With these Continental triplets, price is the arbiter, says Andrew Hamilton.
It was cheeky of Fiat to pretend that the diesel engines going into their new Ulysse MPV are their own work, giving them the familiar Fiat JTD designation.
The Ulysse, for instance, doesn't get the indigenous very modern Italian 1.9JTD pushing out 115 bhp, instead relying on the older 2.0 and 2.2HDi units from PSA (Peugeot-Citroën) with 109 and 128 bhp respectively. Also in the Ulysse line-up is a 2.0 litre 136 bhp petrol model: that engine too is PSA derived.
Ulysse is the last of the progeny from the PSA-Fiat joint venture to go on Irish sale. Already here are the Citroën C8 and Peugeot 807. All are mechanically identical and they come with virtually the same furniture, fittings and finish. We understand the Italians were desperate to use their own turbodiesels in the Ulysse, but budgetary constraints in a project that was already running 18 months late, prevented that.
It's probably all a bit academic for the customers whose bottom line is pricing. That's where Fiat has the advantage, being significantly lower than the two French rivals. Their on-the-road pricing starts at €34,995 for the 2.0 litre petrol while the 2.0 and 2.2 turbodiesels are from €36,995 and €41,895.
By contrast the Citroën C8 starting prices are €37,550, €40,640 and €42,970 and they are ex-works, meaning that an additional €500 delivery charge has to be considered. Similarly with Peugeot, ex-works prices run from €36,495 to €43,000 with an additional €545 delivery. Because it's badged Fiat, residual value could be lower on the Ulysse, a bit bizarre really considering that it's so French. Fiat did style the exterior - the nose is visually reminiscent of the Stilo - but PSA took responsibility for the interior design, all the mechanicals and their assembly in PSA's Valenciennes plant in northern France.
As for specification, Fiat seems that bit more expansive, with three levels of Dynamic, Emotion and Admiral, whereas Citroën has SX and VSX and Peugeot plain old SR and ST. All offer seat configurations of six, seven or eight seats, with five that are sliding, foldable and removable.
The good news is that this blessed trinity of Ulysse, C8 and 806 should be as safe as houses. Recently all three were awarded the Euro NCAP five star award for the outstanding protection offered to occupants. It's the best-ever result for a MPV. Safety paraphernalia for all versions and spec levels includes front, side and curtain airbags.
Electric operation of the sliding rear doors is an option with Peugeot and standard on the higher level VSX Citroën and on the Emotion and Admiral versions of the Ulysse. All provide comfort features like air conditioning and an eight-speaker radio/stereo system with steering mounted controls.
Fiat, perhaps because of its lower pricing, seems to have a more ambitious sales target. "We expect to sell up to 150 in a full year," says Fiat Auto Ireland boss Michael Howe. He admits that this segment of bigger-sized MPVs, a notch up from vehicles like the Renault Scenic and Opel Zafira, is both limited and crowded with no fewer than 11 players. Hyundai's Trajet with 400 sales in the first four months of this year is the segment leader. It gets much of its appeal from attractive pricing, starting at €27,500 for the 2.0 litre petrol model.
Other formidable competitors include the Ford Galaxy, from €34,070; the Seat Alhambra, from €33,600 and the Volkswagen Sharan, starting at €38,160, all these prices ex-works and therefore with delivery charges. As with C8, 807 and Ulysse, the Galaxy, Alhambra and Sharan are the result of a single development programme.
Since there is no difference in weight, gearing, aerodynamics and comfort between the two French and one Italian badged vehicles, all performance and consumption claims are the same too. The two-litre turbo-diesel which is likely to have the biggest following, is said to provide a top speed of 108 mph, go from 0 to 62 mph in 13.4 seconds and give 39.2 mpg in the official combined model.
The briefest of drives in the Ulysses last week reminded us of the Peugeot 807 which reminded us of the Citroën C8, basis of a road test in Motors on March 26th last.
In all cases, it was the two-litre turbodiesel that was providing the power. There wasn't an opportunity to sample at length the Ulysse, but the 807 in our fuel consumption test was marginally better than the C8, giving 33.9 mpg instead of 33.1. In both cases, there was a mix of open road and urban driving.
With extra bodies on board which after all is the raison d'être of these wagons, the form would be far from sprinting. In all three, we found that down in the low rev range, below 1,800 rpm, the form was distinctly lethargic. Things brightened up in the mid-range and the urge was more lusty and rewarding.
Load the C8/807/Ulysse with seven passengers and those in the front and middle rows will have plenty of elbow and legroom. But in the rearmost row, even with the middle and rear seats adjusted to liberate maximum space, only children will feel genuinely comfortable.
Picking one of these three, built on the same line and in the same factory, will largely come down to price. That should put Fiat in the pole position. But there could be other factors like the agenda of a particular dealer and what is being offered as a trade-in, a matter really of the same only different.