Despite the coronavirus crisis and the temporary closure in Spring 2020 of the SEVEL Sud factory which makes the Ducato and its French siblings, 2020 has been a record year for sales of the van. 257000 Ducatos, Boxers, Jumpers and Relays were produced at the plant in 2020. This was pushed amongst other factors by people feeling safer going on holiday in motorhomes, courier companies ordering more vans due to higher online sales and a lowering of VAT in the second half of the year in Germany, Europe's biggest market for RVs.
All of this has resulted in the Sevel plant near Atessa in Italy not being able to fulfill order books for 2021 models. One example I read is the Pössl Group being short of 300 Fiat Ducato chassis and having to tell customers to either change their orders to a Citroën chassis, where there is still some stock, or to wait for the 2022 model and pay the price increase. Needless to say that affected customers with an automatic model on order won't be able to switch to a Citroën!
As you may know, today's Ducato' platform dates back from 2006 with a facelift in 2014 for the current version. 2021 marks the 40th anniversary of the first Ducato in 1981 and Fiat will celebrate this with the unveiling of a new version this Spring with production starting early September. This means the current production will stop in the Summer, hence the 2021 model year order book not being fulfilled. However the bosses at SEVEL have announced new investments to increase production at the plant.
So what to expect from the new Ducato? First, they'll have to add as standard some driving aids required by European legislation from 2022, some of which are current options features. You're looking at things like lane departure warning, automatic tyre pressure sensors, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control on top of that. Even a passenger airbag is still an option on some motorhomes! All these equipments will, needless to say, increase the base price by one or two thousand pounds before other improvements are taken into consideration. I've heard of a customer who's been quoted a 6% increase by his dealer.
Other changes, some more obvious than others, will be a new front bumper and grille with FIAT written in large letters across it, new lights, improved suspension and a much needed new dashboard. However, it looks like this will be another facelift rather than a completely new van on a new platform. As the engine lineup was refreshed in 2019 I don't foresee big changes in that department. Maybe a hybrid model to add up to the electric Ducato revealed last year? External dimensions should be unchanged which will be welcomed by the converters.
Now I wait to be proven completely wrong!
Here are the scoop pictures from Motor1.com showing a partly disguised prototype. Prepare to be ...err... underwhelmed but the biggest improvements, I think, will be what the pictures don't show.
uk.motor1.com
All of this has resulted in the Sevel plant near Atessa in Italy not being able to fulfill order books for 2021 models. One example I read is the Pössl Group being short of 300 Fiat Ducato chassis and having to tell customers to either change their orders to a Citroën chassis, where there is still some stock, or to wait for the 2022 model and pay the price increase. Needless to say that affected customers with an automatic model on order won't be able to switch to a Citroën!
As you may know, today's Ducato' platform dates back from 2006 with a facelift in 2014 for the current version. 2021 marks the 40th anniversary of the first Ducato in 1981 and Fiat will celebrate this with the unveiling of a new version this Spring with production starting early September. This means the current production will stop in the Summer, hence the 2021 model year order book not being fulfilled. However the bosses at SEVEL have announced new investments to increase production at the plant.
So what to expect from the new Ducato? First, they'll have to add as standard some driving aids required by European legislation from 2022, some of which are current options features. You're looking at things like lane departure warning, automatic tyre pressure sensors, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control on top of that. Even a passenger airbag is still an option on some motorhomes! All these equipments will, needless to say, increase the base price by one or two thousand pounds before other improvements are taken into consideration. I've heard of a customer who's been quoted a 6% increase by his dealer.
Other changes, some more obvious than others, will be a new front bumper and grille with FIAT written in large letters across it, new lights, improved suspension and a much needed new dashboard. However, it looks like this will be another facelift rather than a completely new van on a new platform. As the engine lineup was refreshed in 2019 I don't foresee big changes in that department. Maybe a hybrid model to add up to the electric Ducato revealed last year? External dimensions should be unchanged which will be welcomed by the converters.
Now I wait to be proven completely wrong!
Here are the scoop pictures from Motor1.com showing a partly disguised prototype. Prepare to be ...err... underwhelmed but the biggest improvements, I think, will be what the pictures don't show.
Fiat Ducato spied with a subtle facelift
The Ducato, a sister model to the Peugeot Boxer and Citroen Jumper in Europe, was given a comprehensive refresh back in 2014.
uk.motor1.com
