Euro 6 Fiat Ducato announced

While it's not especially remarkable that the Ducato van's diesel engines are now compliant with Euro 6 emissions standards, the way in which Fiat has gone about reducing exhaust pollutants is rather interesting.

In particular, the method for controlling oxides of nitrogen (NOx) levels deserves a mention.

Often, a pure aqueous solution of urea (commonly known as AdBlue in Europe) is injected into the exhaust, where it reacts with the NOx in a process called selective catalytic reduction (SCR). As a result, most of the NOx gets converted into harmless nitrogen and water vapour.

SCR will be used on passenger-carrying Ducato models, but other versions – including vehicles destined to be converted into motorhomes and camper vans – are going to be equipped with something called low pressure exhaust gas recirculation (LPEGR) instead.

LPEGR gets rid of NOx by taking the exhaust gases after they've passed through a particulate filter, then cooling them in a low-pressure recirculation system. Claimed advantages of LPEGR over SCR include less weight and lower cost.

The revised Ducato engine line-up comprises:

• 113 bhp (85 kW / 115 PS) 2.0 litre MultiJet II. This new entry-level option, which replaces the Euro 5 108 bhp (80 kW / 110 PS) 2.3 litre MultiJet unit, can achieve 47.9 mpg (5.9 l/100km) on the combined cycle with CO2 emissions of 157 g/km.
• 128 bhp (95 kW / 130 PS) 2.3 litre MultiJet II.
• 148 bhp (110 kW / 150 PS) 2.3 litre MultiJet II.
• 177 bhp (132 kW / 180 PS) 2.3 litre MultiJet II.

Available to order now, UK prices for the Euro 6 Fiat Ducato start from £21,445 (excluding VAT and on-the-road charges).

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