New Ducato 2021 - base for Motorhomes Presentation
I'm Cristina Bowerman and I'm a professional chef. In my restaurant, Glass Hostaria in Rome, I work with the kitchen brigade of about 10 people. There are all extraordinary cooks, each working with a specific role and purpose. They take care of all the details that make my creations perfect.
I love working with professionals. Now I need a new vehicle for my business: for logistics, catering, grocery shopping, for visiting producers. My mission today is to look for the perfect van.
It must blend and balance all the ingredients I want: space, comfort, performance and user-friendliness and possibly even more. What's the best way to find such a vehicle? Well, first hand experience. I personally scout and pick all the products I use in my kitchen and serve in my restaurant and I'm going to do exactly the same to choose my new van. Well, this is the reason for which I'm asking for real professionals. Hello Cristina! Hello Eric! Welcome to Fiat Professional! How can I help you? Well, I'm here to savor what's best in the market. You're in the right place. Are you ready for a "taste-drive" of the new Ducato?
Well, not only I'm very ready, but I'm very interested. Let me just make a brief presentation, exactly as you would introduce your menu to a Customer in your restaurant. Ducato has been the best selling large van in Europe for seven years in a row. And even in a difficult year like 2020, it managed to increase sales by 8%.
As a result, Fiat Professional, our Brand, keeps growing among pros like you. I seem to remember that this Fiat Professional Brand of yours is part of the new Stellantis Group? It is Cristina. We are fourth in the world now in terms of sales, and, if we consider LCVs only, we rank second with 14% market share, aiming to become absolute LCV leader soon, since we are less than 20,000 units away from the first. That is a very good menu. There's more: Ducato is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2021, and it does so with extraordinary perspective: e-commerce is booming, and our van is the best delivery vehicle on the market; investments in infrastructures are bouncing back rapidly after the Covid crisis, and this is what our chassis cab is made for; safe tourism is set to be the holiday trend of today and tomorrow, and no better solution for that than the Ducato-based recreational vehicle. We are absolute leaders here, anywhere in Europe, if you see a motorhome that has a good chance, it's built on a Ducato chassis.
May I introduce you to the person to discuss the experiential tourism topic with? Please meet Roberto Fumarola Head of our Recreational Vehicles Department. Hello, Cristina. Nice to meet you. We both, Cristina, work in the leisure field. We both try to make people enjoy for free time. So we have a lot of things in common.
I look forward to sharing views with you, but I think the best we can do is to meet after you have tested the Ducato so you will know precisely what we are talking about. I look forward. It will be my pleasure! Just to keep in mind you will see a Van today, but try and imagine what it is like to have Ducato as the base of your travelling home.
Oh my God. Thank you so much. I'll see you later. Thank you to you. So, Cristina, you've arrived at the best possible time since we are launching a new Ducato, with a lot of exclusive features you couldn't dream of until now! And the new Ducato is exactly the vehicle we want you to try. That's what I was waiting for. Will you go with me for a tour? We'll do better.
We'll give you a brand-new Ducato to test. Just get it, and drive it yourself. Go where you want, do what you need, and consider Ducato as if it were the biggest of your kitchen tools.
I'll have Fiat Professional people following you step by step. Feel free to ask them any question: they are the "cooks" who made all the preparation, so they can tell you everything about the ingredients. And the first cook we are about to meet is Nico Schminke, Fiat Professional's Chief Designer. Hello everybody.
The New Ducato is as familiar and reassuring as your granny's cookery, and as good-looking as a "nouvelle cuisine" dish. The Ducato has anticipated design trends for 40 years while remaining honest and authentic. It's designed to be clean, gentle and friendly, and at the same time, it has managed to evolve into a dynamic and elegant vehicle.
Today we see the result of a refreshing mix of new spices: Ducato has been renovated outside and inside while maintaining its overall dimensions and the reference points for superstructure installation totally unchanged. This is something professional users, bodybuilders and Recreational Vehicle producers much appreciate. When you see the front you immediately notice the new iconic Fiat logo placed in the new front-grill, which strongly affirms the Ducato's Brand identity. This grill, together with the new skidplate, gives the vehicle a truly bold appearance. Futhermore, see those new, sleek-looking full-LED headlights: homogeneous LED daytime running lights, LED beam and low beam, and LED swiping direction indicators. LED lights are a distinctive feature normally found on high-end cars only, and they are more than just beautiful: their cool white light is 30% brighter than the halogen equivalent.
