Is the Fiat Strada On Its Way Back to Europe?

De Paula saw a car hauler carrying seven units of the Strada on the A12 highway toward Lisbon, close to the Vasco da Gama bridge. He first sent the images to the Quatro Rodas magazine, Brazil's largest one dedicated to automobiles. According to the Brazilian magazine, the subcompact unibody pickup truck is being presented to European dealers and will soon be put for sale in the Old Continent. It would not be the first time it happened.

When I moved to Portugal, I was surprised to see so many units of the Strada around. That's because the Portuguese market has always lived with some Brazilian models. Apart from the unibody pickup, Fiat also sold the Elba as an Innocenti and the Palio Weekend with its own badge here. Volkswagen first imported the Brasilia – a hatchback based on the Beetle structure and powertrain – but also sold the Fox in the Old Continent. Opel brought the five-door Corsa – it was only manufactured in Brazil – and there are certainly other examples that I am not aware of.

Exports to Europe started soon after the Strada was presented in Brazil in 1998. The units sold in Portugal, Germany, Greece, and Italy received a 1.9-liter turbodiesel engine that could not be sold in Brazil, where that fuel is exclusive to trucks, buses, and 4x4 vehicles. That's because it is subsidized to keep transportation costs under control. In Brazil, most freight transport is performed by trucks because trains and cabotage shipping are underdeveloped – as absurd as that sounds. A later refresh, imported in 2012, received the 1.3-liter Multijet unit, which is a candidate for the second generation.

The Fiat Strada is 4.47 meters (176.1 inches) long, whether in its extended cab (Cabine Plus) or double cab (Cabine Dupla) versions. It is also 1.73 m (68.2 in) wide, 1.59 m (62.4 in) tall, and has a wheelbase of 2.74 m (107.8 in). The subcompact unibody pickup truck has recently celebrated 25 years and got a special series called Edizione 25. Although it weighs around 1,167 kilograms (2,573 pounds), its double cab version can carry 650 kg (1,433 lb), which made it earn a workhorse reputation. It is also praised for its sturdiness and inexpensive repairability.

Being relatively small is something that may help it seduce new customers in Europe, especially the youngest ones. Pickup trucks appeal to buyers with an adventurous lifestyle. The issue is that most of them are just too big to live with, considering the narrow roads and streets that are more common in countries like Portugal. For it to perfectly fit what these clients want and need, Stellantis just has to make sure the Strada is sold at affordable prices.

Quatro Rodas asked Stellantis about the pictures and only confirmed that the pickup truck is being presented to European dealers thanks to its sources. The company itself remained silent about that. I have also contacted the Stellantis PR people here. According to the company, there are no plans to sell the Strada in Europe again. When I asked who had imported these seven truck, they said they did not know and could not confirm if Stellantis did that. In case you have any idea, please get in touch to tell me more about that.

If these plans change, the Strada is probably going to be sold only in a few markets, such as Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, and Greece. Although a turbodiesel derivative would be pretty welcome in these countries (especially those with lower incomes), the Strada does not offer one anywhere. On top of that, diesel sales are dropping rapidly. Developing such a version may not pay off. All powertrain options (a 1-liter turbocharged unit and a 1.3-liter FireFly engine) are powered by gasoline or ethanol.

Curiously, the trim of all seven units of the pickup truck in Portuguese soil we have seen so far is called Freedom, which you can tell because of the alloy wheels. That will probably be the entry-level option in Europe. In Brazil, Stellantis also sells the Endurance trim as its most affordable one: it comes with steelies and costs R$ 100,990 ($20,138 or €19,059 at the current exchange rate). The more expensive derivatives are called Volcano, Ultra, and Ranch, in that order. The Ultra and Ranch actually cost R$ 132,990 ($26,518 or €25,098), while the Edizione 25 charges a bit more: R$ 135,990 ($27,117 or €25,664).

That's not exactly a bargain, but the Strada would have a significant advantage: there are no competitors for it in Europe. In Brazil, the only one still standing is the Volkswagen Saveiro, but even a recent restyling did not make it competitive enough. Considering the fate of entry-level vehicles all over the world, the Strada may not see any opponents. All companies are now focused on slightly larger unibody pickup trucks, such as the Fiat Toro and the RAM Rampage.