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New Car Road Test | Fiat Scudo

GOING FOR AN ITALIAN

The improved version of Fiat's third generation Scudo mid-sized van is a more polished proposition. Jonathan Crouch reports

Ten Second Review

You might not have been planning on your business's next mid-sized van being a Fiat. But this improved version of the brand's third generation Scudo, thanks to borrowed Stellantis Group engineering and technology, might just be good enough to change your mind. Like its design stablemates, it's easy to live with, practical, efficient and nice to drive. A step forward then, for Fiat.

Background

A change of name doesn't always mean a change of fortunes. Back in 2016, Fiat switched its mid-sized van range away from two generations of 'Scudo' branding, re-christening it the 'Talento' and basing it on a Nissan Renault Alliance platform. That model failed to make much of an impression on the market, so in 2022, the Italian maker switched back to the 'Scudo' nameplate and ditched the Renault underpinnings to create this Stellantis Group-engineered model. It's the usefully improved version of that design, updated in Spring 2024, that we look at here.

It shares almost everything, as you might expect, with the other Stellantis mid-sized vans in this sector, the Peugeot Expert, the Citroen Dispatch and the Vauxhall Vivaro, with the same design and engineering also used by the Toyota Proace. That does at least mean that everything you get here is thoroughly proven. Let's look in a little more detail at Fiat's spin on it.

Driving Experience

All the engineering on offer here is familiar and proven from other Stellantis Group mid-sized vans. So, bolted to an EMP2 platform, there's the choice of conventional diesel or full-electric power. Things kick off with a 1.5-litre diesel, now offered only with 120hp, mated to 6-speed manual transmission. There's also a 2.0-litre Multijet diesel with 145hp and the choice of either manual or 8-speed automatic transmission.

If your business has moved on from smoky diesels, you'll be more interested in the single E-Scudo EV variant, which uses a 136hp electric motor and is now only available with a 75kWh battery pack that offers an EV range improved with this enhanced model to 217 miles. If you're wondering what driving a full-electric mid-sized van might be like, well, there's not too much to get your head around. You turn the key in the ignition, wait for the starting beep, then flick the gear toggle into Drive. There's a drive-mode selector that allows drivers to switch between 'Eco', 'Normal' and 'Sport' modes.

The 'Normal' setting restricts you to 109hp and will feel a bit like driving a lower capacity diesel. 'Eco' mode restricts you further to 81.5hp and reduces the power consumption of the air conditioning and other accessories. If you want the full 136hp of the electric motor, selecting 'Sport' mode unlocks it. There's also a gearshift selector 'B' option that ploughs extra regenerated energy back into the battery, offering more resistance while you're slowing down. Top speed is just 84mph.

Whatever your powertrain choice, diesel or electric, on the move drivers will appreciate the car-like driving position. And ride quality is a strong point, thanks to load adaptive variable damping shock absorbers, a system which varies the damping with the vehicle's ride height. Top-spec variants get camera-driven kit like speed limit recognition, lane departure warning, Side Blind Spot Alert and Driver Attention Alert systems. There's also a clever 'Intelligent Speed adaptation' system that enables you to maintain a constant speed at a cruise.

Design and Build

Diesel versions of this Scudo are British-built at Luton alongside it's Stellantis Group electric LCV stablemates; the E-Scudo is built at Hordain in France. This revised model gets updated front styling and top models gain redesigned LED headlights, plus there's a fresh colour option - 'Colosseo Grey II'. With either drivetrain, there's a choice of short wheelbase 'L1' or long wheelbase 'L2' variants, but Fiat doesn't offer a high roof option. Visually, it looks pretty similar to its design stablemates the Vauxhall Vivaro, the Citroen Dispatch, the Peugeot Expert and the Toyota Proace, but to differentiate the Scudo, there's a Fiat-specific front grille, which is flanked by the swept-back headlamps.

Inside, where the efforts made to set this Fiat apart from its Stellantis Group LCV cousins are cursory, this revised model gets a refurbished dashboard with a digital instrument display and a now-larger 10-inch central infotainment touchscreen. As for E-Scudo changes over the diesel, well the gear lever gets replaced by a drive selector and, next to it, a rocker switch for clicking between the various driving modes. In the instrument binnacle, in place of the usual righthand rev counter you get a Power Meter with 'Eco', 'Charge' and 'Power' sections.

