Fiat Scudo comes to Malta

Fiat Scudo, the International Van of the Year 2008, was launched locally by Malta agents UCIM Company Ltd earlier this month.

Developed under a partnership between Fiat and Psa, the Scudo is designed to respond to today's urban and intercity goods transport needs in Europe. It reconciles car-like performance, agility and comfort with the load capacity, ease of loading and unloading, reliability and productivity of a light commercial vehicle. The Scudo is a genuinely 'hard-working' vehicle.

The panel of the International Van of the Year was particularly impressed by the mechanicals of the vehicle, which were conceived also with passenger transport versions in mind. This means a suspension offering exceptional comfort even when the vehicle is empty, in addition to superior agility, handling, driveability, dynamics and safety. This is all thanks to a body shell with differentiated rigidity zones, a new braking system with four disc brakes, ABS and EBD and a driver side airbag (standard throughout the range). Additionally, depending on the market and version, the Scudo is offered with ESP complete with ASR, front passenger airbag, side bags and window bags and anti-theft systems for the vehicle and load as standard or as optional features.

The award acknowledges the many advances brought to the commercial vehicle sector by the Scudo, such as the innovative optional pneumatic rear suspension which, at a competitive price, offers two significant advantages: it allows the vehicle to enter public multi-storey car parks (by lowering the total height to under 1.9 metres) and facilitates loading and unloading (with a load sill height of just 49 cm). The range also includes long wheelbase and raised roof versions to cater for a wide spectrum of professional applications. Lastly, all vans with divider panels are available with an innovative central storage compartment in the cab ceiling, which is accessible from the load bay. This tunnel lets tradesmen make use of almost the full length of the vehicle, as the passage through the divider panel adds an extra 65 cm in length - 30 cm of which is inside the Capucine itself.

The panel also commended the low fuel consumption and running costs (with oil changes every 30,000 km) of the three engines available: the 90 bhp 1.6 Multijet 16v, the 120 bhp 2.0 Multijet 16v, and the 136 bhp 2.0 Multijet Power 16v, with DPF as standard. All engines are Euro 4 compliant, while the two 2.0 Multijet turbodiesel units are mated to six-speed gearboxes.

There is an extensive range of goods transport versions, passenger transport versions and base versions for conversion and custom outfitting, available with two wheelbases; two external lengths; two external heights and two load bay lengths.

Prices start from €24,500. Some models are in stock. For more information visit the Fiat showroom in Psaila Street, Birkirkara,or www.ucim.com.mt or call 2382 3000.