Fiat’s first-ever body-on-frame pickup truck will be offered in several body configurations including a single cab with a long bed and a double cab with a short bed. The yet-unnamed model will wear a brand-specific front fascia but the bulk of its body panels will be sourced straight from the Mitsubishi parts bin.
In Europe, power will likely come from a 2.5-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel engine rated at 134 horsepower and 231 lb-ft. of torque. Linked to a five-speed manual transmission that spins all four wheels, the oil-burner will send the truck to a top speed of 103 mph while enabling it to tow up to 6,000 pounds.
Whether Fiat’s upcoming truck will be built alongside the L200 in Thailand is not known. It will be sold across Europe and in a host of global markets such as Russia, Africa and the Middle East but Fiat is not planning on adding the pickup to its lineup in the United States.
Fiat Professional currently sells a small unibody truck dubbed Strada, and company CEO Sergio Marchionne hopes the addition of a more rugged pickup will help the division sell 600,000 cars a year by 2018, up from 431,000 last year.
Official details about Fiat’s pickup will emerge next year. The truck is scheduled to greet the public for the first time in 2016 and go on sale shortly after.
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