Prototypes of the Fiat Mobi Pickup were spotted for
the first time in January undergoing cold weather testing in Scandinavia near
the Arctic Circle. Now
we can show you how Fiat’s rival for the Ford Fiesta-based Courier pickup looks
in the daylight.
Well, actually we can’s, since that weird cladding
makes it look like a black box on wheels and nixes any chance of catching a
glimpse of what lies beneath. The name, suggests the pickup is based
on the Fiat Mobi, a five-door A-segment hatchback available in South American
markets.
However, that’s a city car with a wheelbase of only
2,305 mm, whereas the Mobi Pickup is clearly a bigger car with a
significantly longer wheelbase. Chances are the pickup will be styled to
resemble the Mobi but will use an updated version of the platform that
currently underpins the Fiorino van sold in Brazil — which is a distinct model
from the one available in Europe.
As a result, the Mobi Pickup should pack the same
1.4-liter Fire Evo Flex four-cylinder gasoline engine that produces 88 PS when running on ethanol and 85 PS when using gasoline. Rumor has it
a 1.3-liter three-cylinder with 109 PS is also in the cards, but we
couldn’t confirm that.
The Mobi Pickup will only be
available in South America. The compact pickup will be built in Brazil and is
expected to launch in early 2020 as a more affordable alternative to the larger
Fiat Toro.
