There's a rapidly expanding diversity of models offered in the van segment these days. Van buyers are as spoiled for choice as light car or SUV buyers.  The latest van to join the fray is the Fiat Scudo.

Developed by Fiat in conjunction with French conglomerate, PSA Peugeot Citroen, the Scudo is the Italian marque's version of the Citroen Dispatch (more here) and the Peugeot Expert.

Local Fiat distributor, Ateco Automotive, has launched the Scudo in Australia, to provide buyers with the alternative of a smaller commercial to slot in underneath the Ducato. The launch of the Scudo coincides with the launch of the Dispatch and whilst the Dispatch is marketed as a larger alternative to the Berlingo, both the Dispatch and Scudo roughly measure the same external dimensions.

Power (88kW), torque (300Nm), transmission (a six-speed manual), wheelbase (Scudo and long-wheelbase Dispatch), payload (1.2 tonnes) and even the price ($36,990) are shared by the Dispatch and Scudo models.

We'll have to do a little more investigating, but the Scudo appears to be principally placed at an advantage over the Dispatch LWB in offering EBD as well as ABS and electric mirrors on top of the electric windows.

Otherwise, the Scudo is specified largely as for the Dispatch LWB, even down to the self-levelling, kneeling pneumatic rear suspension.

We're curious to see how these two sell. It's not as if badge-engineered vehicles don't go head to head in Australia, it's just that we can't remember the one distributor marketing vehicles that compete so directly at the same time. Usually, one or the other of the badge-engineered siblings doesn't sell as well as the other -- for whatever reason.

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