Fiat Doblò Euro NCAP crash test 2017 (image: Thatcham Research)

Panel vans don’t get Euro NCAP safety ratings, but their people carrier equivalents do. So it was disappointing to see the Fiat Doblò score just three stars out of a possible five in the latest round of Euro NCAP tests.

The version tested was the 2015 facelift version, but this generation of the Doblò van was first introduced in 2010, and it shows. The 2015 update only included minimal safety upgrades and these are not enough to compete with newer models.

Commenting on the results, Matthew Avery, director of research at Thatcham Research, said:

This is another FIAT doing the absolute minimum from a safety perspective, with no AEB fitted. There are family vehicles out there which offer far greater levels of protection.

It’s worth noting that while the Fiat Doblò is outdated, the Vauxhall Combo is even more so. Although the Combo is based on the Doblò, Thatcham Research says that Opel/Vauxhall has not applied the 2015 Doblò updates to the Combo. Thatcham believes the Combo “would be expected to end up with even fewer stars” if tested.

I should stress that these comments and test results apply to the MPV version of the Doblò, not to the panel van model. But I think it’s probably fair to assume that the same test results apply to the van model, as far as pedestrian safety and front passenger safety are concerned.

You can see the full Euro NCAP test results for the Fiat Doblò here: http://www.euroncap.com/en/results/fiat/doblo/26657