Fiat Doblo Review 2024

If the Fiat Doblo looks familiar, that’s because it’s essentially the same van as a number of its key rivals – the Citroen Berlingo, its French sister van the Peugeot Partner, Britain’s Vauxhall Combo and the Toyota Proace City all share the same basic architecture. Is the Italian brand’s offering as convincing? Read our Fiat Doblo review to find out.

Like the vans mentioned above, the Fiat has the same profile but a distinctive front-end treatment – indeed, it’s arguably more stylish because of this.

Otherwise, it’s more of the same and that’s not a bad thing, as together the small vans are among the best on the market.

Indeed, the choice really comes down to which offers the best in terms of value-for-money. If you’re looking to buy a van as a small business, then Fiat is less fleet-focused than some of its rivals, meaning you may be able to get a superior deal.

The Fiat Doblo comes in three different body styles – L1 (short wheelbase), Maxi L2 (long wheelbase) and Crew Van, which is only available in L2 format.

There are three internal combustion engines, as well as an all-electric Fiat e-Doblo which we have reviewed separately.

You can opt for a 109PS turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol or two different variants of a 1.5-litre diesel, with either 99PS or 128PS. A six-speed manual gearbox is offered as standard, with an eight-speed auto an option on the more powerful diesel.

Prices are comparable with the Fiat Doblo’s sister models, but the Italian company does tend to offer some enticing deals and finance packages, especially for small business users who may not be able to get the same level of support from Vauxhall, Peugeot or Citroen.

Given that the Fiat Doblo is based on a passenger vehicle, it’s no surprise to find it’s quite sumptuous inside, with supportive seats and an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment screen complete with DAB radio.

Sat-nav is also standard, thanks to the integrated system, and Apple CarPlay or Android Auto smartphone compatibility is included. For a small van, that’s pretty generous.

The driver’s view is excellent with good forward visibility thanks to a deep, curved windscreen and narrow A-pillars, while the side mirrors and rear view can be enhanced with cameras for extra safety.

In addition, there’s a surround-view camera system to help with parking.

The cheapest Fiat Doblo is the 1.2-litre petrol, which will suit users who prefer the refinement of a petrol over a diesel or are concerned about future legislation targeted at oil-burners.

The engine is the same 1.2-litre three-cylinder unit found in multiple Stellantis Group cars such as the Peugeot 208, big-selling Vauxhall Corsa and the ever-popular Fiat 500.

While 109PS might not sound a lot, the turbo kicks in sufficiently early for it to feel plenty powerful enough. Add a heavy load, though, and fuel consumption and performance suffer quite badly and the official 39.7mpg figure will be tricky to match.

Unless you need a petrol for a specific reason, then the 1.5-litre BlueHDi diesel models make more sense. However, the less powerful of the two, with 99PS, feels a bit breathless, especially when joining motorway slip roads or on fast A-roads.

Here you’ll find yourself working your way through the gears to make decent progress.

The 128PS model is worth the extra purchase cost, then, and is a far more refined motorway cruiser, while its claimed 49mpg official fuel economy is less impacted by heavy loads.

All models are easy to manoeuvre, with light steering and a good turning circle, while they exhibit car-like handling on the open road and are pleasantly refined at speed.

The choice really comes down to your preference of badge – there’s not a lot of difference between the Fiat Doblo and the Citroen, Peugeot, Vauxhall and Toyota variants of what’s essentially the same van.

Price will inevitably be a key deciding factor, and for the small business user, a Fiat dealership is a good place to start shopping around.

The Fiat Doblo matches its sister models in terms of load space and payload, with a cleverly designed cargo area that is practical and easy to access, especially if you choose the option of twin side loading doors.

The most generously sized model is the Maxi L2, which has 4.4 cubic metres of load carrying capacity, decreasing to 3.5 cubic metres if you choose the Crew Van option.

The L1, which is the most popular Fiat Doblo, has 3.8 cubic metres of cargo capacity. The Maxi L2 also comes with the option of a load-through bulkhead.

In terms of payload, the 99PS diesel will carry 650kg in L1 format, or 100kg with the 128PS diesel engine, while the towing capacity for both is 1200kg using a braked trailer – all pretty much average for the class.

L1 versions have a single side loading door and L2 variants get twin side doors, while all Fiat Doblos have asymmetrical barn doors to the rear.

The cabin is functional on all models, with a choice of single or twin passenger seats and a comfortable driving position.

There’s plenty of cubby space in the cabin and the option of an AC converter plug socket to power small electrical devices such as a laptop or mini-fridge.