Fiat Expands Doblo Cargo Van Range with New XL Version in the UK

Fiat's boxy Doblo Cargo van is welcoming a new addition to its range in Britain in the form of the XL model, which follows the Doblo Work Up launched last year.

The new Doblo XL is based on the long wheelbase version adding a higher roof to the mix for a total load volume of 5.0 m³ and a payload of 1,000kg or 2,205 lbs.

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Vauxhall Introduces New Fiat-based Combo Van in Britain

Pricing for the Opel Combo's British twin that will be sold under the Vauxhall brand will start from £14,703.33 on the road (excluding VAT) for the L1H1 2000 1.3CDTI 16v (90PS) model when the new panel van goes on sale in February of 2012.

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Chrysler to Sell Fiat Doblo in the U.S. and Canada under the Ram Brand

In a move that perhaps shows more than anything else how intertwined the automotive industry is today, the Fiat and Chrysler Alliance announced today plans to sell the Fiat Doblo van in the U.S. and Canadian markets under the Ram brand.

You may recall that GM's European division Opel, will debut its own rebadged version of the Fiat Doblo called the Combo at next week's Frankfurt Motor Show .

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Fiat’s Frankfurt Carmageddon: AWD Freemont, 500 “by Abarth” and 500C “by Gucci”, Plus Two New Editions of the Qubo

If you think that Fiat would be content with two premieres at the Frankfurt Motor Show, both of which belong to important segments for the European market, you wrong. Apart from the Nuova Panda and the revised, MultiAir-equipped Punto, the Italian company has a bunch of other models as well.

The Dodge-derived Freemont, which was initially available with front-wheel drive only, now gets an all-wheel drive. It utilizes an on-demand AWD system with an electronically controlled coupling that sends power to the rear wheels only when its slip sensors detect a loss of grip at the front axle.

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Congratulations, it’s a Doblo: New Opel Combo in Passenger Car and Panel Van Trims Breaks Cover

Meet the new Opel Combo, GM Europe’s latest offer in the light commercial vehicle segment that will also be available in a passenger car version.

In case you didn’t notice, Opel’s newcomer is based on the Fiat Doblo van with the exterior styling changes over the Italian model limited to the design of the front bumper that somewhat awkwardly incorporates the German firm’s family grille.

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Fiat to Supply Opel with Commercial Vehicles Made in Turkey

In this day and age, automakers are either buying each other up forming new groups or constantly deepening their cooperation with their counterparts. The Fiat Group, which recently acquired a 20% stake in Chrysler, is now expanding its commercial vehicle joint ventures to include GM's European Opel and Vauxhall units.

The Italian company, which has a joint venture for larger LCVs with the PSA Peugeot-Citroen Group, has signed a contract agreement with GM to supply vehicles comprising of several variants to Opel starting from December 2011. The new model will replace the German firm's Combo light commercial vehicle, keeping the same name. The range will include a number of derivatives, such as cargo vans, passenger vehicles and chassis cabs.

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New Fiat Doblo 5 and 7-Seater MPV and Cargo Van, Could Make it to the States as a Dodge

This 'gawky-eyed', 'wide-mouthed' minivan is Fiat's all-new Doblo that will go on sale across Europe in mid-January 2010. It comes in two body styles, as a five or seven seater MPV with a pair of slidding rear doors, and as a small commercial van under the Cargo moniker with a single sliding rear door on the passenger side.

Fiat says that the next-generation Doblo is based on a new platform boasting the largest wheelbase (2,755 mm) in its segment thus offering improved passenger space and a voluminous 790 liter luggage compartment in MPV form, and a more roomy load compartment with a volume of 3.4 to 4.2 cubic meters and a payload from 750 to 1,000 Kg (depending on the version) as a Cargo van.

The Doblo MPV will be available at launch with a choice of four engines, a 95HP petrol unit and three Multijet diesels with 90, 105 and 135HP, which will later be joined by a Natural Power engine with dual fuel system (petrol and methane) and an additional diesel engine with Dualogic robotized gearbox.

All variants will be equipped with Fiat's Start&Stop system, which cuts off the engine when the car is stopped to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, as standard.

Depending on the version, the Doblo can be fitted with various goodies such as an automatic climate control system with distribution to rear seats, cruise control, parking sensors, a built-in Blue&Me hands-free system and a "Blue&Me TomTom" navigator.

The Doblo Cargo will be offered with a similar engine lineup and 7 different body types including short and long wheelbase van, high top van, short and long wheelbase 5-seater combi and a brand-new short and long drop-framed version that Fiat says can be converted for specific trades such as refrigeration chambers, fixed and tilting flatbed trucks.

According to Fiat, with the 1.3-liter diesel engine, the Doblo Cargo returns a combined fuel consumption of 4.8 lt/100km or 49 mpg US and has a driving range of up to 1,250km or 777 miles.

There is a strong possibility that the Doblo may find its way here in the U.S. as Chrysler's recent product plan makes word of a Fiat-based small commercial van due to be released by Dodge's Ram truck division in 2012.