The Düsseldorf Caravan Salon 2019, the world’s biggest Recreational Vehicle exhibition, will be taking place from August 31 to 8 September, an event that no-one can afford to miss, at which the Fiat Professional brand will be unveiling the new Fiat Ducato MY 2020, the evolution of the brand’s best-seller featuring major innovations, also for the motorhome sector, where it holds undisputed leadership as a motorhome base: in the last 10 years, more than 500,000 European households have chosen a Ducato base motorhome.
More and more enthusiasts are viewing their motorhomes as a practical solution but more importantly as an expression of their personal lifestyles off the beaten track. And they are responsible for the success of the iconic Fiat Professional model: compared to 2018, registrations rose by 6% in the early months of this year, proving that the motorhome is viewed more and more as a lifestyle enabler: not just a vehicle for use on holidays, but a means to freedom, for users to go wherever they want, whenever they want.
As well as the countless motorhomes on Ducato chassis on show on the various stands at the German exhibition, all eyes will be focused on the large Fiat Professional display area (area D42 – hall 16), where four examples of the chassis bases supplied to caravan producers for transformation into motorhomes will be on show, representing the countless solutions this model enables. They will include a high roof van version, a chassis cab and a back-to-back show vehicle consisting of two Ducato Maxi tractor bases, with the tractor cab visible at one end and a chassis cowl, basis for A-Class motorhomes, at the other. The exhibit is completed by a number of themed islands offering information about the new powerplants, the nine-speed automatic transmission and the services offered to motorhome owners. Outdoors, visitors will have the chance to test drive two Ducato vans, of 160 HP and 180 HP, both with the new automatic transmission.
One of the new model’s biggest innovations, sure to delight customers in the recreational vehicle sector, is the new nine-speed automatic transmission, which delivers a relaxed, pleasant driving experience, without sacrificing performance and while optimising fuel efficiency in every situation. What’s more the engine line-up, always a strong point of the Ducato motorhome base, is now renewed to include a 2.3 litre Euro 6d-TEMP Diesel, always originating from the industrial sector. Rugged and durable but able to provide car-standard performances and comfort, it comes in four power ratings: 120, 140, 160 and 180 HP. All horsepowers feature the Multijet 2 technology, with its improved efficiency and fuel saving, but each unit has specific construction characteristics, such as the design of the turbocharger, pistons and fluid dynamics. The most advanced drive assistance systems are also available for long, carefree journeys, as well as motorhome-specific suspensions and a long series of features to guarantee superlative comfort.
Ducato Fiat Professional is “Leader in Freedom” and this leadership is confirmed by an amazing collection of international awards, including the coveted “Best motorhome base 2019”, awarded right here in Germany: for the twelfth consecutive time this year, it was assigned by readers of “Promobil”, the German specialist magazine that has provided a major reference point for trends in the motorhome vehicle sector for more than 25 years. The latest important accolade confirms the trust placed by customers on the Ducato as the ideal base for leisure activities, confirming this extraordinary Italian success story on the roads of the world. Against this background, Fiat Professional continues to head the field: the only brand to include a dedicated team with in-depth knowledge of the Recreational Vehicle world, “certified” by the new “Fiat Professional For Recreational Vehicles”, it also offers a high level of specialisation in terms of products and services, to guarantee customers the greatest possible flexibility and freedom.
Ducato is still built entirely at the Sevel Plant in Val di Sangro, Europe’s largest light commercial vehicle construction site and holder of World Class Manufacturing Silver Level. More than 297,000 vehicles rolled out of the Sevel plant in 2018, breaking its own production record for the fourth year in a row with a +46% increase over the past six years. This success stems from 38 years of experience. Since 1981, its winning features have been gradually perfected to turn Ducato into an authentic trendsetter produced in over 13,000 variants, including the many, very popular bases for outdoor tourism vehicles, and sold in more than 80 countries worldwide.