The Fiat Professional Fullback is unstoppable. Yes, because while the well cared interiors and exteriors can betray ambitions of a comfortable SUV, the soul of this “giant” is to carry large quantities in places that are hard to reach.
But what is the recipe for building such an extreme but at the same time elegant and comfortable car? Let’s start from the second. Fiat Fullback, in the version we have for this review, is offered with leather interior, heated seats, dual zone climate control, sat nav, rear view camera and many other accessories that you would not expect from a PickUp born for workers. And if inside this car can be comfortable for 5 passengers (in this double cabin version) even the exteriors want to be at the same good looking level.
Thanks to chrome plating and an elegant design this PickUp stands out among the other cars and you will have fun seeing the people remain surprised to read the Fiat Professional brand on a really high-end vehicle.
Moving to the true nature of PickUp of this Fiat Fullback, we immediately notices his Mistubishi derivation. Born in collaboration with the Japanese company, Fiat Professional Fullback shares with the L200 a versatile platform and a longitudinal crossbars frame as well as a 2.4L turbo diesel engine with 180CV and 430Nm.
In terms of suspensions we have double arms with a stabilizing bar for the front and a rigid axle with multilayer crossbars at the rear. This type of chassis and trim result in a load capacity of one tonne and, thanks to the generous engine, a triple traction capability! With all this load capacity, however, it was obvious to expect a great off-road attitude.
In this Fiat Professional Fullback is a confirmation. The driving modes, selectable in the central tunnel, are multiple. In standard configuration Fullback, in the version we are testing, remains with the only rear traction in order to increase mechanical performance and to reduce fuel consumption. If the game is tough, however, you can opt for an all-wheel drive (available up to 100 km/h), an all-wheel drive with the central differential locked and 50/50 torque distribution, and a last one where you can add low range gears to ensure an optimal traction.
To see if all these promises are kept in reality, I decided to go to the Casentino’s mountains (near Arezzo) imagining me for one day the ideal Fiat Fullback customer.
On the rear space you can load virtually everything, the Mopar coating will not cause damage to the bodywork, and even the loading/unloading phase is not too difficult.
On the road you will feel the height, the bulk and the weight. Body roll is present while driving, but the dynamic behaviour also ensures high-speed motorways travels in a safe way, accompanied by driving aids such as cruise control and line departure warning. In car parks and manoeuvring, the rear camera will be indispensable to help you understand the distances even without the parking sensors that the car is not equipped with.
By approaching the off-road, rotating the knob to fit the all wheel drive, the Fiat Fullback looks perfectly comfortable with a special acclaim to the crossbows that perfectly dampen each hole avoiding annoying shots. In the paths where mud is present, you can lock the central differential to ensure the necessary grip and, in the event of steep climbs, the low range gears do their job perfectly. It’s really hard to put Fiat Professional Fullback into trouble!
In conclusion, we are talking about a really interesting car. You can also customize Fiat Fullback with Mopar’s aftermarket accessories, including an hard top to cover the hull, but also a lot more. Cons? Really a few, to say the truth, probably such a rich equipment deserved the presence of XENO headlamps as the halogen present has poor performances.
The infotainment sometimes seemed less intuitive and I had some difficulty in pairing with my iPhone with bluetooth. In the end Fiat Professional Fullback enters in the PickUp market with a great business card. Great cargo and towing capabilities and excellent off-road skills make it a great choice for those who need to work in complex terrains transporting large amounts of material.
Testo: Edoardo Mascalchi
Foto: Edoardo Mascalchi
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