If we look around more closely, we also see the freshly designed badges with satin chrome finish which supply the key vehicle information. And the final touch is the brand-new exterior color Lanzarote Grey, which emphasizes the adventurous spirit of the New Ducato, and will be particularly appreciated by the recreational vehicle Customers. The high-end car feel we highlighted in the exterior design is actually even more evident on board. The interior has been completely renewed, and the atmosphere conveys a true sense of quality.
The high-tech dashboard has everything you need, exactly where you expect it to be: from the central infotainment display up to 10-inch sized, to the gear lever and the electric parking brake control, positioned in the fascia to make your life in the cabin much easier. The instrument panel has become fully digital. The top-of-the range 7-inch TFT color cluster is fully reconfigurable, and can even show 3D navigation maps. The new, smaller steering wheel with in-built control buttons perfectly matches the high-tech feel of the entire dashboard. In the new door panels you can accommodate and easily access water bottles, and bulky personal items These new contents come together with more efficient automatic climate control, and clearly improved general comfort.
Well, we made a revolution in the cab, in order to offer a modern, distinctive and user-friendly design, best-in-class connectivity and technological features, and a content-rich working and living environment. Thank you, Cristina, thank you, Eric! Hold on, where's the key? Here in my pocket. The keyless entry and go system allows you to lock and unlock Ducato, and to switch the engine on and off without using the keyfob. It's enough having the key with you near the vehicle... Just think how easier this makes to get into the van when your hands are full, and how faster it makes loading and unloading operations.
Wow. It's up to you. Thank you. Some believe being a chef is a repetitive job. You are supposed to be in front of the stoves all day long.
Forget about it! When you're "the chef", you have a lot of things to do besides cooking. You need to go and fetch the best products for the perfect dish to come out. Do you have any idea of how many farmers I visit to find the right broccoli? Or the right zucchini? Not to say anything about tomatoes... What are the features I look for in a perfect van? Well, it must make a stop-and-go easy, must be rapid to load and download, must carry my precious vegetables safely, and also be pleasurable to drive, since I am the one who is not easily satisfied even when I am at the wheel. Talk about the three-spoked wheel: this is really smart. It has bits and bobs like a microwave oven, and tricks like a cook who recycles leftovers.
And look at the cockpit: very modern-looking fully digital cluster. Never seen anything like this on a van before. And the dashboard display as big as a TV set. It has a smartphone-like interface, it can be managed with the touchscreen controls we are all used to and the Uconnect system also recognizes voice commands in your own language.
"Hey Fiat, get me to my favourite producer". Well, here we are. This is my first stop.
I really hope they have my stuff ready to load up on my Ducato. Luca from Fiat Professional has arranged it all, and I'm just about to meet him. Oh, Christina, how are you? I'm doing great. Thank you. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you, too. I can't wait to hear your first impression.
How is it like driving the New Ducato? Well, first thing I noticed, is a surprising car feel. Excellent comfort, and very good performance, too. Well, the Ducato you are testing is the 180-hp version. This is the top-of-the-range in terms of power and torque output.
But you would have had the same feeling driving any other model. We have completely renewed the engine line up by adopting the new Multijet3 power units based on our exclusive H3 power architecture, where H3 stands for high efficiency, high durability and high comfort. These engines increase fuel efficiency up to a best-in-class 7%, while also reducing weight up to 15 kilos.
This translates into bigger tanks, and more range autonomy with same payload, The Multijet engine line-up that is based on a new-generation industrial-design Euro 6/D final engine diesel unit that offers peak torque and maximum power at low engine speed. From the Customer standpoint, this means improved flexibility, less vibration and lower noise. The new engines are available in both light-duty and heavy-duty version and come coupled either with a new and improved 6-speed manual gearbox, or with our well-proven and much-appreciated 9-speed automatic gearbox. To best adapt to all duties, the New Ducato offers 4 power output from 120 to 180 hp, and torque from 320 to 450 Nm. Once again, we keep our promise to provide Customers with "one engine for each mission", including your mission of hunting for quality food. Well, thank you, Luca, and another thing I noticed is an excellent handling: you drive Ducato as if you were driving a small city car, which is not something I'd say of some other van that I tried.
