40
JULY 2016 PRO INSTALLER
PRO MOTORING
www.proinstaller.co.uk
DOBLO OFFERS SOLID
PERFORMANCE
Here is the second in our feature looking
at the pros and cons of various vans on the
market. We’re taking them out for a spin and
reporting back on all the good and bad bits.
This month it’s the Fiat Doblo, already much
favoured by installers. Thanks to Barnsley
Commercial Vehicles who lent us the van.
The van we’re driving is a
2013 Fiat Doblo 16V Mul tijet SWB (1.2 diesel) being
offered at £4,495 plus VAT.
Mileage is 64,961 and the
van has had one owner. The
vehicle is a plylined five
speed manual diesel with
central locking, driver’s
airbag, electric windows, CD
player, and power assisted
steering.
The van is immaculate inside
and although the cabin ambience
is somewhat heavy with all the
hard, dark plastic trim material, it
does look tough and hardwearing.
PROS
• Car-like driving characteristics
• Punchy diesel engine
• Terrific value and fun to drive
• Plenty of usable space
CONS
• Boxy shape will not win beauty
contests
• Road and wind noise at higher
speeds
• Slightly sluggish in lower
gears
The 1.2 diesel engine is fantastic
with fuel economy reckoned to be
around 58 miles per gallon. Like
Peugeot’s Partner and Citroen’s
Berlingo, the Doblo is a small van
which is a shrewd buy for those
seeking practicality over performance.
It is surprisingly good to drive
and at moderate speeds feels
agile and reassuringly rugged.
The engine is refreshingly quiet
on start-up and retains that unless
given some welly on the revs. It
delivers plenty of pull but body
lean is marked at higher speeds
and the boxy shape can kick up
some wind roar on faster roads.
The down to earth Doblo is
unashamedly utility based and
certainly not gadget laden but
it is a comfortable ride. There is
plenty of headroom and elbowroom and a good level of support
in the seats which are raised for
easy access.
The Doblo drives more like a car
than a van and has solid brakes,
weighty, responsive steering and,
in typical van style, generously
sized door mirrors. Everything
feels like it is built to be durable.
That solidity can be a challenge
though if you’re flagging after a
long day – the rear doors do require a sizeable pull to shut.
Overall though, the plentiful
numbers of the Doblo in the
commercial sector are something
of an endorsement in themselves.
A modest vehicle that won’t cost
the earth to run and should hold
a good proportion of its value.
BARNSLEY COMMERCIAL
SALES
The business is at Wakefield
Road, Barnsley, and supplies
everything from a small van to a
double cab tipper. Prices range
from £3,000 to £20,000 but the
company offers finance to suit
most budgets. It deals in many ex
local authority vehicles.
General manager Wayne England, known for his humorous
vehicle adverts, runs the business which has been going for
11 years. It has nine staff and
two branches in Barnsley – one
in town and one in Mapplewell.
There are usually between 80 and
100 vehicles for sale at any given
time and 340 vehicles in stock.
The company prides itself on its
prepping of vehicles – done to the
highest standards.
Most customers are self-employed people and among the
most popular purchases is the
Transit medium wheel base with a
semi high roof.