France-built duo will offer same array of electric and combustion engines as Stellantis siblings.
Fiat has revealed a new van and MPV which revive nameplates from the Italian brand’s not-too-distant past.
The Ulysse MPV, sharing a name with the popular people carrier that was built in the same factory in Hordain, France from 1994 to 2002, will offer various combinations of seating to accommodate six, seven or nine passengers.
The commercial version, called the Scudo in reference to another former Hordain-built Fiat – replaces the Talento, and will be available in single- and crew-cab guises with the option of a flat rear load bed.
Both vans will be built on parent company Stellantis’s EV-capable EMP2 platform, which is already used by the closely related Peugeot Expert and Traveller, Citroën Dispatch and SpaceTourer, and Vauxhall Vivaro.
Fiat has yet to confirm powertrain details, but the equivalent EV models from Fiat’s sister brands use a single front-mounted motor producing 100kW and 260Nm, which gets them from 0-100km/h in around 13.1secs and to a top speed of 130km/h. Power is supplied by a 50kWh battery offering 230km of range and capable of 100kW fast charging.
Like those models, the Fiat will also be offered with a choice of conventional combustion engines, and will no doubt eventually be the recipient of a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain option offering a claimed 400km range.
These zero-emission options are part of the Stellantis group’s ongoing electrification strategy, with the group expecting 70 per cent of its sales in Europe and 40 per cent in America to be low-emission vehicles by 2030. They also plan to invest over €30 billion (AUD$46.3bn) in electrification and software development by 2025.
Jack Harrison