medals flying around this summer, particularly for team GB, it seems apt to get the opportunity to test drive the new van named after an old Italian gold coin. Fiorino means Florin, a coin from the 13th/14th century, laced with pure gold. This new version of the van that was first launched way back in 1977 is packed with the latest emission-reducing technology, as well as having superb fuel economy.

I was handed the keys to the new 1.3 MultiJet diesel model, in what appears to be the popular colour for small vans these days – red. It was Fiat’s top-spec model too, the Adventure, and I wondered whether it would live up to its name, or just fall in to the run-of-the-mill category.

I jump in and immediately notice how high up I feel for a small van. Looking around, I’m impressed with the size of the cabin space. Being a fair bit over six foot, I could have still worn a top hat with room to spare. The dash is very user-friendly - every dial and indicator on the dash is easy to read, and the controls are within easy reach, which I’m sure will help drivers keep their mind on the job and their eyes on the road. A nice little arm rest to my left will aid the city driver with his hand constantly on the gear stick.

Tardis-Like
At the first junction I find myself having to try and look around parked cars and a large van, before I can pull out, and it’s then that I notice just how good the visibility is. Inside, it’s almost Tardis-like. It measures 3881mm long and 1716mm wide, which explains a lot. The height of 1803mm is the reason I could do mini jumps inside without bumping my head.

After half an hour, the 16v diesel manages to rack up an impressive return of just over 45 mpg. I decide to unload my small cargo (a ten year old boy) and see what it really can do. Being ten, he doesn’t use the conventional method of getting in and out. As I am walking around the back, I glance in through the glass door window panel and can see him attempting to clamber out of one of the side doors. Yes, one of them - this model has one on each side. The other thing I noticed about the doors is on the back - there’s a rear wash wipe, which proved invaluable in the wet weather we’d been having.

The rush hour test
Now cargo free, out of curiosity I decide to test the van against the Panda TwinAir I had the week before by doing the same route, at the same time of day – rush hour. 26 miles later I have to say I’m the most impressed I have ever been in a van. At an average of 44 miles mph, it manages an incredible 70.1 mpg, more than their stated combined cycle of 65.7. Again, this demonstrates that if you drive any vehicle in the right way, there are some serious savings to be had. The other pleasant surprise, which will now become more commonplace, is the admission of the CO2, which is a staggering 113g/km.

The Fiorino Adventure is very comfortable, easy to drive and use, returns great mpg if you ask it to and is set to make a huge impact on the light commercial vehicle market. I say this van takes gold - it’s a winner.