Piaggio Porter: Which Version to Buy and Why
The Piaggio Porter choice comes down to intended use. The first-generation Microvan, produced from 1992 through 2020, offers electric, Gasoline, and Diesel versions with RWD or AWD. The second-generation Pickup single-cab, available from 2021, has one substantially more powerful LPG version. Buyers prioritizing outright output should consider the second-generation 1.5 i MT with 106 hp and 136 Nm.
The Piaggio Porter choice comes down to intended use. The first-generation Microvan, produced from 1992 through 2020, offers electric, Gasoline, and Diesel versions with RWD or AWD. The second-generation Pickup single-cab, available from 2021, has one substantially more powerful LPG version. Buyers prioritizing outright output should consider the second-generation 1.5 i MT with 106 hp and 136 Nm. For first-generation AWD, the choice is between the 65 hp 1.3 MT Gasoline version and the 64 hp 1.2 MT Diesel version. For recorded fuel economy, only the 38 hp 1.4 MT provides figures: 6.8 in the city, 5.6 on the highway, and 6 combined.
Piaggio Porter generations: what changed?
The first generation ran from 1992 to 2020 as a Microvan and contains eight database entries. Its range spans an electric AT, several Gasoline and Diesel manual versions, and both RWD and AWD configurations. Every listed first-generation version has 185 mm of ground clearance. Recorded gross weight is 1,500 kg for most combustion-engine entries, while the electric AT is rated at 1,850 kg; gross weight for one 1.3 MT entry is not measured.
The second generation began in 2021 and changes the body designation to Pickup single-cab. It has one version, the 1.5 i MT, with LPG, Turbo, Direct injection (direct), a 5-speed Manual gearbox, and RWD. Compared with the most powerful first-generation version, it adds 41 hp and 31 Nm. Its ground clearance and gross weight are not measured, so a direct load or clearance comparison with the first generation cannot be made from the available figures.
Piaggio Porter engine and specs comparison
Duplicate names are separated below by power, drive, and displacement so that every database version remains identifiable.
| Generation and exact version | Power | Torque | Displacement | Fuel/type | Cylinders and layout | Boost | Gearbox | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First generation AT | 14 hp / 11 kW at 1,800 rpm | not measured | not measured | Electro | not measured | not measured | Automatic; gears not measured | RWD |
| First generation 1.0 MT | 45 hp / 33 kW; rpm not measured | not measured | 1,000 cc | Gasoline | 3, Inline | No | 4-speed Manual | RWD |
| First generation 1.3 MT, 65 hp, AWD | 65 hp / 48 kW at 5,300 rpm | 105 Nm at 4,300 rpm | 1,308 cc | Gasoline | 4, Inline | No | 4-speed Manual | AWD |
| First generation 1.2 MT, 64 hp, AWD | 64 hp / 47 kW; rpm not measured | not measured | 1,200 cc | Diesel | 2, Inline | No | 4-speed Manual | AWD |
| First generation 1.4 MT | 38 hp / 28 kW at 4,300 rpm | 76 Nm at 2,600 rpm | 1,371 cc | Diesel | 4, Inline | No | 5-speed Manual | RWD |
| First generation 1.3 MT, 65 hp, RWD, 1,308 cc | 65 hp / 48 kW at 5,300 rpm | 105 Nm at 4,300 rpm | 1,308 cc | Gasoline | 4, Inline | No | 4-speed Manual | RWD |
| First generation 1.2 MT, 64 hp, RWD | 64 hp / 47 kW; rpm not measured | not measured | 1,200 cc | Diesel | 2, Inline | No | 4-speed Manual | RWD |
| First generation 1.3 MT, 65 hp, RWD, 1,296 cc | 65 hp / 48 kW at 5,300 rpm | 105 Nm at 4,300 rpm | 1,296 cc | Gasoline | 4, Inline | No | 4-speed Manual | RWD |
| Second generation 1.5 i MT | 106 hp / 77 kW at 6,000 rpm | 136 Nm at 4,500 rpm | 1,498 cc | LPG; fuel 95 | 4, Inline | Turbo | 5-speed Manual | RWD |
On calculated specific output, the second-generation 1.5 i MT produces about 70.8 hp per litre. The first-generation 1.3 MT versions produce about 49.7 hp per litre with the 1,308 cc engine and about 50.2 hp per litre with the 1,296 cc engine. The 1.2 MT reaches about 53.3 hp per litre, the 1.0 MT produces 45 hp per litre, and the 1.4 MT produces about 27.7 hp per litre. Specific output for the electric AT cannot be calculated because displacement is not measured.
These calculations make the generational change clear: the 1.5 i MT has both the greatest total output and the greatest calculable output per litre. However, its Pickup single-cab body and RWD configuration make it a different proposition from the first-generation Microvan AWD choices.
Piaggio Porter performance and mpg
Acceleration from 0–100 is not measured for any version. Top speed is also not measured for the second-generation 1.5 i MT.
