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The What Van? Road Test: Fiat Professional Scudo
Date: Friday, September 16, 2022
One day all vans will be made by the same manufacturer but marketed under different brand-names. Far-fetched? Maybe. But then again, maybe not.
Bear in mind that Ford and Volkswagen’s light commercial line-ups will soon be almost the same aside from their badges. Bear in mind too that Renault’s Trafic and Master are sold by sister brand Nissan as the Primastar and Interstar respectively, and that Mercedes-Benz’s Citan is in fact a Renault Kangoo.
And MAN’s TGE? It’s a VW Crafter.
So the trend is clear, and is writ large in the shape of global automotive behemoth Stellantis.
The cornucopia of brands it owns means among other things that Citroën’s Dispatch, Peugeot’s Expert, Vauxhall’s Vivaro and Fiat Professional’s Scudo – the subject of our test – are all identical apart from various styling tweaks.
Furthermore, the same model can be bought from a Toyota dealership as the Proace thanks to a joint-venture agreement between Stellantis and the Japanese giant. So you have no less than five dealer networks supplying what is basically the same vehicle.
As a consequence, figuring out which make to buy is increasingly less about the van itself and more about the competence (or otherwise) of your local dealership and the package the brand concerned can offer.
Which one offers the most generous warranty? Which one offers the most attractive finance deal? And which one delivers the most effective aftersales support?
Turning to the product itself, Scudo comes with the choice of two MultiJet diesel engines; a 1.5L producing 100hp or 120hp or a 2.0L pumping out 145hp or 180hp.
A six-speed manual box is standard with an automatic transmission offered as an option. Alternatively, you can opt for an electric model – a definite advantage for Fiat Professional in today’s zero-emission-conscious climate – with 136hp on tap and either a 50kWh or a 75kWh battery pack.
Two wheelbases are listed across the range, but just one roof height. Load cube extends from 5.3m3 to 6.1m3 while gross payload runs from 1,000kg to 1,446kg.
Fiat Professional offers three trim levels – SX, Tecnico and Business – and Scudo is marketed as a crew van as well as in van guise. The E-Scudo is further offered as a platform cab.
We sampled a stylish-looking short-wheelbase van in top-of-the-range Business trim powered by the 145hp diesel; and one that was clearly being promoted as a Fiat given the prominent lettering to that effect on its front grille.
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