Fiat Doblo

The Fiat Doblo, which includes the well-known Fiat Doblo Panorama and Fiat Doblo Cargo, is a multifunctional five-seat or seven-seat M unit van suitable for transporting small families or goods for commercial purposes. The vehicle was launched in 2000 and continues to do so today.

In the Russian market, cars are not very common. For our drivers the car is offered with two variants – a minivan Panorama and a truck version Cargo. The vehicle is characterized by flexibility in use and rationality of all elements, which is very important for the commercial segment. The whole model range is Fiat.

The vehicle immediately received a passenger and cargo modification and a small list of power units (among them were petrol, diesel and even gas engines). It is difficult to call the appearance of the business machine flashy. Citroen Berlingo and Peugeot Partner are considered the progenitor of the car.

Just after their appearance in the beginning of the last decade of the twentieth century, the interest of drivers in such models of this niche began to grow both in commercial and ordinary buyers.

Despite the fact that the Italian car was born a little late, it got a significant advantage in this. The developers’ department could investigate the advantages and disadvantages of rivals, creating their own car cheaper and more qualitative.

Car history

The first generation

The debut Fiat Doblo 1 family has been in the market for a short period of time. When came the spring of 2004, the “Italian” has undergone modernization. It is necessary to notice that the advanced model has got new power units, other appearance and updatings.

On the other hand, all the advantages that were in the first generation of Fiat Doblo were preserved. Among them is the availability of easy access to the car, the huge size of the luggage compartment and the ability to transport significant weight. With this in mind, the appearance of the upgraded vehicle has become more harmonious.

The exterior of the nosepiece has changed markedly. The front and rear headlight blocks have been replaced. Works of the Italian company did not go unnoticed, so the car was lit up in the world arena. When the year 2005 came, Fiat Doblo of the 1st generation took the award at the RAI 2005 commercial vehicles exhibition. As a result of the competitions, the panel of judges noted not only the attractive exterior, but also a lot of functionality of the model.

However, Turkey became the main producer of the restyled model, and assembled cars in Vietnam, Brazil and Russia. But since 2011, domestic Fiat Doblo is no longer produced, and vehicles from Turkey are supplied to Russia.

It is very interesting that until 2016 the domestic market was selling only upgraded versions of the car with 77-horsepower 1.4-liter power plant, as well as a box on the “mechanics”, despite the fact that the Italian company has already officially introduced the next series of models.

Second generation

The 2nd generation of Compactwen Fiat Doblo was first shown to the world at the end of 2009. If you compare the car with the previous family, it has become much more beautiful, has grown significantly in size, has received a new interior and improved technical equipment. Now the Italians offered customers new “engines”, operating on gasoline and diesel fuel.

The level of equipment became much better and looks rich. Changes simply couldn’t but affect the exterior of the car. Fiat Doblo of the 2nd generation had new optics and became more modern. Thanks to the changed body geometry, it turned out to be the effect of landing – the car looks a little sporty.

Among other things, the new version of the compact van has become less suitable for a bad road. The designers decided to get rid of the increased ground clearance in the direction of comfort and soft ride. It turns out that the second family decided to direct less to working weekdays than the first version.

Fiat Doblo 2000 – 2009 years of production to this day continues to be a popular model in the market of used cars. Unusually, but expensive version of the universal car of the 2nd family is not so popular. The department of Italian designers was able to award the family car with a bright and original exterior.

Against the background of a mediocre in the external aspect of the past family and the usual appearance of the main rivals in the role of Volkswagen Cuddy, Renault Kangoo and Citroen Berlingo Multispace, a novelty of the second generation looks the most real gentleman.

Ahead you can see a huge vertical plane of the body, where there are large drops of headlights, high trapeze grille false radiator, monolithic body of the bumper, which received fog lights and stylish and functional aerodynamic skirt below.

The side of the car, despite the shape of the “box”, also looks unique and unusual. Here you can find the presence of a broken ascending window sill line, which introduces a utilitarian model of dynamism, large embossing, stylishly expanding the arches of the wheels and the bottom of the car doors. Large dimensions of the “heel” have 16-inch “rollers”, which are slightly lost in the shadow of the massive “torso” Fiat Doblo 2.