Among versions with a measured top speed, both first-generation 1.2 MT entries are fastest at 140. The first-generation 1.0 MT and all three 1.3 MT entries reach 130. The 1.4 MT reaches 110, while the electric AT reaches 55. The 1.2 MT therefore has a measured top-speed advantage of 10 over the 1.0 MT and 1.3 MT versions, 30 over the 1.4 MT, and 85 over the AT.
Fuel consumption is measured only for the first-generation 1.4 MT: 6.8 city, 5.6 highway, and 6 combined. Fuel consumption is not measured for the AT, 1.0 MT, any 1.3 MT, either 1.2 MT, or the second-generation 1.5 i MT. Consequently, no data-backed mpg ranking can be made between those versions.
Piaggio Porter dimensions, weight, and clearance
Exterior dimensions and interior dimensions are not measured for any version. Kerb weight, tank capacity, and wheel sizes are also not measured throughout the range.
The first-generation AT has a gross weight of 1,850 kg. The 1.0 MT, the 1,308 cc 1.3 MT entries, both 1.2 MT entries, and the 1.4 MT each have a gross weight of 1,500 kg. Gross weight is not measured for the 1,296 cc 1.3 MT or the second-generation 1.5 i MT.
Using gross weight rather than the unavailable kerb weight, the 1,500 kg 65 hp 1.3 MT versions have about 23.1 kg per hp. The 1,500 kg 64 hp 1.2 MT versions have about 23.4 kg per hp, the 1,500 kg 45 hp 1.0 MT has about 33.3 kg per hp, and the 1,500 kg 38 hp 1.4 MT has about 39.5 kg per hp. The electric AT combines 1,850 kg gross weight with 14 hp, equivalent to about 132.1 kg per hp. These are gross-weight-to-power comparisons, not kerb-weight-to-power figures.
Ground clearance is 185 mm for every first-generation version. Ground clearance is not measured for the second-generation 1.5 i MT. This means the available data cannot establish whether the newer Pickup single-cab offers more or less clearance than the earlier Microvan.
Which Piaggio Porter version should you buy?
Choose the second-generation 1.5 i MT when power is the main criterion. Its 106 hp exceeds the 65 hp first-generation maximum by 41 hp, while its 136 Nm exceeds the measured 105 Nm of the 1.3 MT versions by 31 Nm. It also combines Turbo, Direct injection (direct), and a 5-speed Manual gearbox. The trade-offs are RWD only in the listed specification and missing measurements for top speed, consumption, gross weight, clearance, tank size, and wheels.
Choose the first-generation 1.3 MT with 65 hp and AWD when AWD matters but you still want the strongest measured-output first-generation engine. It provides 105 Nm and is 1 hp more powerful than the AWD 1.2 MT. Its gross weight is 1,500 kg and clearance is 185 mm. The equivalent 65 hp, 1,308 cc RWD 1.3 MT is the logical alternative when AWD is unnecessary; the available power, torque, gross weight, clearance, gearbox, and top-speed figures are otherwise the same.
Choose the first-generation 1.2 MT with 64 hp and AWD if the required combination is Diesel and AWD. The RWD 1.2 MT offers the same 64 hp, 1,200 cc displacement, 4-speed Manual gearbox, 1,500 kg gross weight, 185 mm clearance, and measured top speed of 140 without AWD. Torque and fuel consumption are not measured for either version, so they cannot be ranked against the 1.3 MT on those criteria.
Choose the first-generation 1.4 MT when published consumption figures are essential. It is the only version with measured economy data, and it also supplies 76 Nm at 2,600 rpm and a 5-speed Manual gearbox. Its 38 hp is 27 hp below the 65 hp 1.3 MT, and its measured top speed of 110 is 20 below the 1.3 MT.
The first-generation 1.0 MT is the middle RWD Gasoline option by output: 45 hp from 1,000 cc, with a 4-speed Manual gearbox and a measured top speed of 130. It has 7 hp more than the 1.4 MT but 20 hp less than the 1.3 MT. Torque and consumption are not measured, preventing a fuller running-performance comparison.
Choose the electric AT only when the Electro powertrain and Automatic gearbox are the decisive requirements. It has 14 hp, a measured top speed of 55, RWD, a gross weight of 1,850 kg, and 185 mm of clearance. Range, charging figures, battery capacity, and energy consumption are not measured.
For the two RWD 1.3 MT entries with 65 hp but different displacements, the 1,296 cc version has a calculated specific output advantage of roughly 0.5 hp per litre over the 1,308 cc version. Both list 105 Nm, a 4-speed Manual gearbox, RWD, and a measured top speed of 130. Gross weight is 1,500 kg for the 1,308 cc entry but not measured for the 1,296 cc entry, so the smaller-displacement version cannot be shown to have a better weight-to-power ratio.
Price, availability, reliability, engine-swap compatibility, oil capacity, and vehicles for sale are not measured in the supplied data. They therefore cannot support a version recommendation here. On the recorded figures alone, the 1.5 i MT is the power choice, the 65 hp AWD 1.3 MT is the strongest first-generation AWD choice, the AWD 1.2 MT is the Diesel-and-AWD choice, and the 1.4 MT is the only choice with measured fuel-consumption figures.