Fiat Fiorino (2008 – 2024) Review

The Fiat Fiorino may be based on the Italian company’s Punto hatch, but the Fiorino offers a much larger and more practical van. It’s built in Turkey alongside the Citroen Nemo and Peugeot Bipper, and like those models the Fiorino offers a great balance of load space and compact exterior dimensions.

There’s enough space in the back to fit a Euro pallet between the load bay’s wheelarches with some space to spare. It can also be ordered with one or two sliding side doors to further add to its practical nature.

The pert size of the Fiorino helps make it an ideal van for town use, aided by a tight turning circle to help squeeze it into those awkward spaces with ease. At less than four metres in length, no wonder the Fiorino is a great city dweller.

There are also perky diesel engines that make it fun to drive and give it good performance, though the Fiat can get a little noisy on the motorway with wind and road noise. An Adventure model offers some limited additional off-road ability, while the Combi has additional seating for three more passengers on a rear bench seat.

As a short-hop proposition, there’s little to touch the Fiat Fiorino for getting about town and multi-drop duties. Its compact size, sitting at less than four metres long in total, makes it ideal for zipping through traffic and exploiting even the smallest parking space in the urban jungle. With light, accurate steering with good feel and a small turning circle, the Fiorino enjoys a light-footed approach to town driving, even when making the most of its sizeable load space.

Excellent visibility for the driver further enhances the Fiorino’s credentials in the big city, while the same fine all-round view also helps when pulling out of those tricky junctions in town and country. An Adventure model is offered by Fiat to make shorter work of rural driving thanks to raised suspension for extra ability when the road turns to mud and grass. The Adventure also has extra body cladding to keep the paint free from scratches and scuffs on rustic lanes but don't be misled into thinking it's four-wheel drive.

Where the Fiorino feels least at home is the motorway. Fiat has put a great deal of effort in to reducing noise and vibration in the Fiorino, but there is still too much road and wind noise heard inside the cab. Some if this racket is down to the engines, but mostly its thrown up from the wheels and from around the windscreen and door mirrors. It’s a shame as it undermines the Fiorino’s ability as a long distance delivery machine.

This is even more of a shame when you consider the Fiorino’s fine 1.3-litre MultiJet turbodiesel engines. They come in 75PS and 95PS forms and offer plenty of low-down pull for good in-town performance and sufficient lug when travelling down country lanes. On the motorway, the 75PS motor is a little breathless, but the 95PS gives a good account of itself and could even do with a six-speed manual gearbox in place of the five-speeder that comes with – a sixth gear would help make the engine quieter and probably also improve economy and emissions. However, an official 65.7mpg and 113g/km CO2 thanks to the Stop&Start model are not to be sniffed at.

Choose the 75PS engine with the Comfort-Matic automatic five-speed gearbox and economy rises further to an official 68.9mpg and emissions drop to just 109g/km. There is also a base 75PS 1.4-litre petrol engine that is the cheapest way into Fiat Fiorino ownership, but a claimed 44.1mpg and 148g/km CO2 are not worth getting the pen and paper out to write home about.

In 2016 Fiat updated the Fiorino range and improved fuel economy for autmoatic versions. As a result, EcoJet versions of the 1.3 diesel - with engine start/stop - return an official 74.3mpg and 100g/km of CO2 when paired with the Comfort-Matic robotised transmission. 

What is worth scribbling a note about is the Fiorino’s handling. It’s easily one of the best vans on sale when it comes to going round corners with confidence and compliance. Loaded or unloaded, it feels safe, secure and surefooted.

With a cab that has much in common with Fiat’s passenger cars, the Fiorino’s interior is a comfortable and pleasant place to spend time. It’s solidly made from rugged materials, with most of the switches and buttons taken from the Punto hatchback. The driving position also has much in common with Fiat’s passenger models and feels reasonably comfortable. There is plenty of adjustment in the driver’s seat but taller drivers will find it cramped and not ideal for long distance work.

The instruments are, again, Fiat passenger car items so they are simple, clear and logical. Large buttons work the standard stereo, which includes a CD player and Traffic announcement function as standard. An MP3 auxiliary input is an optional extra, as is satellite navigation. Air conditioning is also another option for the Fiorino, as is Fiat’s Blue&Me system for hands-free Bluetooth mobile phone connection.

In 2016 Fiat added a new steering wheel to the Fiorino as part of a mid-life refresh, with optional mounted controls for the radio and CD player. New graphics were also added for the instruments cluster with permanent backlighting for better visibility. A five-inch, colour, touchscreen infotainment system was also added to the options list, with navigation, Bluetooth, USB/AUX port and DAB radio.

What does come as standard on all Fiorinos are 12 storage points spread around the cabin, so there is always somewhere to keep documents, maps, phones and sundries. There is a compartment in the centre console with a 12v power supply and an optional table can be ordered for those who use the cab as a mobile office.

The Fiorino comes with a driver’s airbag and ABS anti-lock brakes as standard, but a passenger and side airbags are optional. Fiorino models with diesel engines come with ESP as standard, while rear parking sensors are an option for all models. There is also a nine-bar ladder frame behind the driver’s seat for safety.

When it comes to using the load space of the Fiorino, it offers 2.5 cubic metres of capacity and this can be extended up to 2.8 cubic metres if you have the optional folding passenger seat. This allows the front passenger seat to be folded completely flat and provides extra length in the Fiorino to carry long items safely within the vehicle.

The Fiorino can be ordered with one or two sliding side doors and there are twin side-hinged rear doors as standard that open out to 90-degrees and 180-degress to allow full use of the load opening. These doors can all be locked from inside the cab and separately from the front doors for extra security.

The bulkhead between the load bay and cab can be left open or panelled and the optional panel can be ordered with a central glazed window opening. Fiat provides four tie-down points, a handy fitted torch in the load area and a ceiling light. Fiat can also supply refrigeration units, isothermic models and there's even a Fiorino equipped with a mobile workshop.