The Fiat Fiorino – Great for Busy Families

If you and your family enjoy taking road trips or if you just have a larger family you may want to think about investing in a Fiat Fiorino. This car was first introduced as a light commercial vehicle in the 1970’s but the more recent models have less of a commercial feel and instead resemble a recreational vehicle. The current Fiorino seats up to five people comfortably and can hold up to 175kg. According to the UK publication Car Magazine, the Fiorino is great for workers lugging materials or for families that are constantly on the go. Since this a good family vehicle perfect for family holidays and transporting groceries the Pinay Mommy’s readers might be interested in knowing some of the specifics and the history behind this larger sized vehicle. 

The Early Years

The Fiat Fiorino’s original design was a box van style that was first introduced in November 1977. It was modelled after the Series 2 Fiat 127 and was 1.3 metres tall and had the same engines (0.9 8V petrol, 1.05 8V petrol, and 1.3 8V diesel) as the Fiat 127. It was originally made in the Brazilian and Argentinian Fiat plants. There was also a coupe utility version known as the Fiat 147 Pick-up City that was made and soild in Brazil.

There was also a version of the Fiorino made in Spain through a Fiat and SEAT collaboration that was known as the Emelba 127 Poker. It was available in a pick-up and panel van design just like the other Fiorinos. It was later renamed the SEAT Fiorino but it shut down production in 1986 to be replaced by the SEAT Terra. This Fiorino was built in the Barcelona factory.

The second series of the Fiorino rolled out in 1988 with a more modern look that was based on the Brazilian car known as the Fiat Uno. It was available in pick-up and panel van versions as well. This was sold until 2000 with the last year of importation to the UK coming a year later in 2001.

The look didn’t stay the same through all of those years, however. In 1992 the car saw a makeover with a new interior, a more ecological engine, and a reengineered platform. In 1994 and 2004 there were more redesigns to the model while 2009 brought about a simple redesign of the Fiat logo.

Present Day Models

Once the second generation was discontinued in December 2013 the new generation was unveiled. The present model is considered to be more of a leisure vehicle with practical access to all passenger and loading compartments. There are also configurable and removable seats for more space. There is also a parcel rack that can be folded or removed.

The current Fiorino is equipped with two different engines, a 1.3 16V MultiJet 75HP Euro 5 engine that meets a top speed of 97mph and a 1.3 16V MultiJet 95HP Euro 5 that reaches a top speed of 106mph.