Fiat Fiorino 1.3 MultiJet 80hp SX: Spacious compact van easier to live with

Fiat Fiorino 1.3 MultiJet 80hp SX

What is it?

THIS Fiat Fiorino 1.3 MultiJet 80hp SX featured is the face-lifted version of Fiat’s original Fiorino small van that established a new commercial vehicle segment.

We’ve got the expected best-selling engine, the 80bhp version of the 1.3 MultiJet, in range-topping SX spec, to see how it compares to the newer opposition.

What’s hot

• The Fiorino’s 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel engine, which boasts 80bhp and 200Nm of torque, plus an impressive 72.4mpg figure and 100g/km CO2 emissions figure. Mated with five-speed manual transmission, this engine works fine around town and on the open road – as long as it’s not rushed.

No-frills cab

• Considering its compact design, at 2.5 cubic metres the Fiorino has a surprisingly practical load bay. On top of the space, the Fiorino adds extra practicality in the form of a sliding side door and twin rear doors. The Fiorino also has a pretty impressive payload of 660kg considering its size . But even with a light load, on long trips we found the ride is refined on the standard 16-inch steel wheels.

• New front air dam aside, the face-lifted Fiorino looks unchanged from the van launched back in 2006. Still, the Fiat’s aged well and still looks reasonably modern.
• All-round visibility is generally good, but reversing was helped further on our test van with the fitment of rear sensors.
• Our test Fiorino was in the expected most-popular trim for the UK market – It includes remote central locking with deadlocks, air-conditioning, cruise control with speed limiter, power windows and mirrors.
• We like the solidly made, no frills approach to the Fiorino’s interior – it feels made to do hard work. We also appreciated the standard full-width bulkhead, which added to interior refinement.
• Along with the impressive fuel economy, the Fiat Fiorino will be cheap to run with long 21,000-mile service intervals.

What’s not

• That 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel engine might be good for its diesel economy, but it’s a very noisy, peaky engine – that feels horribly flat off-boost!
• The Fiat isn’t that much fun to drive either, with a jiggly ride, lifeless steering and a clunky gearchange.
• Our Fiorino had the optional navigation system, but it has a tiny touch screen and is over-complicated in use.
• The interior of the Fiorino is where this van shows its age as there’s just too much shiny and flimsy plastics on show, including the floor! The switchgear all feels low rent too.

The Verdict

The Fiorino is an old van now, but this Fiat is still worth a look for its impressive use of compact space and the efficient 1.3-litre MultiJet engine that should prove cheap to run, together with long service intervals.

It is just a shame that it feels so dated inside and is only average to drive.

Lowdown on the Fiat Fiorino 1.3 MultiJet 80hp SX:

Fiat Fiorino with twin rear doors and sliding side door

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