With Peugeot and Citroën showing their facelifted Boxer and Jumper vans, it was only a matter of time before PSA’s joint-venture partner Fiat revealed its own version of the vehicle, which retains the Ducato nameplate.
Just like the Peugeot Boxer and Citroën Jumpy, the refreshed Fiat Ducato gets an identical design, with the exception of the grille and badges. Fiat will present the facelifted Ducato to the international press on May 12 at the Balocco Test Center in Italy, with the van to arrive later in the U.S. as the updated 2015MY Ram ProMaster.
New features for the Ducato include two different colors for the grille, skid plate, new 16-inch rims, new LED headlights and 3-part front bumper to reduce repair costs. The van will be offered with three trim levels (Classic, Tecno and Lounge), with each bringing more comfortable new seats and a new cup holder built into the center console.
Unlike its French cousins, the Fiat Ducato will be offered with a base 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel engine with 115 hp and a 2.3-liter unit with 130 or 150 hp – sharing only the 180hp 3.0-liter engine with the Boxer and Jumper. The base engine is offered with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard, while the other units get a standard six-speed manual transmission. An automatic Comfort Matic gearbox is available on all 2.3- and 3.0-liter engines. Fuel consumption is as low as 5.8 l/100 km (40.5 mpg US).
Fiat says the New Ducato boasts the best gross vehicle weight (up to 4.4 tons/9,700 lbs), weight on the rear axle (up to 2.5 t/5,511 lbs) and payload (up to 2.1 t/4.629 lbs for vans) of the entire “single wheels” category. The Ducato van is available in eight different capacities, ranging from 8 to 17 cubic meters, and in 4 lengths and 3 heights. Chassis cabs versions are available in 6 lengths.
By Dan Mihalascu
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