The back of the Italian received a giant single leaf upward door, which provides excellent access to the luggage compartment. The large glass area, which continues with a glossy, black plastic insert, was a very original solution that gives the rear part of the door airiness and lightness.

The tall vertical sections of the parking lights on the posts and the compact bumper emphasise the neat style of the Italian family car. When choosing a family minivan, the potential owner is often interested in the size of the interior decoration and luggage compartment.

The issue of installing additional seats for two additional people is also considered, and a lot of attention is paid to the compartments for the preservation of various trifles. The level of convenience of interior transformation and luggage loading also plays an important role.

That’s why Fiat Doblo 2013 received 5 full seats and a solid luggage compartment. Optionally, you can buy two additional seats, but, however, it will not be possible for an adult to sit comfortably on such “chairs”. There is enough space between the head and the ceiling, as well as the width of the free space, but the legs will rest against the back of the 2nd row seats, and the third row seats are very unpleasant.

It turns out that only children can sit comfortably on the third row. But the volume of luggage compartment of the Italian car has received 790 liters, and it is with 5 passengers. If necessary, you can fold the 2nd row of seats and get 3,200 liters of useful space. Though it will not be possible to load the car very much – according to the passport the load-carrying capacity is only about 500 kg.

The driver and his four companions have received a considerable amount of useful volume, especially for the head. If you pay attention to the seats installed in front, then at first glance it seems as if they are flat. However, it is not so, because the landing is deep and comfortable.

A long cushion and barely visible side support rolls were provided that hold the owner and the passenger sitting next to him well. The seats themselves have a high fit, so the visibility from the driver’s seat is excellent. The front panel, together with the centre console, is not very sophisticated, but it’s simple and comfortable.

The steering wheel has the right grip and height and depth adjustments. The unobtrusive dashboard was complemented by a modest computer display, and the gearbox lever was installed on the “islet” of the center console. There are a lot of open niches on the torpedo, and there is a massive functional shelf above the head of those sitting in front of it.

A comfortable sofa was also installed for the passengers of the second row of seats. There is plenty of free space in all directions, so there will be no crowded people sitting there. From head to ceiling about 30 cm of free space. It is a pity that the second row has not been able to move around the cabin, and a separate seat back does not change the angle of inclination.

It is very convenient to sit down, as well as to get up from the car. This is partly due to the sliding doors, which form a solid opening, which has received a rectangular shape. If we talk about the level of finishing, we used soft plastic, fabric and carpeting. The level of quality of these elements pleasantly pleased.

Italian specialists used non-traditional solutions for many competitors as technical equipment. For example, they decided to use an independent suspension system, where McPherson racks were installed in front of the truck, and a two-lever scheme (Dual-Link) was installed on the rear axle. Fully independent suspension had a good effect on the level of controllability and comfort.

Due to the high energy consumption of the suspension parts, it became more confident to drive on a broken and even dirt road. The chassis can handle medium and large pits without any problems, giving only deaf pokes inside the car.

Under the hood are offered 4 engines, representing a 4-cylinder version. Of these, 3 are powered by diesel fuel, and 1 runs on gasoline. Gasoline engine is presented with the volume of 1.4 liters, which develops 95 horsepower.

Together with a five-speed manual transmission, it allows the family car to accelerate to the first hundred in 15.4 seconds, and the speed limit is 160 kilometers per hour. For every 100 kilometers of the way such a motor consumes from 5.9 liters on the country road and up to 9.3 liters in urban mode.

However, feedback on Fiat Doblo suggests that in reality the engine eats in the range from 8 to 11 liters, depending on how busy the vehicle is. The diesel lineup starts with the weakest 90 hp Multijet II engine, which has a useful volume of 1.3 liters and a mechanical five-stage box.

All this allows the car to accelerate to a speed of 100 km/h in 15 seconds, and the maximum speed level does not exceed 156 km/h. According to the passport, the engine consumes 4.9 liters in mixed mode. It is nice that diesel engines have received the Start/Stop system, which allows you to achieve such a modest consumption of diesel fuel.

Next comes the 1.6-litre Multijet 105 hp unit, which operates in conjunction with 6-speed “mechanics”. The first hundred is achieved in 13.4 seconds, and the maximum speed is 164 kilometers per hour. The middle brother’s appetite is not much different from the younger 5.2 litre engine in the combined cycle.

