Fiat’s Adorable Pickup Expands Its Tiny Model Range Before It Focuses On Bigger Models

Much of Stellantis feels like it’s in some level of disarray. Jeep’s and Dodge’s electric Wagoneer S and Charger are struggling, and the cheaper combustion options are either aging or also struggling. Alfa Romeo seems to be between models, and Fiat in the US is trying to make do with solely the electric 500. But Fiat seems to have some interesting ideas for how to sustain its European business, as well as expand into emerging markets. In the case of one, it’s looking at going bigger, and for the other, it’s going smaller.

Tackling Africa With A Tiny Truck

Going in the small direction is the irresistibly cute Fiat TRIS. It’s apparently Fiat’s first three-wheeled vehicle, and it’s obviously designed as a utility vehicle for businesses. In fact, it’s basically the work-oriented version of the Fiat Topolino and Citroen Ami. It uses a lithium-ion battery of similar design, and a similarly low-powered electric motor, though each is just a bit more potent than those in the little passenger vehicles. It has a battery capacity of 6.9-kWh and a claimed range of 90 km. The motor is rated at 12 horsepower and 33 pound-feet of torque, and it will get the TRIS to a top speed of 28 mph. Naturally, the idea here is to offer something simple and low cost for businesses to transport goods in tight areas, and outright speed and enormous range aren’t high priorities.

Related to practicality and affordability are the vehicle’s charging system and cargo configurations. Like the Topolino and Ami, the entire charging system is built into the TRIS with a household 220-volt plug on one end. This means no additional charger or building wiring is necessary to invest in. It will charge to 80% in 3 hours and 30 minutes, and to 100% in 4 hours and 40 minutes. Fiat will sell the TRIS in three configurations: one with a pickup bed, one with a flat bed, and one as a chassis cab, with the latter two designed to be customized and up-fitted with special equipment. Despite its small size, the TRIS can carry up to 1,190 pounds, and the bed sizes are designed to carry standard European pallets. Fiat also notes that being electric, it’s easy to jump in and drive, with no need to know how to use a manual transmission. Maintenance should be minimal, too.

Fiat will be offering the TRIS in African and Middle Eastern markets, and the trucks will be built in Morocco. Truthfully, we’re surprised that Fiat hasn’t announced plans to offer these trucks in Europe. There’s already a market for little runabouts like the Ami and Topolino, but also very small trucks. Piaggio, the parent company of two-wheeled vehicle manufacturers such as Vespa, is known in part for its four- and three-wheeled commercial trucks. Its three-wheeler was called the Ape, and you’ll still see them all around Italy. The TRIS looks very similar, and being electric, would probably be far more pleasant to use for urban European delivery duties. Fiat has even homologated the lighting and seatbelts in the TRIS for Europe. Maybe if there’s enough demand, they’ll consider offering it there. The US seems unlikely, but being a three-wheeler, and rather slow, Fiat could potentially offer it under the same sort of rules as either other three-wheelers like the Polaris Slingshot, or maybe those for low-speed neighborhood vehicles. New York City would seem like a great fit for the TRIS.

Going Bigger Back Home

Meanwhile, Fiat has plans to offer larger vehicles in Europe as well as some other markets such as South America. Auto Express spoke with Fiat’s European head, Gaetano Thorel, who confirmed that two new models, known simply as GigaPanda and Fastback for now, are on the way. The cars were previewed last February alongside with a precursor to the recently launched Grande Panda. Based on the concepts, the GigaPanda and Fastback are closely related, with the former being a more conventional crossover, and the latter having, well, a fastback roofline. Auto Express says that they’ll measure around 173 inches long, which is about the length of the current Jeep Compass and about 8 inches longer than the current Fiat 600e.

The news outlet also spoke with Fiat’s head of design, François Leboine, who said the cars would use the same platform as the Fiat Grande Panda and Citroen C3, just that they’d be larger. That platform is the STLA Small platform, and it supports both electric and combustion engines, both of which will likely be offered.

With sizing similar to the Compass, we could actually see these bigger Fiats being offered in the US. We’re certain that Fiat dealers would love to have at least one other model on their lots to sell. A potential hurdle would be Fiat’s current image. The brand leaned hard into its round, 500-inspired styling, and the squared-off GigaPanda and Fastback might look a little odd to American customers unfamiliar with Fiat’s boxy models of the past. We’re also intrigued by the possibilities presented by those concepts last year. One of them was a small pickup truck. It’s likely intended for South American markets, but we could see it being rebadged to show up in Dodge or Ram dealers. Only time will tell, and we have yet to see whether Stellantis puts more work into its American brands.

Source: Auto Express