Fiat has given its Ducato large van a massive tech injection for 2021, with updated safety features that aren’t available on any rival, a digital instrument panel, up to 10.0 inches of touchscreen, LED headlights, and a new set of 2.2-litre engines offering up to 180hp.
These upgrades arrive alongside revised looks, improved fuel economy (now said to be best-in-class), and compatibility with the latest Euro 6D-Final emissions regulations.
Fiat is calling the 2021 model the New Ducato – and it’s available to order now in standard, Tecnico, Tecnico Plus and Business Edition trim levels, priced from £27,005.
>> Sign-up for the Parkers Vans and Pickups newsletter
The Ducato has been updated again?
Yep. The Ducato nameplate is 40 years old now, and this while latest version doesn’t date back that far it is still based on the same platform the Citroen Relay and Peugeot Boxer have been using since 2006 and now also forms the basis of the 2021 Vauxhall Movano.
The changes for this 2021 New Ducato put the Fiat ahead of all three of its Stellantis cousins, however – even though Fiat has also now switched to using the same engines.
What’s new about the engine line-up?
Previously, the Ducato was powered by Fiat’s own 2.3-litre engines. Now it’s fitted with what Fiat calls new ‘Multijet3’ turbodiesels, which are the same as the latest BlueHDi motors developed by Peugeot and Citroen.
These ‘third-generation’ 2.2-litre engines use ‘new and exclusive H3 power architecture proprietary to Stellantis’, and offer weight savings in combination with better fuel consumption and CO2 emissions that are up to 7% lower than before.
This is said to result in best-in-class figures, but at this stage Fiat Professional UK hasn’t released what those actually are.
Available with regular (light duty) Euro 6D-Final and Heavy-Duty Euro VI type-approval, the 2.2-litre Multijet3 diesels are also said to be more durable, more flexible and less noisy than the 2.3-litre diesels they replace.
There are four power outputs: 120hp, 140hp, 160hp and 180hp – with the higher three available in Heavy Duty specification as well the standard light duty variants. Maximum torque is 450Nm.
Every model gets a ‘new and improved’ six-speed manual transmission as standard, with Fiat’s nine-speed automatic gearbox carrying over as an option on the 140hp, 160hp and 180hp versions.
Self-levelling air suspension that can lower the rear of the van to aid loading is also available.
And the new advanced safety stuff?
Fiat’s particularly keen to tell us that the New Ducato is the first light commercial vehicle to achieve ‘level 2’ autonomous driving status – meaning that if you tick the right boxes on the options list it can do some accelerating, braking and steering for you, in very limited circumstances.
The Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that fulfil these requirements include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop&Go, Lane Keeping Assist and Traffic Jam Assist.
The AEB and lane-keeping assistance are fairly self-explanatory. The stop and go part of the adaptive cruise means that where the automatic transmission is fitted this can bring the van to a complete halt in traffic then accelerate back up to speed again when the traffic starts moving; Traffic Jam Assist will keep the van moving safely in low speed traffic.
Much of this is made possible by the Ducato’s new electrically assisted power steering, while other safety features include electronic stability control with Cross-Wind Assist, Trailer Stability Control and Active Park Assist automatic parking functions.
There’s also an option for a Digital Central Mirror – a permanent rear-view camera system, already offered in a number of other vans – while the new steering system and smaller steering wheel also come with a reduced turning circle for the entire van.
We’re told that all new UK models will come with Lane Departure Warning and Advanced Emegency Braking (Fiat’s name for autonomous emergency braking) as standard, but the other ADAS features are optional.
What about the other new technology?
Fiat is offering the 2021 Ducato with a Full Digital Cockpit (also referred to as the Digital Cluster) – this replaces the traditional instrument cluster with a customisable digital display, and is fitted as standard on the range-topping Business Edition trim level.
This combines with the new UConnect infotainment system, which comes with a 10.0-inch touchscreen on the Business Edition plus wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as well as built-in TomTom sat-nav with 3D mapping.
A smaller 7.0-inch touchscreen is fitted on Tecnico variants, also including Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Entry-level ‘standard’ Ducatos come with a more basic 5.0-inch screen but still get DAB radio, Bluetooth and USB connection.
There’s more info on what you get as standard equipment with each Ducato specification below.
More generally, connectivity is significantly increased, with the Ducato now compatible with Uconnect Services and the Fiat smartphone app. This means you can remotely lock and unlock it using your phone, check the status of fuel level and tyre pressures, and get automatic over-the-air navigation map updates, among other functions.
All owners who opt in will get a monthly report on the health of their new Ducato. There’s also a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot option (My Wi-Fi) that can connect to up to eight devices and enables the use of Amazon Alexa inside the Ducato.
On top of all this there’s a My Fleet Manager tool that can help with vehicle management, with telematic data available via this or existing customer fleet data solutions.
It gets a facelift as well?
It certainly does – and it won’t be hard to spot thanks to the enormous new FIAT badge.
Look beyond this, and you’ll notice the New Ducato also has a new grille, bumper treatment and lights on the outside. The new three-part full LED headlights are particularly eye-catching, especially thanks to the new ‘sliding’ sequential indicators. These are 30% brighter than the conventional headlights.
A new Lanzarote Grey paint finish has been chosen to launch the 2021 Ducato, ‘specially dedicated to clients from the recreational sector’ – a nod to the fact that the Ducato is by far the top choice for campervan and motorhome conversions among all large van rivals.
There are other changes on the inside, too, with an updated dashboard and new gearlever joined by redesigned and ‘more spacious’ door cards, plus revised seats with a new look and additional padding.
The option of keyless entry and keyless start will be appreciated by all kinds of drivers, as will the Eat-and-Work passenger seat, which folds down to form a surface for snacking or paperwork.
And as well as USB-A and USB-C sockets for charging mobile devices, a 230v plug socket is available, as is a wireless phone charger. A heated windscreen is optional, too.
What do you get as standard equipment?
Entry-level standard versions of the 2021 Ducato come with all of the following:
- > 5.0-inch screen with DAB, Bluetooth and USB connection
- > Radio controls on the steering wheel
- > Driver’s seat with armrest and lumbar support
- > Dual passenger seat
- > Fixed steel bulkhead
- > Electric, heated door mirrors
- > Heated diesel fuel filter
- > 15-inch steel wheels with full-size spare
- > Dead locks
- > Lane departure warning system
- > Advanced emergency braking
- > Electronic stability control
- > Driver’s airbag
- > Speed limiter
Upgrade to the Ducato Tecnico specification for an extra £2,295 and you also get:
- > 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus voice control button on steering wheel
- > Wireless phone charging
- > Manual air-conditioning
- > Electric parking brake
- > Techno dashboard
- > Keyless entry and start
- > Rear View Camera
An extra £390 upgrades this to automatic climate control, at which point the van is labelled a Tecnico Plus.
At the top of the new Ducato range is the Business Edition, which is £710 more than a Technico Plus and adds:
- > 10.0-inch touchscreen with sat-nav
- > 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster
- > Electric-folding heated electric door mirrors
How much does the New Ducato cost and when does it go on sale?
The 2021 Fiat Ducato is available to order from Fiat Professional dealers now, and is expected to start arriving in August.
Pricing starts at £27,005 (plus VAT), and the New Ducato is available in the same wide range of body sizes, variants and conversions as before.
Also read:
>> Our latest Fiat Ducato review
>> Fiat E-Ducato electric van full details