The lineup of diesel engines is completed by the 135-horsepower Multijet engine, which received a volume of 2 liters. It is paired with 6-speed “mechanics”, which allows you to accelerate to the first hundred in 11.3 seconds, and the maximum speed does not exceed 180 kilometers per hour. According to the passport, the engine consumes 5.7 liters of diesel fuel in mixed mode.

Second generation restyling

Restyling model of Italian production Fiat Doblo of the second series of 2015-2016 model year already this year could be purchased in the Russian Federation. The car was officially presented in autumn 2014 at the International Commercial Vehicle Show in Germany (Hannover).

Implementation in European countries started at the beginning of 2015. Production of this machine is carried out by the plant Tofas (Bursa Turkey). This car is a minivan of the 2nd family, and received the green light in 2009, and later received updates, which we will mention today. The changes have affected the interior and the redesigned exterior.

Exterior

We would like to start, of course, with the changes that have occurred in the appearance of a commercial vehicle Fiat Doblo. They are here, even if there are not so many of them, however, they still are. The nose part of the car is completely new, so there is no trace of its predecessors. Changed its shape of the hood, became a different front fenders, wide and large grille of the false radiator, which looks like a friendly smile.

We should not forget the very stylish head optics, the original air intake, which found its place on the bumper, rather classic foggles with a round shape. It looks rather unusual and refreshing, sometimes even fun. The nose of the van has become smoother and more wavy, which is reflected in the rejuvenation of the body and its modern shade.

The grille was made of plastic, which is painted black and appears matte in front of us. It has large cells. The front bumper is a single construction with wings and hood. If you look at the side of the Fiat Doblo of the 2nd generation, you won’t notice any more new design elements.

To confess, it was to be expected, because the second family of Fiat Doblo was proud of competent arrangement of doors, presence of solid arches of wheels, stylish stampings and other details of car appearance, which favorably emphasize all advantages of the car.

The front doors can be opened wide open. They have a serious reserve of space, rear doors are sliding, which guarantees easy entry into the cabin, despite the size of people. The general body style of the new van has also been changed, which is partly observed on the sides.

The roof pitch was raised to square the shape of the body to increase the internal space available. Depending on the equipment, the car will have massive windows or a fully enclosed hull for cargo purposes.

The stern was still made with a strict vertical trunk door, which allows for considerable access to the luggage compartment. Generally speaking, the architectural component of the rear part of the Fiat Doblo is almost a thing of the past. It has undergone an upgrade, except that the rear optical light-amplifying system. They also changed the size of the rear window, making it even bigger, which allowed to increase and expand the visibility. However, much depends on the modification of the car.

Interior

We talked about external updates of the Fiat Doblo, but what happened inside the car? Here changes look much more serious than the appearance. The panel installed in the front now appears before us in a completely different, more thought-out way, it feels stylish interior.

For the driver there is a new, very refined steering wheel, which has a comfortable grip and a 3-spoke structure. After the wheel there is a well-thought-out dashboard with good information and convenient reading of the necessary information, despite the lightness of the interior.

The designers also touched on the central console, which has received serious changes, taking into account the previous generation. Inside the machine it was customary to use better quality materials for cladding. The quality of the noise insulation is good, as it has been improved, to which the sound insulation can also be attributed.

If we talk about the decorative component, those who did not wait for the updated version, will be clearly upset. But what this Fiat Doblo van is loved for is in the back, not in the rear seats, but behind them in the luggage compartment. Actually, the luggage compartment simply amazes with big indicators of useful space.

Taking into account the fact that all passengers are seated in their seats, it will not interfere with the regular car to put about 790 liters of luggage. Do not forget about the equipment of Maxi, which can already accommodate 1,050 liters.

It is clear that the backrests of the rear seats can be folded up if necessary to provide a large, almost perfectly level loading platform, which is standard with 3,200 litres of space and 4,000 litres of free space in the long version. Interestingly, based on a tailgate width of 1,230 mm and a height of 20 mm greater than the previous version, i.e. 1,250 mm, you can easily load/unload large items even in urban areas.

A lot of work has been done to improve the quality of materials. The engineering staff from Italy tried to do everything possible to make the improvements visible and felt by customers. In past models, it felt like it was a real “cheap”, but after restyling everything changed.