In any Scudo, there's quite a low seating position (for a van), with plenty of seat and wheel adjustment. As usual in this class, a three-person bench seat is fitted and on plusher variants there's a Moduwork bulkhead flap so that longer items can be pushed through from the cargo area. That Moduwork feature also allows the passenger seat to fold forward so the backrest can lay flat to create a handy work surface.

Market and Model

Like its predecessors, this Scudo comes in two main configurations - Panel Van and Crew Cab. And there are two trim levels - 'Standard' and 'Primo'. There are two body lengths (l1 and L2), two diesel powerplants and a full-EV powertrain.

As you'd expect, the LCV range pricing broadly mirrors what you'll pay for this model's identically-engineered Stellantis Group mid-sized LCV cousins - the Peugeot Expert, the Citroen Dispatch and the Vauxhall Vivaro. For the combustion variants, think in terms of ex-VAT on the road figures in the £28,000-£33,000 bracket. For the full electric versions, think in terms of pricing in the £37,000-£43,000 bracket after subtraction of the government's £5,000 Plug-in Van grant.

All Scudo and E-Scudo van models are decently equipped, the standard spec including manual air conditioning, daytime running lights and rear parking sensors. Media connectivity includes 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring. Fiat hasn't forgotten a proper full-sized steel spare wheel, 12V sockets in both cabin and load area and an alarm either. For the cab, there's a driver's seat with height, rake, reach and lumbar adjustment, plus a full steel bulkhead. Other key features on entry level 'Scudo' trim include selective door locking, an advance emergency braking system and driver attention alert level 3.

The main reason you'd want to stretch to plusher 'Primo' spec is to get the useful 'Moduwork' package which gives you a fold-up middle seat, a fold-down writing table in the centre seat back and storage under the passenger bench. Plus a useful load-through flap under the outer passenger seat into the cargo area. 'Primo' spec also upgrades you with front fog lamps, a panoramic view camera, power-folding mirrors. Plus there's Dynamic Surround View, with a digital rear view mirror and lateral side view, along with front and rear park assist, flankguard detection of fixed obstacles, a Visiopark 190 reversing camera, blind spot detection and foldable mirrors.

Practicalities & Costs

Load volumes vary between 5.3 and 6.1m3 depending on the wheelbase and there's a payload capacity of up to around 1.2-tonnes. It's possible to poke longer items through to the cab thanks to a Moduwork system on plusher models which offers a hatch behind the passenger seat which can be folded forward. Use this facility and items up to 4-metres long can be transported inside the vehicle in the lengthiest Maxi version. The Moduwork system can increase load volume by 0 5m3, meaning the Maxi version's total capacity can be extended up to 6.6m3. The Scudo has a towing capacity of 1 tonne.

The load area is 2,512mm for the standard model and 2,862mm for the Maxi version and in both cases, there's 1.26 metres of width between the wheel arches. There's a maximum height of 1,397mm from floor to ceiling.

The diesel units are amongst the more efficient in the segment - think around 40-45mpg on the combined WLTP cycle. But of course for real efficiency, you'd want the E-Scudo full-EV variant. This offers an AC charging capacity of up to 11kW - and up to 100kW in DC, to charge the battery to 80% in just 45 minutes.

Summary

Fiat vans have a much higher sales share in Europe than in the UK. For the Italian brand's slice of our market to increase, the company needs product quality in depth. Expect borrowed Stellantis Group engineering technology to provide that over the next few years and this improved version of the third generation Scudo demonstrates just how useful this will be in extending the reach of the Fiat Professional LCV network.

No, there's nothing really here that you couldn't also get from the Peugeot, Citroen, Vauxhall or Toyota versions of this same mid-sized design. But if for your business, a Fiat Professional garage is more convenient and offering a better deal, there's the peace of mind of knowing that you're buying your business a state-of-the-art product. In the mid-sized van segment, going for an Italian just got that bit more appealing.

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