Vans might not be the highway haulers one imagines cruising the German Autobahn, but such vehicles are quite comfortable on the famous road. Sections with unrestricted speeds allow these big, useful beasts to fly past slower traffic sitting in the right-hand lane even if a van like the Fiat Ducato 150 Multijet can only pump out a partly 148 horsepower (110 kilowatts).
That’s how much this 2013 Fiat delivers from its 2.3-liter engine. It’s not a lot, but it is enough to get the large cargo van to break triple-digit speeds. The Fiat’s odometer only reads up to 180 kilometers per hour (111 miles per hour), indicating its lack of performance prowess.
However, the Fiat is able to bury the needle well past that marker, but it’s impossible to determine the speed it hit. Something as large and non-aerodynamic as the Ducato still has to overcome physics.
The Ducato has a 2.3-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine that pairs the 148-hp output with 258 pound-feet (350 Newton-meters) of torque. The high speeds don’t seem to upset the Fiat too much, which whizzes past other cars, lorries, and vans.
Fiat’s lineup has thinned in the US since the hopeful days of 2013, but Fiat still has a strong presence overseas. It’s now under the Stellantis umbrella, the pairing of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group. It’s one of more than a dozen brands within the conglomerate, and it has a robust lineup of vans, including electrified offerings. However, we don’t get to experience them in the US nor on the Autobahn.
The Autobahn is a strange road, but one where supercars can reach obscene speeds and mainstream workhorses can stretch their legs, too. It’s not uncommon to see videos of cars hitting like the Honda Civic Type R and BMW 3 Series close to 300 kph (180 mph) on the road. Give any vehicle enough room on the road, and even cars like the low-powered Fiat van can impress with its speed.