The panel installed in the center of the vehicle has also been changed, where you can find an elegant LCD screen that supports the touch input, motion sensors that are hidden behind the multifunctional steering wheel. By the way, the interior lighting has changed significantly – it has become softer, not brighter and less aggressive.

There is more than enough space inside the Fiat Diablo. Seven people can comfortably stay in the car. Besides, engineers have provided a trip by a big company, so the interior is full of different pockets and stands.

In addition to the classic climate and cruise control system, the audio system has changed. As a result, you can enjoy the sound of music with Bluetooth and USB. Also in the updated van there is a system of control of dead zones, start-stop system, which is designed to reduce fuel consumption, as well as a system of stabilization of the car.

Specifications

Powertrain

But as for the technical characteristics, they remained almost unchanged. As an exception, it is worth mentioning the 1.3-liter and 1.6-liter engines that operate on diesel fuel. Especially for them the filling was a little bit too much to allow the engines to react better to the accelerator pressure.

In addition, this made it possible to reduce the fuel consumption slightly to about 4.4 litres per hundred litres. Otherwise, as before, the car is available with a pair of gasoline and 4 diesel engines. The 1.3 litre diesel engine gives away 90 horses. This is followed by a 1.6-litre engine, which produces about 110 horsepower.

The appetite of this power unit was also reduced to 4.8 liters per 100 km. The top-of-the-range diesel-powered engine has 2.0 litres and produces 135 horses. The van will reach 100 km/h in 11.3 seconds. The speed limit is 180 km/h. The average diesel consumption will be 5.7 litres per 100 kilometres.

In addition, the Italian family car will be equipped with an engine powered by liquefied petroleum gas. As a result, it produces about 120 horsepower and 206 Nm of torque.

Transmission

The 1.3-liter 90 hp diesel engine works in conjunction with a five-speed manual gearbox. Thanks to all this, the Fiat Doblo reaches the first hundred in 15 seconds, and the maximum speed is 156 km/h.

The 1.6-liter 110 hp engine is synchronized with the 6-speed manual transmission. The car will reach the first hundred in 13.4 seconds, and the speed limit is set at 164 km/h. Also for the top-of-the-range “engine” there is a robotic gearbox Dualogic.

Suspension

As for the pendants, she’s independent everywhere. While McPherson’s spiral-spiral-spiral-spiral-stabilized racks are at the front, the Dual-Link suspension with its two-lever architecture suspended from longitudinally installed springs is at the rear.

Steering

It is represented on the compact van by a rack and pinion steering system with hydraulic power steering. Therefore, it is convenient to operate both the 2010 Fiat Doblo machine and 2017.

Brake system

Fiat’s employees supplied a second-generation restyling model with 284 mm ventilated disc brakes at the front and 228 mm drums at the back. No matter what equipment is available, the ABS system is everywhere.

Dimensions

Speaking of the Fiat Doblo dimensions, it is worth mentioning that there are two versions of the cabin: standard and extended Maxi. Thus, the length of the Fiat Doblo is 4,390 (4,740) mm, height – 1,845 mm, width – 1,832 mm. The wheelbase is 2 755 (3 105) mm.

Safety

In order to ensure safety, the bodywork component has pre-programmed deformation zones and side door amplifiers. Both bumpers also have built-in elements with programmed deformation, and the front seat belts are fitted with an adjustable top anchorage.

The anti-lock braking system has four channels that give you a smooth ride together with the braking force distribution system and airbags (front and side). The main safety systems are:

• Front bodywork with programmed deformation zones;
• Presence of a pedal assembly, which is destroyed by impact;
• Telescopic steering shaft and driver’s foot protection;
• Amplifiers in the doors;
• Fire prevention systems;
• Three-point safety belts with height settings;
• Three-point belts are also fitted to the rear seats;
• Presence of headrests on all armchairs;
• Four-channel anti-lock braking system;
• Front side airbags.

Different security systems can be selected when buying a car. The necessary passive safety features mentioned above (energy absorption zones, etc.) are complemented by standard airbags, side airbags to protect the chest and driver’s head and front passenger. A stabilization system and a dead zone control system were also provided for. Similar elements are installed on both Fiat Doblo Cargo and Fiat Doblo Panorama.

