Fiat Ducato 2021 review: Mid-wheelbase GVM test

The MWB MR's front-wheel drive chassis rides on a 3450mm wheelbase with 12.5-metre turning circle. It’s 5413mm long, 2050mm wide and 2539mm tall, so like numerous van rivals in this GVM class it can’t access shopping centre and underground carparks which typically have a 2.2-metre height limit.

The MWB MR's front-wheel drive chassis rides on a 3450mm wheelbase with 12.5-metre turning circle.

Underpinnings are simple and rugged, combining coil-spring strut front suspension with a leaf-spring rigid-tube rear axle that’s well designed for heavy load-carrying, with compressible rubber cones between body and axle that provide a second stage of support. There’s also four-wheel disc brakes, power-assisted rack and pinion steering and ample hard-wearing black plastic protecting the most vulnerable areas of the bodywork from scrapes and dents.

A sealed steel bulkhead separates the cabin from the cargo bay, insulating driver and passengers from load area noise and doubling as a robust cargo barrier. Its sliding window is ideally positioned to allow the driver or passenger to make a quick over-shoulder glance to check that their load is secure. Leg room for the centre passenger is unusually generous, even for tall adults, which would be appreciated by a crew of three.

Leg room for the centre passenger is unusually generous, even for tall adults.

Interestingly, the rear barn-door windows are heated but there are no wiper/washers fitted. At first this appeared to be an oversight, but having driven the Ducato in heavy rain we were surprised at how spray-free the rear screens remained and how clean they were afterwards.

Our only gripes are that the driver’s left footrest is so short you can only rest your toes on it. It’s a shame the excellent full-length one that resides in the passenger footwell (which of course is the driver’s footwell in LHD models) can’t migrate across the cabin for RHD versions. Driver comfort would be further improved with more rake adjustment in the base cushion.

The small 5.0-inch infotainment screen also makes it difficult to see much detail in the vision provided by the reversing camera. The optional 7.0-inch screen would be an improvement here, but is only available as part of the Comfort and Tech Pack.

Fiat does not publish a combined average consumption figure for the Ducato, but the dash display was claiming 10.2L/100km at the end of our test, which covered almost 300km of which more than a third was with a heavy payload. We also had the auto stop-start function switched off. That consumption figure was very close to our own, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, of 10.6L. So, based on our numbers you could expect a real-world driving range of around 850km from its 90-litre tank.

The Ducato’s 2060kg kerb weight and 4250kg GVM results in a huge 2190kg payload rating which dwarfs rivals we've tested including the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Ford Transit and its Peugeot Boxer sibling. It's also rated to tow up to 2250kg of braked trailer but given that Fiat does not publish a GCM (Gross Combination Mass) number, we can’t confirm if it can tow that weight while carrying a full payload.

The cargo bay, with a competitive 11.5 cubic metres of load volume, has an unprotected load floor that’s 3120mm long and 1870mm wide with 1422mm between the wheel housings. Therefore, it can easily carry two 1165mm-square standard Aussie pallets or three 1200 x 800mm Euro pallets, held in place by eight sturdy load-anchorage points.

There’s also ample forklift access through either the rear barn-doors, which can swing open to 270 degrees with a combined 1562mm-wide opening, or the sliding side doors with their 1250mm-wide openings.

All doors and walls are lined to mid-height and the raised roof cavity allows even tall adults to stand inside without stooping. It also provides a large and very useful storage area over the driver’s cabin, which is ideal for stowing ropes, straps, load-padding etc.

There’s plenty of cabin storage too, with large-bottle holders and two levels of storage bins in each front door. The dashboard offers numerous open storage bins plus small-bottle/cup holders, a glovebox, large overhead map shelf and storage tray under the driver’s seat. The centre seat’s backrest also folds forward to reveal a handy work desk on the back of it, complete with a spring-loaded clip to hold documents in place, a pen holder and two more small-bottle/cup holders.

There’s plenty of cabin storage too, with large-bottle holders and two levels of storage bins in each front door.

We more than met our match trying to test the Ducato’s massive 2190kg payload capacity, as it far exceeded the number of weight-blocks available for GVM testing. The highest we could go, including a 40kg Aussie pallet, was 1700kg in the cargo bay; with driver our payload totalled 1800kg which was still a whopping 390kg short of the limit.

Even so, it was enough to engage the front and rear suspension which both compressed only 26mm, resulting in a level ride height with ample wheel travel remaining. Given that hauling big loads is what it’s primarily designed for, the Ducato handled this task with admirable ease, floating over bumps and maintaining a sure-footed feel that instilled confidence.

Our payload totalled 1800kg (including the driver) which was still a whopping 390kg short of the limit.

The quartet of disc brakes had plenty of bite when required and the engine had ample pulling power, with the nine-speed auto keeping the turbo-diesel on or near its rpm sweet spot. The non-adaptive cruise control also worked well on the highway, maintaining set speeds with discipline.

When faced with our 13 per cent gradient 2.0km set climb at 60km/h the Ducato’s responded with zeal; the auto deciding that fourth gear at 2700rpm was the best option in easily powering its way to the summit with 1.8 tonnes on its back.

However, engine-braking was virtually non-existent on the way down. After manually selecting second gear for the descent, the engine only reached 3800rpm on overrun (tacho reads to 6000rpm with no redline) before it overrode our manual gear selection and shifted up to third. It did it again from third into fourth further down the hill, requiring heavier reliance on the brakes to restrain our big payload.

These shift protocols, which are common in European vans, are no doubt effective in avoiding potential engine damage. However, they can also give a nasty surprise when you’re relying on engine retardation to assist on a steep descent and the transmission suddenly shifts up a cog (which feels like it’s been knocked into neutral) and the vehicle starts running away from you.

Three years/200,000km warranty looks undercooked compared to the five years/unlimited km offered by some rivals. Scheduled servicing, though, is excellent for hard-working vans at 48,000km/12 months whichever occurs first. Five years of Fiat Professional servicing, based on a total distance of 240,000km, equals $6756.99 or an average of $1351.40 per year.