The New Ducato has replaced the traditional hydraulic steering system with electric steering, capable to automatically adjust the power assistance level. This means it is easy to handle when parking, and extremely precise at high speed. But the driveability of Ducato is rooted in its own architecture, in the all-forward solution we pioneered 40 years ago.
Beside optimizing payload, this has allowed us to achieve unique weight balance, a low center of gravity and best in class turning circle. The all-forward architecture means no bulk under the floor, which made possible for us to develop the first methane-powered LCV 25 years ago and to launch the New eDucato, the only full-electric commercial vehicle offering same line-up, performance and load capacity as a diesel one. As you see, our purpose was from the very beginning to make Ducato "fit for every mission". In the same logic, we have continued to add new functionalities over the years: such as the self-leveling air suspension, that makes the vehicle more stable and passenger more comfortable, and also makes loading and unloading operations easier thanks to the adjustable threshold. Talking about loading and unloading Ducato has a very ample and regular cargo space, from 8 to 17 cubic meters, offering more volume than any other van below 6 meters of lenght, and greater width between wheel arches. Wow. While I was driving your Ducato,
I somehow felt, you know, protected! Because you actually were protected. The new Ducato offers safety features never seen before. New Ducato is the first large van ever with level 2 autonomous driving, which means it provides independent assistance while travelling, and during acceleration in braking. This is thanks to the combination of Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop&Go function, Lane Centering and Traffic Jam Assist, that maintains active 360-degrees of control over the trajectory, also considering what other vehicles to do around you. New Ducato offers an array of other Advancer Driver Assistance Systems, aimed at improving the driving experience and making the Ducato an extremely safe vehicle for work and for leisure: from the ESC system with a Cross-Wind Assist and Trailer Stability Control, to the Active Park Assist, from the Traffic Sign recognition to the Intelligent Speed Assist, from Attention Assist, that wakes you up if the system detects fatigue driving to automatic braking in front of unexpected moving obstacles such as pedestrians or cyclists. New Ducato not only takes care of you, but also of those around you.
Wow, this is a very good concept! Well, I have to get on the move again. You know, more places to visit, and more ingredients to get and discover. But, may I ask you to do me a favor? Tell me. My phone is just about to die. You loan me a charger? No need for this.
Just position your smartphone on the dashboard, on the wireless charging pad and you will get it charged. That is awesome. That's my van! Thank you Luca.
I will see you around. Thank you so much. It was a pleasure. Bye. Bye bye.
New Ducato keeps surprising me. This charging slot is fantastic! A dedicated compartment with no cables, which means no distraction and less clutter in the cabin. All this while I keep using the phone, courtesy of the built-in wireless Apple CarPlay / Android Auto system. Look, also the mirror has gone digital. It can be used as the traditional one, or digitally improve and at the same time show the rear view. That's really cool.
Next stop, a farmhouse, a friendly place immersed in the greenery, one of many you can find in Italy. Here, horses and motorhomes happily live beside each other as two different ways of enjoying holidays and freedom. Recreational vehicles are one of the best ways to travel immersed in nature, but also in a zone where all kind of comfort is a reach, including the possibility of dining out in the best restaurants.
Hello, Roberto. Hello, Cristina. Did you enjoy driving our vehicle? Do you think that Ducato is a suitable choice for your activity and also for travel and tourism? Roberto, I think it is the perfect choice for my profession.
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to drive it. The automatic version you are testing is actually very relaxing to drive in all situation, including urban traffic. It smoothly delivers power, but it also offers high torque and good progression at all ranges. This is why the Nine Speed Automatic is requested by nearly half of our RV customers. I am very impressed by its friendly attitude, if you like Ducato is taking care of you at any moment. Which is exactly the feeling we want to convey.
Today there is a new generation of freedom seekers that are attracted by the travelling tourism concept, and the new Ducato has been developed to answer their needs and fulfill their expectations. This is why the cab is so modern and technological? Wow, I'm glad you appreciate that. The cab of Ducato, the new cab of Ducato, as a matter of fact, the New Ducato brings to the market a completely change a new generation interior design.
It is a step forward comparable to the new exterior styling launched in 2006. I also see that you are as customer focused as ourselves. So I'm sure, totally sure you noticed all the advantages that Ducato can offer to travelling tourism fans.