Prices and equipment

As before, the machine of Italian origin Fiat Doblo will go in modifications with 2 and 3 rows of seats. The starting equipment 1.4 Active MT with a gasoline 1.4-liter engine and manual 5-speed gearbox will go from 12049 $.

Complete set 1.4 Active+ MT with the same engine and gearbox is estimated from 12531 $. 1.4 Dynamic MT with the same technical characteristics will go with the price tag from 13274 $.

It is clear that the premium tooling will not be in the car, which is intended for commercial use. However, the level of equipment is quite solid. Standard equipment includes availability:

• Standard audio system with Active Matrix screen;
• USB support;
• Bluetooth;
• iPod;
• Advanced multimedia system;
• 5 inch color touchscreen display;
• Navigation system;
• Front airbags;
• Side airbags;
• Safety systems;
• ABS, EBD, ESC, ASR, HBA;
• Mountain start assistance systems;
• Electric windows on all doors;
• LED fog lights;
• Light and rain sensors.

Competitors

The new Fiat Doblo does not have so many competitors in the market of universal cars. For example, it is possible to result Toyota Alphard which perfectly collected style, quality and space.

According to these parameters, the Japanese wins over the Italian. But it is necessary to notice that Toyota has much more value than Doblo. However, there is something to overpay for. Besides, there are Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Partner and Renault Kangoo.

Tuning

Improving the Fiat Doblo is worth doing even to adjust the spacious vehicle to your own needs. The first thing you can do is to make noise insulation. Doblo car was able to prove itself as a great machine not only for work, but also for family trips.

The car is equipped with almost all the necessary equipment for comfortable movement in the city and out of town. But during the production of compact van Italians for some reason did not equip their car with high quality noise insulation.

In the case when you are working on this car, you can miss such a defect, but if you often go to rest with family or friends, the extraneous sounds and noises inside the Italian begin to irritate a little. It is good that changing the “noise” inside Doblo is not so hard and you can do it yourself. To do this, you can’t do without it:

• A powerful construction hair dryer;
• A small rolling roller;
• Scissors;
• White spirit;
• Small bolts for better fixation of the material on the body.

After the necessary tools and place of work are ready, you can go for the purchase of noise insulation material. Do not rush to choose, because the choice of materials is huge enough, but not all of them are suitable for tuning the cabin of your family car. Also do not forget about Vibroplast Silver.

Some drivers talk about unstable operation of power units on their own vehicles. Therefore, as an optimal option to improve the engine performance you can make a flashing of ECU.

This option will help to optimize the functioning of the engine and other machine systems in the right way. And the price will be less than that of a turbine – about $229, not more. If you perform such works yourself, then as a result the work will cost you 107 – 122 $.

In addition to all this, you can do external tuning for your car, which will allow you to stand out among the urban crowd. Among other things, there are protective arches, overlays on door handles, elegant overlays on the thresholds, overlays on external mirrors and stylish moldings. In addition, you can install a trunk on the roof Fiat Doblo, mud flaps, hood deflector, window deflectors, daytime running lights, rear and front protection.

The pros and cons

Summing up

The update, which touched the Fiat Doblo, was able to improve the already existing good impression of this car. The appearance has become more graceful and pleasant, and LED lighting has appeared. The car became more fresh. Inside, the quality of materials used has also improved.

A 5-inch screen was introduced, which also supports touch input, and this is a basic feature. There’s still plenty of room. The luggage compartment is huge and is a leader among similar machines. The comfort in the company has not been forgotten, having supplied the car with everything necessary.

The good news is that you can also install a third row of seats if you like. We have not forgotten about ensuring the proper level of safety in the company. Compaktwen is famous for its good visibility and high fit, which allows you to easily monitor the road and all the necessary information on the dashboard.

Convenient side doors allow you to sit down or load/unload things even in a very narrow space. The powertrains are not the most powerful, but they can handle their tasks with low fuel consumption. It’s nice to know that the van has a wide range of functions even in the basic configuration.

Fiat Doblo car is perfect not only for commercial use, but also for big family and travel. Although, still, the car is not devoid of flaws. For example, employees could not significantly improve noise isolation.

It seems that the clearance of the car, which is in demand in Russia, wasted. But we hope that the company will continue to produce, improve and upgrade such relatively inexpensive cars in the future.

We advise you to read the article: Fiat’s History

Fiat Doblo 2015 photo

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