The super-spacious Fiat Doblo looks and drives like a people carrier – but try to carry a larger-than-usual load and you'll find you have a van on your hands. Based on the Doblo Cargo, a former International Van of the Year winner, the Doblo is practical, versatile and seats up to seven. Owners praise its fuel economy, reliability and comfortable drive too, and Motors.co.uk described it as a “great family car”.
The Doblo leaves its rivals trailing when it comes to space, with a huge 790-litre boot which mushrooms to 3,200 litres with the seats folded. Mountain bikes, family luggage, furniture (within reason), DIY equipment … the cavernous Doblo swallows them all. Sliding rear doors and a large, flat, low boot opening make it easy to get people and loads in and out, and on seven-seater versions from 2010 onwards, the two extra seats are separate rather than a bench and can be individually removed.
Inside, there's plenty of headroom too – thanks to the high roofline – and the dashboard and instruments are clearly laid out. Visibility is excellent thanks to the high driving position and large windscreen, and there's plenty of storage space, including an overhead shelf.
The Doblo steers and handles well and offers a choice of engines: the 1.4-litre petrol is good value, but the diesels are more popular. The 1.6-litre 105bhp MultiJet is the best choice for fuel economy – up to 54mpg – while the 2.0-litre 135bhp MultiJet is the best long-distance cruiser. All engines from 2010 onwards have Start and Stop technology, which cuts the engine when it is idle. Running costs are low and newer diesels only need servicing once every two years or 21,000 miles, compared with 18,000 miles for the petrol.
If you'd like to see if you can fit all your worldly goods in one of our used Fiat Doblos, get in touch with Vanwise to book a test drive. All the used vans for sale at our branches in Harlow have been thoroughly inspected by our expert technicians – so you know you're going to drive away in a reliable, good value vehicle. Just give us a call or drop in to whichever of our dealerships is most convenient for you.