Fiat also getting Mitsubishi-based pickup – report

Mitsubishi_Triton_VGT GS_1

The recently-teased Nissan Navara replacement may not be the only pickup truck to be based on a Mitsubishi Triton/L200, as Automotive News has been told by sources that Fiat could join the party.

However, while the Nissan will take the next-gen Triton as its base, it is not known at this juncture if the Italian carmaker’s first ladder-frame pickup will be based on that, or the current Triton, which first surfaced in 2005 (2014 facelift model pictured). The vehicle could be sold in Latin America and Europe by the Fiat Professional commercial vehicle arm from 2016.

According to the report, a large Fiat pickup has been “long-promised” by now-Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne. It was first due to arrive in 2008, based on the underpinnings of the Tata Xenon. Then it was re-announced in 2010, supposedly to be based on the Dodge Dakota. Neither came to fruition.

Fiat already sells a pickup in Latin America and Europe, but it’s car-based and rather small. Built in Brazil since 1996, the Fiat Strada (below), based on the Palio supermini, found more than 130,000 homes last year, making it Fiat Professional’s top seller.

fiat-strada

Expanding the Fiat Professional line-up is one of the major things Marchionne wants to do to improve the carmaker’s business on the Continent. Fiat has lost 2.15 billion euro in Europe in the past three years, but aims to end losses by 2016, AN reports.

Fiat Professional is seen by financial analysts as a bright spot in Europe – the commercial vehicle arm has returned 200-300 million euro in annual operational profits for the last 10 years.

Perhaps the introduction of the bigger, Mitsubishi-based truck there could change things – the report says Marchionne is counting on it to increase Fiat’s global sales to 600,000 by 2018.

Fiat sold 431,000 vehicles last year – 179,000 in Latin America, 2,000 in Asia Pacific and the remaining quarter of a million in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Russia, AN reports. Learn more about the Mitsubishi-Nissan collaboration that will give birth to the Triton’s and Navara’s replacements this year.

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Jonathan James Tan

While most dream of the future, Jonathan Tan dreams of the past, although he's never been there. Fantasises much too often about cruising down Treacher Road (Jalan Sultan Ismail) in a Triumph Stag that actually works, and hopes this stint here will snap him back to present reality.

 

Comments

  • kcng (Member) on Jun 05, 2014 at 5:38 pm

    Fiat doing rebadging business, why can’t Proton?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 15 Thumb down 6
  • Jaguh Kangkong on Jun 05, 2014 at 5:50 pm

    Bye bye Proton Arena….another lost chance to rebadge Triton pickup truck…Huhuhuhu

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 9
  • Vulgar Malaysians call “TIRU”

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • Perodua lagi copycat/rebadge lah, don’t have own model, all model is rebadge/copycate 99.9% from Daihatsu Kembara and Nautika is 99.9% copy only change the logo only and selling expensive. Be fair don’t only shame on Proton you should shame on both national car maker especially Perodua at least Proton have own develop model(Saga, Satria, Exora,Preve, Gen2, Persona, Suprima S), please name me one of the Perodua own develop model thanks

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 0
  • 2 cents on Jun 06, 2014 at 10:49 am

    Open the competition. Revoke all the import taxes. Don’t protect proton anymore. And stop using tax payers money on Proton.

    And then we’ll talk. Rebadge all you want proton. No one cares. Not now where everyone is subtlely “forced” to buy a national car, oh a rebadged national car.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 2
 

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