Fiat has revealed a one-off Fiat Ducato 4×4 Expedition Show Camper at the world’s biggest caravan show in Germany, the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon which is running now.
FIAT SAID ITS Fiat Ducato 4×4 Expedition won’t ever make it into production and is just an exercise to show its “know-how in all aspects of recreational vehicle engineering”. And, why not, currently the camper van segment represents 25% of Europe’s recreational vehicle market.
Built on the Fiat Ducato camper base, and powered by a 2.3-litre turbo-diesel Multijet II engine in “long wheelbase configuration with an extended overhang and high roof”, “the Fiat Ducato 4×4 Expedition is designed for adventurous people seeking a vehicle which is eager and agile on the road yet rugged and capable when the going gets tough. It combines this versatility with a large, comfortable living space and more interior height than usual,” the Italian car maker said in a statement.
On the outside, the Show Camper Van features a two-colour paint job in two shades of grey, a raised ride-height, widened track, front skid-plate and LED daytime running lights. It gets a front winch and roof-rack, “which is fully equipped for an adventurous holiday and which also features a handy platform on which people can walk, some two and a half metres above the ground”.
Fiat worked with three different companies to spanner up the Ducato 4×4 Expedition: Tecnoform for the interiors, Olmedo for the exteriors and Dangel for the four-wheel drive system.
The interior design is offers clean lines, “streamlined furniture and use of high-tech materials to create a lounge-like atmosphere, ideally suited to relaxing at the end of an intense day of outdoor activity”. Tecnoform has also created a lighting system integrated in the furniture units and state-of-the-art entertainment system with multiple speakers and two retractable flat-screen TVs.
Four-wheel drive expert Dangel has engineered a permanent all-wheel drive system with viscous coupling for the FIAT Ducato 4×4 Expedition, while also raising the ride height and adding oversized tyres and special wheels to “allow the vehicle to tackle all manner of surfaces safely and confidently.” The rugged, stylish look of exterior was designed by Olmedo, specialists in adapting vehicles for various uses including off-road use and for the mobility impaired.
