Orders are now open at all Fiat Professional showrooms for the new Ducato, which has a refreshed exterior and enhanced safety features, with prices starting from £30,885.
This year is the 40th anniversary of the launch of the flagship model of the Fiat Professional range and the Ducato was the best-selling van in Europe in 2020.
The new Ducato features a range of technology, including all instruments now being digital, including a satnav with TomTom 3D maps, driver assistance systems and Uconnect infotainment system. The UConnect interfaces with screens of either five, seven or ten inches, with built-in wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. These latter systems provide access to the most used vehicle controls in just one tap. The refreshed interior design also includes a redesigned dashboard and steering wheel, along with a new gear lever, door panels and automatic air conditioning controls.
Safety
Safety has been a major consideration in the Ducato, with a greater range of driver assistance and safety systems included. It is marketed as the first light commercial vehicle with level two autonomous driving, offering a full range of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) on the road and when parking. These will be available from dealerships soon.
From speed limitation to braking control for unexpected obstacles such as pedestrians and cyclists, from road sign recognition to driver attentiveness monitoring, all the way to Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop&Go function, Lane Keep Assist and Traffic Jam Assist, the last of which maintains active control over the vehicle’s trajectory, taking into account traffic conditions. The combined use of the latter three ADAS enables the Ducato to achieve level 2 autonomous driving, where the vehicle provides independent assistance while driving and during acceleration and braking. This has never achieved before by a commercial vehicle, according to Fiat Professional.
The Ducato also has a Digital Central Mirror, which digitally improves and shows the rear view to replace the relevant mirror, plus its ESC system with Cross-Wind Assist, Trailer Stability Control and Active Park Assist.
For added ease for delivery drivers, the Ducato has Keyless Entry and Go – to lock and unlock the cabin and load compartment doors and start the engine without the key. Another nod to busy delivery drivers is the Eat-and-Work passenger seat, which becomes a convenient space to work or for a snack when folded down. There is also a compartment to charge mobile phones wirelessly; double USB-A and USB-C ports and a high-voltage 230-volt power socket.
Engine range
Fiat has also refreshed the Ducato’s engine range, developed to comply with Euro 6D-Final regulations, and expanded the range on offer with Heavy-Duty type-approval. The new Multijet3 diesel engines, based on the Stellantis H3 power architecture proprietary, are now in their third generation, offering improvements in efficiency by reducing the weight and by lowering consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 7%, according to the manufacturer.
The Ducato is available in four levels of output (120hp, 140hp, 160hp and 180hp) with a new six-speed manual transmission offered in all four levels, with a nine-speed automatic transmission available in the 140hp, 160hp and 180hp variants. Available in the three highest levels of output, the heavy-duty range with manual and automatic transmission completes the engines on offer, maintaining the same torque as the light duty models, with 450Nm of torque from the most powerful engine. Altogether, there are 13 different combinations in the Ducato line-up.
Design
The exterior has been redesigned to be more ergonomically efficient. For example, the grid, engine housing and skid plates have been redesigned to give an impression of stylistic uniformity. The full-LED lights are divided into three sections, with the lowest dedicated to the LED light guide, while the three central lights offer 30% more brightness than conventional halogen headlights. Finally, the upper section is dedicated to the direction indicators, the style of which has also been refreshed with an LED light guide with a slider switch.
Three configurations of the Ducato are available: Tecnico, Tecnico Plus and Business Edition. These three configurations can be customised by adding other packs with ADAS systems and improved functionality.

Connectivity
As with all new vehicles, connectivity is to the fore. The Ducato comes with the Uconnect system, which with Uconnectâ„¢ Services and the Fiat app can manage and monitor the vehicle directly from various devices. Further services include remote assistance, smart navigation, remote control and fleet management. Every month, a report is also sent on the health of the Ducato, with recommendations on how best to take care of the vehicle.
The My Remote function offers interaction with the vehicle, even when away from it, to lock and unlock the doors, check its location and set up alerts on speed, area and time slots. Plus, if using a voice assistant, directions can be sent straight to the car and receive information on vehicle status.
Meanwhile, My Car monitors the health of Ducato, including fuel level, tyre pressure, odometer and receipt of direct notifications on maintenance or repairs.
The My Navigation satnav function updates traffic, weather and speed camera information in real time. The Send&Go, Parking Search and Refuelling Station features help to optimise time: for example, after a destination has been found in the app, it can be sent to the satnav with just one tap, then refuelling stations and car parks can be viewed along the way. The maps are always kept up to date over-the-air, without having to visit a workshop.
My Wi-Fi, with added Wi-Fi Hotspot, enables the connection of up to eight devices and the use of the Amazon Alexa Voice Service. The My Alert pack is available for notifications if a theft is attempted to receive assistance.
Finally, the My Fleet Manager tool can be used to simplify corporate fleet management with maximum efficiency and safety, courtesy of advanced tools to monitor, plan and analyse a whole fleet of vehicles.
Prices (excluding VAT) are as follows:
- Panel Van LH2 2.2 MULTIJET III 140 HP MY21: £32,955
- Window Van LH2 2.2 MULTIJET III 140 HP MY21: £33,455
- Crew Van MH2 2.2 MULTIJET III 140 HP MY21: £35,005
- Chassis Cab: LH1 2.2 MULTIJET III 140 HP MY21: £30,855
- Chassis Double Cab: LH1 2.2 MULTIJET III 140 HP MY21: £32,155
- Platform Cab: LH1 2.2 MULTIJET III 140 HP MY21: £30,855
- Dropside Truck: LH1 2.2 MULTIJET III 140 HP MY21: £33,235
- 1-Way Tipper: LH1 2.2 MULTIJET III 140 HP MY21: £34,280
You must be logged in to post a comment.