Vans do not necessarily require SCR (selective catalytic reduction) equipment and an AdBlue reservoir to comply with the Euro 6 emission regulations due to come into force for light commercials in September. So says Fiat Professional.
In fact, to enable its Ducato to meet the new rules the firm instead went for LPEGR (low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation). This deals with NOx by channelling exhaust gases away after the DPF (diesel particulate filter), reducing temperature in a low-pressure cooler then recirculating ahead of the turbocharger.
“Because we don’t need an AdBlue tank we save 35—40kg,” states Fiat Professional head of marketing Massimiliano Ranieri. That said, People-carrier versions of Ducato are being equipped with SCR, because they have to comply with more-demanding Euro 6 regulations.
Aside from LPEGR, other changes to Ducato include the addition of an entry-level 115bhp 2.0-litre MultiJet II diesel and the scrapping of its 180bhp 3.0-litre diesel. The latter is replaced by a 180bhp version of the 2.3-litre MultiJet II.
This underlines the extent to which van engines are being downsized in a bid to reduce unladen weight, fuel consumption and emissions, but without compromising performance. The two new power plants join an existing pair of 2.3-litre MultiJet diesels at 130 and 150bhp.
Ducato has its roots in a long-standing joint-venture with PSA which has also spawned Citroen’s Relay and Peugeot’s Boxer. But joint-ventures can involve compromises. A rebadged version of Renault’s Trafic, the new Fiat Talento, is meeting Euro 6 not with LPEGR but SCR – the route selected by Renault. Replacing the long-serving Scudo, Talento is already marketed by Vauxhall as the Vivaro and will soon be sold by Nissan as the NV300.
Fiat has also upgraded the little Fiorino to Euro 6 and made a few internal and external changes while Doblo Cargo has been upgraded to Euro 6, too, and now benefits from a new top-of-the-range 1.6-litre MultiJet II diesel that’s good for 120bhp – power that was thought more than adequate for a 3.5-tonner not so long ago.
1.0-tonne pickup
Fiat Professional is entering the purpose-built 1.0-tonne payload 4x4 pick-up market for the first time with a rebadged version of Mitsubishi’s L200, under the Fullback banner. This vehicle comes with a 2.4-litre diesel at either 150bhp or 180bhp and will initially be sold as a 4x4 four-door five-seater double-cab in Britain. A two-door extended-cab version is in the pipeline.
Opt for the 150bhp engine and you get a six-speed gearbox. Go for its more powerful stablemate and you might also select the five-speed automatic.
The smaller engine comes with selectable four-wheel-drive and a low-ratio set of gears. With the 180bhp version four-wheel drive is always present and can step in whenever conditions demand it. The package also includes a Torsen centre differential supported by three electronically-controlled clutches that manage torque to the wheels depending on which are starting to lose grip.
A set of low-ratio gears is available and drivers can directly engage the centre diff lock. Doing so distributes torque equally between Fullback’s front and rear wheels.
Large pick-ups have tended to spell equally hefty fuel bills but that ought not to be the case with Fullback. The official combined-cycle consumption figure for the 150bhp version is 44.2mpg with CO2 figures set at 169g/km.