Pick me up! Fiat reveals the wild cheap electric ute that will spearhead its reinvention in Australia
Fiat has ignored this week’s Geneva motor show and instead gone it alone revealing five all-new radical concepts including a battery-powered ute that it hopes will forge a new path to success in markets such as Australia.
Fiat hasn’t announced when exactly the production version of the Pick Up ute will touch down but said that it will follow on from the all-new Panda that makes its debut this July.
All five members of its new small car family set to make their debut over the next four years.
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All will be underpinned by the Stellantis group’s ‘Smart Car’ platform that is derived from an updated version of the PSA Group’s old CMA platform.
The platform has already made its debut under the Citroen e-C3 and differs from other Stellantis underpinnings as it is capable of packaging both combustion and hybrid powertrains, as well as EVs.
Whether it’s the Pick Up concept or SUV, all five Fiat EVs are heavily inspired by the styling of the original Panda 4×4 (1983-1992) that was penned by legendary Italian stylist Giorgetto Giugiaro.
There’s also a repetition of an ongoing Oval theme that, on the City Car concept (that also has been dubbed the Mega Panda), is said to mimic the oval shape of Fiat’s old Lingotto roof-top test track.
That explains the rugby ball-shaped displays, steering wheel and roof on the Mega Panda.
Speaking of which, the City Car is set to give us our closest look yet at the incoming Panda, while its larger dimensions suggest Fiat could be planning a super-sized version in a similar vein to the 500e and 600e.
Within all of the new Fiat EVs is an interior made of recycled and sustainable materials, like bamboo, that are all aimed at lowering their collective environment footprint.
Returning to the Pick Up ute, it looks like designers will refuse to play it safe for the successor to the current Strada ute.
From its blocky styling, interesting low waistline and full-width panoramic roof and thin roof rails to its dual-cab and short bed it’s clear that Fiat has lifestyle-buyers in mind, although a single cab long bed version could also be offered.
Said to blend the comfort of an SUV with the functionality of a light commercial vehicle, Fiat said the Pick-Up would put the “fun into functionality”.
Now in its second generation the Strada was Brazil’s best-selling vehicle last year and can carry up to 720kg with the single cab and up to 650kg with the dual cab variation – both figures the new ute will have to match.
The remaining concepts include an unusual Fiat Fastback that looks related to the ute, plus an SUV concept that has been designed to steal sales from compact SUVs like the Dacia Duster in Europe.
Finally, there’s even a Camper that blends an SUV, people-mover and a van into one adventure-loving concept.
Commenting on the five new concepts, Fiat chief executive Olivier Francois said: “Fiat is a global brand with 1.3 million cars sold last year and solid leadership in many parts of the world.
“We are in a global game and our next step will be to transition from local products to a global offer that can benefit all of our customers everywhere in the world.
“We are excited to share this glimpse into our future – a very near future actually, since the first car will be presented in four months during the brand’s 125th anniversary celebration.
“That car will then be followed by one new model every year.”
When the Panda arrives in Europe this July, the entry-level petrol version is expected to be priced at around €17,500 ($29,000) while the EV will kick off priced from €20,000 ($A3,100).
Reports suggest while the most basic Panda EVs will only be able to cover up to 200km on a single charge the more expensive versions with bigger batteries will have a range of more than 320km.