OK, are you picking on me to see whether unconcentrated when I drive? You know, you should know a chef always concentrated. It is part of our job. Would you trust a cook who gets distracted and oveboils your pasta? So I'll tell you what I noticed. First of all, Ducato is manoeuvrable and very easy to drive so that even the less experienced drivers in the family can take the wheel. Second, Ducato has surprisingly good performance, which means you don't have to be worried when you face a steep climb or overtake another vehicle.
Third, Ducato is fully equipped. You really feel at home in there. Moreover, comfort, quietness and low vibration make travelling a real pleasure. You can focus on the scenary and enjoy every second of your trip. Very good, Cristina. Straight to the point.
These are the reason why Ducato has been named "Best Camper Base of the Year" by the readers of an important, European RV magazine for the last 13 years running. Let me add to that Ducato or is also very safe, and that with the model we are introducing an impressive number of new ADAS will also be made available, taking Ducato to reach Level 2 in the scale of Autonomous Driving. You know, what you're telling me is really fascinating and interesting. I'm a traveller myself. When I began my cooking experience, I spent over a decade moving across the States to learn and practice. Travelling means being curious, looking at other cultures, meeting people and tasting their food.
I'm personally a strong fan of experiential tourism, not pre-organized tours, but continuous discovery like "The Walks in the Villages", "Passeggiata nei Borghi" enogastronomic initiatives I really support and love to pieces. Cristina, I seem to understand that you don't consider Recreational Vehicles in competition with the restaurant like yours. Of course not, because they are not. In the end, we are more similar than we realize. Adventure seekers also love food experiences and they can take them two ways. They can either buy local products and eat them in their motorhome or pick the best restaurants in the area that they are visiting.
In my experience, are we travelers do both. As long as they are provided with the necessary information, we can get you that information too. We take care all around our customers when they are on holiday. And to do so, we have created a set of unique, dedicated services by calling our "free-toll" assistance number, operational in 51 countries. Fifty one.
You get in touch with an RV exclusive customer center answering in 15 languages, native speakers of different nationalities will be happy to answer all your needs and questions, from customer care and roadside support to tourist advice and this is also includes recommending a Michelin starred restaurant nearby. Our services can also be accessed through our website, because we have a website. Some services are for Ducato RV owners only, many others are available to all registered followers. We feel part of the open air tourism community and we want to talk to all every fans but no one. This is why we have also created Facebook and Instagram pages where motorhome users can share their experiences, images and travelling tips.
But the new Ducato has made a technological step ahead, and we can now offer a new range of solutions that allow customers to always stay connected when driving and even off-board, courtesy of the Fiat mobile app. Actually, I can't imagine a family with teenage children giving up connectivity and their social life on the web. That's true. Uconnect services, offer "always on" Wi-Fi connection, smart navigation experience, safety and security through continuous monitoring and the remote control of the vehicle and even Amazon Alexa with voice commands, that adds endless new opportunity to your trip, including the possibility to activate remotely the connected appliance you have at home or in your office. And today we announce breaking news.
It's online and I'm very satisfied, I repeat, it's on-line, starting now our 3-D virtual showroom dedicated to both final customer and RV builders. By navigating our virtual showroom, you can explore all Ducato news, learn everything about these features, and immerse yourself in the world of our brand. Fiat Professional for Recreational Vehicles.
Roberto, you're giving me a very good idea for my next food experience in holidays. If you think Cristina of buying a Ducato-based motorhome just remember you are joining the biggest open air community in Europe. Five hundred thousand Ducato RV's on the Road, and counting... That's a very impressive number. Thank you so much, Roberto. Cristina, thanks to you and It has been a very pleasure for me.
This New Ducato is so terrific, I think it's gonna to be a blockbuster. And these Fiat Professionals are so competent and nice. I think I will have to thank them with a special gift. Hey, Eric! Cristina! So, Cristina, did you find the perfect recipe for a professional vehicle? What you have made, is a delicious dish: I got to say that! Crispy and elegant, zesty and hearty, rich and full bodied. Awesome.
Listen, Eric, I heard there's something to celebrate. An anniversary! So, now, I got a surprise for you: but camera off now! Ok Eric, this is my surprise! Oh, thank you, Cristina. You're very welcome, Eric, and happy Birthday! And this is the other surprise! Happy birthday!
2021-07-01 02:28
