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By Jonathan Crouch

The improved version of Fiat's third generation Scudo mid-sized van is a more polished proposition. Jonathan Crouch reports

Ten Second Reviewword count: 63

You might not have been planning on your business's next mid-sized van being a Fiat. But this improved version of the brand's third generation Scudo, thanks to borrowed Stellantis Group engineering and technology, might just be good enough to change your mind. Like its design stablemates, it's easy to live with, practical, efficient and nice to drive. A step forward then, for Fiat.

Backgroundword count: 156

A change of name doesn't always mean a change of fortunes. Back in 2016, Fiat switched its mid-sized van range away from two generations of 'Scudo' branding, re-christening it the 'Talento' and basing it on a Nissan Renault Alliance platform. That model failed to make much of an impression on the market, so in 2022, the Italian maker switched back to the 'Scudo' nameplate and ditched the Renault underpinnings to create this Stellantis Group-engineered model. It's the usefully improved version of that design, updated in Spring 2024, that we look at here. It shares almost everything, as you might expect, with the other Stellantis mid-sized vans in this sector, the Peugeot Expert, the Citroen Dispatch and the Vauxhall Vivaro, with the same design and engineering also used by the Toyota Proace. That does at least mean that everything you get here is thoroughly proven. Let's look in a little more detail at Fiat's spin on it.

Driving Experienceword count: 333

All the engineering on offer here is familiar and proven from other Stellantis Group mid-sized vans. So, bolted to an EMP2 platform, there's the choice of conventional diesel or full-electric power. Things kick off with a 1.5-litre diesel, now offered only with 120hp, mated to 6-speed manual transmission. There's also a 2.0-litre Multijet diesel with 145hp and the choice of either manual or 8-speed automatic transmission. If your business has moved on from smoky diesels, you'll be more interested in the single E-Scudo EV variant, which uses a 136hp electric motor and is now only available with a 75kWh battery pack that offers an EV range improved with this enhanced model to 217 miles. If you're wondering what driving a full-electric mid-sized van might be like, well, there's not too much to get your head around. You turn the key in the ignition, wait for the starting beep, then flick the gear toggle into Drive. There's a drive-mode selector that allows drivers to switch between 'Eco', 'Normal' and 'Sport' modes. The 'Normal' setting restricts you to 109hp and will feel a bit like driving a lower capacity diesel. 'Eco' mode restricts you further to 81.5hp and reduces the power consumption of the air conditioning and other accessories. If you want the full 136hp of the electric motor, selecting 'Sport' mode unlocks it. There's also a gearshift selector 'B' option that ploughs extra regenerated energy back into the battery, offering more resistance while you're slowing down. Top speed is just 84mph. Whatever your powertrain choice, diesel or electric, on the move drivers will appreciate the car-like driving position. And ride quality is a strong point, thanks to load adaptive variable damping shock absorbers, a system which varies the damping with the vehicle's ride height. Top-spec variants get camera-driven kit like speed limit recognition, lane departure warning, Side Blind Spot Alert and Driver Attention Alert systems. There's also a clever 'Intelligent Speed adaptation' system that enables you to maintain a constant speed at a cruise.

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