We say An ugly car but an innately practical one; it seats seven and despite its appearance, it drives quite like a car.Performance Like most Fiat’s, the Doblo’s engine range is impressive and is littered with solid, frugal engines. The petrols sometimes feel underpowered so the best bet is one of the diesel engines in the range. The pick of the bunch is the 1.9-litre MultiJet engine. The 120bhp derivative clears 60mph in 11.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 110mph.Emissions In terms of emissions and fuel economy, the Doblo range shows its age. Emissions are at their lowest on the 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel unit which produces 137g/km and also returns 54mpg on a combined cycle.Driving While the Doblo isn’t fun to drive or particularly exciting it’s not as bad on the road as its looks would suggest. It handles quite well and is more like a car than a van. There is some bodyroll but generally it holds itself well around bends and corners.Feel The Doblo is a comfortable car to ride around in thanks to a soft and refined suspension setup. There is quite a lot of engine noise however.Space In terms of space and practicality, you can’t get much better than the Doblo. There’s plenty of room for seven passengers and access is aided by rear sliding doors. The rear-most seats fold down flat so a boot worth 750-litres increases massively.Equipment There are decent levels of equipment across the entire Doblo range and basic models come with power steering and electric front windows.Price Pricing for the Fiat Doblo kicks off from just under £9,000 which is reasonable given how practical and useful the car is.Quality The buzz word for the Doblo’s interior is basic although it’s solid and reliable too. It’s not a particularly inspiring cabin but it’s one that’s unlikely to cause too many problems.Safety In terms of safety the Fiat Doblo falls behind its major rivals and comes with just a three-star safety rating from Euro NCAP. ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution is fitted as standard to all models.Pros The Fiat Doblo is one of the cheapest and most practical MPVs on the market. It drives more like a car than its van-like looks would suggest.Cons The Doblo looks horrific.Alternatives Citroen Berlingo, Renault Kangoo MPV
