– Fiat Ducato, already in its sixth model generation, sets standards in terms of comfort, engine range, drive versions and safety.
– Manufactured at the SEVEL plant in Atessa, Italy since 1981. Perfect basis for motorhomes through development in cooperation with body manufacturers.
– Three out of four motorhomes manufactured in Europe are based on the Fiat Ducato, with around 500.000 units sold in the last ten years alone.
– Eleven times voted “Basic Vehicle of the Year” (Promobil 1/2018) by readers of the motorhome magazine Promobil.
– Customer orientation is complemented by the offer of services of the Mopar® brand.
In 1981, the Fiat Ducato revolutionized not only the large-capacity van market, but also the motorhome segment. With innovative technology, powerful engines and high loading capacity, it set in motion a technical development that is now continuing in the sixth generation. To produce the Fiat Ducato, a separate factory was built in Atessa (Val di Sangro, near Pescara), Italy, the Società Europea Veicoli Leggeri (SEVEL), which means something like the European Society for Light Commercial Vehicles. The factory is now one of the largest of its kind in the EMEA economic area. In 2015, the five millionth van rolled off the production line there.
The Fiat Ducato has conquered the position of a bestseller in the most important European markets with an extensive range of body variants, perfectly usable cargo space, different chassis versions and car-like driving characteristics. Fiat Professional, the van division of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), expects a volume of 2018 units for 120.000, an increase of around 10 percent compared to the previous year. This continues the positive trend of the recent past, with the increase in the last four years being around 50 percent.
The Fiat Ducato – production since 1981 in the state-of-the-art factory
The Fiat Ducato has earned its position as number one on the market through innovative technology, customer focus and close cooperation with body manufacturers. The focus, especially with base vehicles for motorhomes, has always been on the strategy of offering body builders even greater flexibility and enabling end customers to travel in a relaxed manner.
The Fiat Ducato has been built at the SEVEL plant in the province of Chieti at the foot of the Abruzzo mountains since 1981. At that time, the factory had just over 600 employees who manufactured 70 vehicles a day. Today, daily production is 1.200 units, and SEVEL is also one of the most complex plants in Europe in terms of specialization in production, quality and work processes. It currently employs around 6.400 people, and around 6.100 more work for suppliers in the area. The average age of the workforce is 45, and more than 21 percent of them are women. SEVEL has been awarded the silver medal in the "World Class Manufacturing" quality assurance process, which more than 160 FCA plants worldwide are subject to.
The SEVEL plant operates its own academy to train its employees. Here, among other things, team leaders are better prepared for their tasks and work processes are simulated and trained. The employees are also trained in the academy in the areas of future technologies, quality management, ergonomics and networking of production processes.
The Fiat Ducato – the perfect base vehicle for motorhomes
The flexibility of production at the SEVEL plant sets standards. Thanks to the wide range of body variants, engines, drive versions and colors, the Fiat Ducato can be presented in a total of more than 13.000 different vehicle configurations. Since 1981, more than three million Fiat Ducatos have left the factory. In 2017, around 55 percent of production was base vehicles for motorhomes, making the Fiat Ducato once again clearly number one in this sector in Europe. Around 500.000 families rely on a motorhome that is a Fiat Ducato when they go on vacation.
The Fiat Ducato defends this leading position with low operating costs, a wide range of variants and high quality. It is no coincidence that readers of the German trade magazine promobil have just voted the Fiat Ducato “Motorhome Base Vehicle of the Year” for the eleventh time (issue 1/2018).
The Fiat Ducato – a successful model for 37 years
37 years ago, the Fiat Ducato started a revolution that is still ongoing. The first generation of models already impressed motorhome manufacturers with its new technical layout. The design with the engine, drive and tank mounted transversely at the front together with the driver's cab in one module and front-wheel drive enabled a much better use of space than previously used concepts.
The current model generation of the Fiat Ducato, for example, offers the highest payload in the segment. The running gear and chassis ensure particularly safe and dynamic driving behavior, especially for motorhomes. In addition, innovative active and passive safety features ensure that passengers can enjoy the journey in a relaxed and comfortable manner.
During development, Fiat Professional worked closely with manufacturers of bodies - especially motorhomes. The technologies introduced over the years include lower and lighter chassis versions, larger track widths, roofless driver's cabs, a strictly square structure for better use of space and generally an advantageous ratio between the space required for the technology and the space for the body. In addition, there are numerous components that make life on board even safer and more comfortable, including the rotating driver's seat (Captain's Chair).
The Fiat Ducato – more freedom, more service, more online
Buyers and users of motorhomes enjoy their lifestyle and the possibilities that their vehicle offers them. They are travellers in the truest sense of the word. At the same time, they are becoming more and more demanding, not only in relation to the motorhome itself, but also in relation to the additional services offered. A trend that Fiat Professional, as the manufacturer of the Fiat Ducato, has repeatedly responded to over the years. Today, buyers of a Fiat Ducato can enjoy a whole range of services that also make life on board and holidays in general even more pleasant. Fiat Professional's promise is: We help our customers with any problems that may arise in connection with their motorhome holiday.
Fiat Professional's service includes, for example, a hotline specializing in motorhomes, which was introduced in 2007. Today, around 00 multilingual brand ambassadors can be reached on this free number (800 3428 1111 20) 51 hours a day, seven days a week, and offer support in a variety of languages. The Fiat Professional customer service center also offers roadside assistance in XNUMX European countries.
Mopar®, the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles brand for services, customer service, original spare parts and accessories, also offers a comprehensive range of services for the Fiat Ducato. As part of the Mopar® service contracts, which are available for different durations and mileages, planned or unplanned workshop visits are always handled throughout Europe by authorized contract partners who have the necessary special tools and only use original spare parts. Owners of a Fiat Ducato-based motorhome can also rely on the expertise of 6.500 Fiat Professional bases and service centers throughout Europe, 1.800 of which also specialize in motorhomes. On the website www.fiatcamper.de, Fiat Professional offers a wide range of information and services for motorhome fans. One example of this is the "chassis check" function, which owners of a Fiat Ducato can use to check whether campaigns are available for the vehicle. Owners of a Fiat Ducato-based motorhome can also register in the "My Ducato" area to benefit from additional services. The exclusive Facebook page FiatDucatoCamper currently has around 56.000 followers.
The Fiat Ducato – the new identity
Two elements dominate Fiat Professional's strategy: constant improvement and specialization. These two factors also influence communication in marketing and advertising, as well as with buyers of recreational vehicles. The marketing strategy in particular has undergone a process of adaptation over the years, moving away from pure product descriptions to a 360-degree offer that also includes services.
Today, Fiat Professional positions itself as a "Leader in Freedom" with products and services that offer customers the greatest possible freedom and flexibility. Fiat Professional takes part in around ten trade fairs throughout Europe every year and advertises in ten European countries. This reflects a clearly defined visual identity and the competence of an all-rounder, which represent the values of Fiat Professional.
A new brand logo highlights Fiat Professional's focus on recreational vehicles even more clearly than before. The public premiere is planned for the trade fairs in August. From this point on, Fiat Professional will also underline its leadership role in the recreational vehicle market sector with targeted communication that will also document the creation of a brand within the brand to the public.
