Fiat Doblo 1.2 SX Review

Overall Rating

The Doblo 1.9 JTD, ELX. Sace, magnificent seats, light, nimble and zingy to drive, precise and quick steering, light, quick and perfectly positioned gearbox, performance and sheer convenience. I also enjoy the wacky looks.

Pedals too close to each other, spongy brakes and an inaudible indicator.

The Doblo turbo-diesel is a very fine machine. To call it a van with windows sounds like damning with faint praise, but if all vans are as quiet, quick, comfortable and crisp to drive as this one is then what's the point of conventional cars?

This is not a noisy beast and although there is faint diesel clatter when it's cold this quickly subsides to virtually inaudable, and the road and wind noise is well suppressed too, leading to a very relaxing drive, particularly at speed. The seats are very special, the driver's having a sensible lumber adjustment and a relationship to most of the controls, particularly the gearbox, which is unsurpassed. Unfortunately this excellence is marred slightly by a pedal arrangement which puts the accelerator too close to the clutch.. I am geting used to this, but cannot understand why the designers didn't just place the go pedal an inch further over, there is ample room. Also, the brakes, although perfectly adequate, are spongy. this I am getting used to easily, but my last car had firm anchors which I preferred.

The Doblo has the usual contemporary assemblage of see you home lights, auto volume increase to the (good) stereo and excellent interior lighting. However, the car's greatest achievement is to have oodles of space for luggage and passengers, with ample storage. It feels very solid and rattle free and the steering and throttle response are so immediate and precise that every journey is a delight for a keen driver. The handling isn't bad either, indeed, it is fun. The engine is lovely and its on-paper performance figures don't do justict to the immediate throttle response and real push-in-the- back overtaking ability it can deliver within the (admittedly narrow) diesel power band.

No, on balance this is one very fine motor. The looks are great, not dullsville like the French competition, it seems very well put together, it is wonderful to look out of, it has room for all my stuff, and more and, of paramount importance, it is fun to drive. I was even waved at by a fellow driver yesterday, which says alot about the car. This is no bland box but a well engineered Italian driving machine that dares to be different in the interest of common sense. Well done Fiat.