WHAT'S NEW? Well, that should be new to me, actually. This was my first voyage of discovery in the Doblo, the Italian company's offering in the budget-priced, van-based, people-carrying corner of the market.
WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS? There are three levels of trim - Active, Family and Dynamic - and a variety of engines, including the surprisingly energetic 1.3-litre MultiJet motor driven here. The van/car I drove had five seats but the Doblo is available with seven.
WHAT'S IT FOR? Carrying stuff and people. It also has an uncanny ability to make other people smile at your expense. They might be driving a Skoda Roomster, but they still laugh when the Doblo parks alongside. That's a fact - it happened to me.
WHAT'S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? To say it's like driving a well-appointed van is to do Fiat's Doblo a disservice. It's better than that, but only just. I found it easy enough to manoeuvre and sure-footed on both motorways and more minor roads. It had one of the most comfortable driving positions I have ever encountered. But those G-I-G-A-N-T-I-C wing mirrors are always there to remind you that you're in a van which thinks it's a car.
WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW? That if aesthetics were irrelevant in the art of parting punters from pound notes, all cars would look, behave and lug something like the Fiat Doblo. I particularly loved the rear load space and the side sliding doors which made extracting youngsters from the Doblo's rear really easy. It might have all the visual charm of a guppy, but really is the perfect means of family transportation. And at between £9,595 and £11,995 on the road, it really is a steal. You might also want to check out the slightly smaller opposition, Citroen's Berlingo Multispace, Renault's Kangoo and the Peugeot Partner Combi.
WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU BUY ONE? Being of the persuasion where logic and utilitarian values always triumph.
MARKS OUT OF 10: 10 out of 10 for practicality, two out of 10 for panache.
© Copyright 2008 Manchester Evening News. If you wish to use this article for commercial purposes please contact our syndication department.
