New for the 2013 model year, Fiat will introduce their Doblo cargo van to North America. The mid-size van, which is already being sold under the Fiat name in other markets, will be re-badged under the Dodge Ram brand name for the Canadian and U.S. markets. Manufactured in Bursa, Turkey, the Fiat Doblo will be positioned against such commercial vehicle competition as the Ford Transit Connect, as well as being offered in several passenger configurations.
Variants of the Fiat Doblo that are offered overseas include three-, four- and five-door models; powertrain options for the European market include a choice of four different 4-cylinder engines powered by turbo-diesel, compressed natural gas, electric or hybrid. Chrysler has yet to announce which powertrains they will be offering in the Ram version.
Fiat has partnered with Turkish manufacturing group TOFAS, who have signed a letter of intent to build 190,000 units over a seven year period for shipping to North America, and are committing $160 million toward meeting U.S. and Canadian customer requirements and regulations.
The FWD Fiat Doblo provides up to 148 cubic ft. of cargo space, depending upon the configuration, and a payload capacity of up to 2200 lbs., compared to the 1600-lb maximum of Ford’s Transit Connect. The Doblo is expected to be marketed as a more efficient alternative to larger-sized commercial vans,while still offering large cargo capacity.