First pictures of 2022 Ducato/Boxer/Relay-what to expect? (1 Viewer)

May 29, 2020
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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.

 

Emmit

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I have to agree.
It looks like they gave the front bumper to a small child to design.

Glad it's not on my shopping list.

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Sapper520

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Jan 22, 2020
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I think the bumper is not the finished item, just something to disguise (I hope) its appearance. They do it all the time in the motor industry when they want to hide the finished product whilst road testing. (y)
 
Feb 11, 2017
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In America they are badged as RAM VANS and some of the variations look a lot like that already
 
Apr 19, 2019
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I think they are trying to make it as ugly as the transit. They'll need to try harder to achieve that:LOL:

Like others say it's hard to make a box look pretty. Lipstick on a pig.

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Aug 26, 2008
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Looks like Fiat sent a thinly disguised x2/90 round the test track to fool the journalists. :rofl:
 

Sapper520

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...... ;)

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Sapper520

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I think they are trying to make it as ugly as the transit. They'll need to try harder to achieve that:LOL:

Like others say it's hard to make a box look pretty. Lipstick on a pig.

And blonde wig. :whistle: ::bigsmile:
 

BwB

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Looks like the front has been stoved in, but I suppose it gives you somewhere to stand when washing the windscreen/putting the silver screens on :)
 
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63720

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That's a face only a mother could love, no thanks.

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Coolcats

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The article says it’s not the bumper that the finished product will have. Most manufactures may use a modified exiting vehicle to try out new transmission /engine/ suspension. This is a test lotus (an Evora} It is known as a ‘Mule’ and has the transmission system for the next generation of Lotus under the body shell and is an example of what Fiat were doing the van may not even look like what those pictures showed
36A0132F-F0D9-4E7D-B1B9-8DA7CD65B1C4.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Sep 6, 2011
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This, I believe is a facelift for the American market. They are only now getting the slimmed down, ‘narrowed’ headlamps which Europe got in 2015. Since 2007, the American Ducato, the Ram Prostar has come with a petrol V6 motor, amongst other options. Until now, they also had a different version of the ‘pointy topped ‘ headlamp units we had from 2007-2015.
The grill is a ‘disguise’ so the van can’t be identified, (that went well) it looks like someone attacked it with a blow lamp!

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BryanS

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The front looks terrible!! If we could afford it this will drive everyone to A class vans!!
 

BwB

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It'll probably look ok (and very similar to the existing van) once the company sticks the chrome grill/logo in that chin space, as that's what's missing from the photos in the article.
 
Dec 20, 2018
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Ford also have a corporate look more or less across the range, Fiesta to Transit.

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C33JAY

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Im a fan of the corporate look especially if its a nice look like Ford yes im a fan of the current look, they do a good job of varying the look to fit the vehicle in my opinion, so Fiat get on with it lol (y):giggle:
 
Jun 8, 2019
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Think that I will wait for a second hand Amazon electric one to come on the market 😂😂
 

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