24-05-2010 - FIAT SCUDO - THE ALL-PURPOSE PEOPLE CARRIER
South Africa at last gets Europe's best! The new Fiat Scudo, Europe's current Van of the Year, is officially launched by Fiat Professional in the guise of the 8 or 9-seater Combi version. This means that Fiat Professional, the light commercial vehicle wing of Fiat Group Automobiles, now boasts a very well rounded range of vehicles ranging from the Strada ¾ -ton bakkie to the 19-seater Ducato. The new Scudo slots in just under the Ducato and offers the ultimate in flexible passenger transport, for both professional and private use. The Scudo Combi is the ideal vehicle to transfer business clientele (hotel/airport shuttles, rentals with driver), but it's equally as user-friendly for large families looking for the comfort and styling typical of a people-mover. In short, the Scudo is for those individuals who need the convenience of an MPV in a vehicle that has compact external dimensions, is agile in traffic, easy to handle in parking manoeuvres, as comfortable as a car, but as sturdy, economical and reliable as a commercial vehicle.
Inside, the new Scudo styling embodies modernity, comfort, quality and practicality. Of course, the Scudo's whole raison d'etre is its ability to haul human cargo - eight or nine depending on which spec you choose. Up front there are two individual seats but a two-seat bench for passengers is available as an option. In the rear there are two rows each with three seats. All seats come with height-adjustable head restraints and 3-point retractable seatbelts. Although the cargo bay is incredibly roomy, ingenious design means that you can totally remove the seats or reconfigure them to reshape the interior for every task. Comfort features abound including electric front windows, a stereo system with steering controls, remote central locking, air conditioning with separate controls for the front and rear, heated and electrically adjustable side mirrors, power steering and electronic headlamp adjustment.
On the safety front dual front airbags are standard as is ABS with EBD.
Comfort on the road also means being able to count on a sparkling engine with smooth torque delivery - in this regard the Scudo doesn't disappoint. The 2.0-litre Multijet delivers a maximum of 88 kW at 3600 rpm and peak torque of 300 Nm at 2000 rpm. The secret of this Common Rail turbodiesel is the second generation Multijet system; this is the state-of-the-art technology that manages high injection pressure independently of the engine speed and the quantity of fuel injected. The other advantages include quiet operation, reduced emissions and boosted performance, accompanied by engine efficiency that improves the driveability of the vehicle.
The 2.0 Multijet is mated to a smooth, precise six-speed gearbox. Find out more about the new Fiat Scudo, click here.
