The prestigious Van of the Year trophy was presented to Lorenzo Sistino, President of the Fiat Light Commercial Vehicles Brand, by chairman of the jury, Pieter Wieman, at the opening of the 2005 European Road Transport Show in Amsterdam.

This important award is in recognition of the latest Doblo Cargo's many new features: from the new styling to the increased payload and load volume, new Maxi versions incorporating a longer wheelbase, and powerful yet economical MultiJet engines, as well as the special Natural Power version which makes little or no environmental impact.

The two Euro 4 emissions-compliant turbodiesel engine options made a particularly strong impression with the jury: the powerful 105 bhp 1.9 MultiJet and 75 bhp 1.3 16v MultiJet. The latter unit impressed the jury with its extraordinary performance in spite of its small size. Further developments are in the pipeline for the coming year, such as the introduction of two new MultiJet engines with variable geometry turbochargers (they will be the first to equip a light commercial vehicle).

Some 310,000 Fiat Doblo Cargo LCVs have been built to date. The vehicle leads its class for access to the loading bay, productivity and payload, as well as for high levels of safety, comfort and ergonomics, and low consumption and operating costs, at a price that is extremely competitive throughout the world. The jury also took into account the professional expertise of Fiat's LCV sales and service network, which is considered one of the best in Europe.

In the UK, Fiat Auto's CV market share is continuing to grow for the fourth consecutive year, rising steadily from 3.3% in 2002, to 3.6% in 2003, 3.8% in 2004 and 3.95% in 2005 (YTD).

The new Doblo Cargo is expected to go on sale here in the UK during November.