The Fiorino is the smallest van in Fiat->ke4235’s lineup and shares the same body and technologies with the Peugeot Bipper and Citroen Nemo. The Fiat Fiorino was especially developed for small city deliveries hence it has compact dimensions and it’s fairly easy to drive on the narrow streets and congested traffic situations. However, despite its small dimensions, the Fiat Fiorino is also a pretty practical work horse as it has a gross vehicle weight of 1800 kg and a maximum payload of up to 660 kg.

Design

The idea behind the Fiorino was to design a vehicle that has compact exterior dimensions and a generous load capacity. The result has proved to be a success, as the Fiorino meets all expectations.

The vehicle is 3.86 metres long, 1.72 m high and 1.71 m wide. Thanks to these compact external dimensions it has also a tight turning circle that measures 9.95 metres.

The exterior design of the Fiorino is fairly attractive and we like how Fiat’s engineers have disguised its boxy shape.

The headlights are slightly raised giving the vehicle a bold stance. The front grille is placed lower, into the bumper and the company logo is mounted directly on the bonnet giving the front end a pretty clean design.

The bumper features an attractive style and copes great with the rest of the body. The Fiat Fiorino is also offered with circular fog lamps which are placed deep into the bumper.

The side view reveals the oversized wheel arches which further enhance the bold appearance of the vehicle.

For increased functionality the Fiat Fiorino is equipped with side sliding doors and rear side hinged doors that open to a 180 degree angle offering easy access to the load area.

Interior

On the inside, the Fiat->ke4235 Fiorino offers plenty of space with decent leg and head room for both the driver and passengers. On the other hand, the plastics are mostly part of the third class, but the build quality is pretty good and the fittings seem lasting.

The dashboard has a dull design, but it’s highly functional and maximizes the use of space. There are also plenty of useful cubby holes and cup holders to keep you satisfy.

The center console is laid out in a classical way with audio system on top and the HVAC controls underneath. Luckily all buttons and switches are easy to reach and we also like the modern instrument cluster which is fitted with four easy to read gauges and a central information display which keeps you posted of various vehicle stats.

You won’t have any big complains about the seats either, as they offer decent support and there are available a few adjustments to make your life behind the steering wheel easier. Moreover, there is also an optional package available that offers more adjustments for both the driver’s seat and the steering wheel. The front passenger seat can be folded and transforms into a useful tabletop.

You seat pretty high from the ground which gives you a good all around visibility. On the other hand the high dashboard and swooping nose will limit the front visibility, but you’ll learn fast to get used to it.

Safety features include bodyshell with differential stiffness, ABS with EBD, 3-point seatbelts with pre-tensioner and load limiter and driver's airbag (passenger airbags, side airbags and rear parking sensors are available on request).

Engines and performance

The Fiat Fiorino is available with a choice of two Euro 4 engines namely the 1.4 petrol unit which develops a maximum output of 73 hp and the 1.3 disesel Multijet with 73 hp on tap.

The main attraction is represented by the 1.3 multijet unit which offers an average fuel consumption of 4.5 liters per 100 km with CO2 emissions of 119 g/km. The engine is also pretty refined and smooth. Maximum speed is rated at 157 kmph. The 1.3 Multijet can be combined with a 5 speed manual gearbox or an automatic 6 speed gearbox.

The petrol unit acts a bit sluggish when it needs to deal with big payloads and we’ll recommend you to chose the diesel version as it offers a better balance between performance and efficiency.

Fiat Fiorino Engines Specifications

Ride and handling

The vehicle is equipped with independent Macpherson struts with triangulated lower suspension arms, coil springs, hydraulic dampers and anti-roll bar at the front, while at the back it gets independent trailing arm suspension with semi-deformable cross member.

As it was designed for commercial purposes, the ride is pretty bumpy but if you put some load at the back things will improve.

The overall balance is pretty good, but the high stance of the vehicle is translated into an accentuated body roll which will spoil the fun every time you want to get more aggressive into corners.

On the other hand, we like the accurate power steering which permits you to drive the vehicle easy on both the city streets and on the highway.

The cabin is pretty well insulated with most of the noises and vibrations kept outside.

Verdict

The Fiat->ke4235 Fiorino represents a new breed of vans which offers a perfect compromise between compact dimensions and generous load capacity. It’s pretty well built too, and we also like the bold exterior design which helps it stand out from the crowd.

The interior is highly functional and even if the overall design isn’t as charming as expected it copes well with the utilitarian nature of the vehicle and despite the cheap plastics, the fittings seem durable.

We also like the fuel efficient engines which should offer low costs of ownership and the ride and handling are at par with what you’ll usually find in this segment.