Fiat tempts Latin American and European audiences with Strada Cabine Dupla pickup
Fiat Strada Cabine Dupla -- Click above for high-res image gallery
For European and South American markets, Fiat rolled out several versions of its Strada pickup last year. Now, the Italian company introduces a "dual cab" version with two extra back seats – but without two extra doors. Called the Cabine Dupla or Doble Cabina, it's almost as if our long-departed Subaru Brat lives on with a secret Italian identity... and without its four-wheel-drive. The Cabine Dupla has an electronic diff that ought to be passable when things get a little dirty. Our question is: Could this be a future Dodge?
Gallery: Fiat Strada Doble Cabina
Gallery: Fiat Strada Adventure Locker
Gallery: Fiat Strada Trekking 2009
[Source: Autoblog Spanish]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Andrewlcox 10:37AM (7/06/2009)
Looks like the poor selling Subaru Baja. No thanks...
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BoxerFanatic 11:21AM (7/06/2009)
Funny, I wish I could get ahold of a Baja.
They barely sold from the dealership... but try finding one on the used market.
Those who own them will LAUGH in your face if you offer to buy it.
Personally, I wish Subaru would re-visit the issue, outfit the new Forester with the 3.6 H6, 5-speed automatic with Variable Torque Distribution, and good brakes, either from Tribeca, Legacy GT, or other with good sized rotors... fortify the rear unibody floor rails, and the ability to have a class III hitch (500/5000lb tongue/trailer weight)... and chop the rear roof off, with a tailgate and mid-gate... and make a new Baja from the Forester, rather than the tall-car Outback.
The Outback at least has, and has had for some time, 6-cylinder optional engines... even in the same 2000-2004 Outback bodystyle as the Baja continued to use... yet Baja never got H6 power/torque. Turbo is good, but it is not the same. I now own both a turbo subaru, and an H6 subaru, and the off-idle torque of the H6 is not comparable, but then neither is the force-fed top end of the turbo.
Which sounds better for a little utility truck or SUV, though? Which one did Baja and Forester actually get? Don't get me wrong, Turbo Foresters sound like a lot of fun... but a 6-cyl 5EAT Forester/Baja sounds much more useful for SUV/SUT duty.
Subaru under-delivered the Baja, on an outdated chassis, and when it didn't sell all that well at the price they asked... they took it incorrectly as a failure of the genre, rather than a failure of the specific execution.
Subaru could do it again, and better than this Fiat, and they could sell it in markets around the world, as well as value-conscious American buyers.
BoxerFanatic 11:27AM (7/06/2009)
Just as a PS... it would be completely common sense to bring the boxer turbo-diesel for such a proposed Baja/Forester, as an engine option, as well... That has mountains of torque, as well.
Kumar 11:48AM (7/06/2009)
Boxer, we can only hope that Subie noticed the ruling a few weeks back in Europe invalidating MB patents on the urea injection for diesels. Hopefully there will be a lawsuit in the states to do the same, as this would mean the price of adding a urea system would drop significantly. The recent statements from Subie seem to indicate they're bringing a new engine next year, perhaps smaller to dodge the injection altogether?
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/06/22/daimler-loses-european-urea-injection-patent-us-could-be-next/
MemphisNET 10:39AM (7/06/2009)
Nosejob, 3.6 V6 and 4.7 V8 and you've got the 'lifestyle' Dakota that Chrysler has wanted for a while. Please please please get rid of the Aztec body cladding.
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MemphisNET 10:39AM (7/06/2009)
Scratch the V8. Small diesel please!
Hamud 10:40AM (7/06/2009)
Ridiculous.
There's more plastic on the outside then on the inside.
The Wagon version is much better than this POS.
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Adamb 10:44AM (7/06/2009)
This thing is a big seller in Brazil even with its R$56,000.00 equivalent to almost U$27,000.00 I'm sure this model will definitely cost more because of the extra seats.
P.S. Brazilians buy this because the closest real pick ups, aka Ford Ranger, Chevrolet S10 start at close to R$100,000 aka almost U$50,000.00 so this is the most utility for the money. Oh, Nissan Frontiers start at R$125,000.00 Almost U$70,000 RIDICULOUS. thank you brazilian government for the 30% tax on cars.
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PumaGTO 2:43PM (7/06/2009)
I desagree. The Strada is a considerably good car, if you think about it. Tell me another good contender on the market. Ford´s Courier? Saveiro? None of them have the offroad apearl. Only Montana comes closer, and that´s still a long shot. The only pickup trucks you are trying to compare are medium sized and 4x4.
And the Weekend Locker, to me is the best car bellow 70k(reais) on the (brazillian) market today.
for the portuguese/spanish readers, there´s a good review of the Strada locker here: http://www2.uol.com.br/bestcars/testes3/strada-2009-1.htm
Adamb 8:59PM (7/06/2009)
I do think the Fiat Strada Weekend locker is an amazing car, being brazilian I love the looks, the only thing I am/was complaining about the price tag, which I think is absurd.
jamie 10:44AM (7/06/2009)
Yech.
I wonder what Fiat is going to do with the Dodge Dakota, or Heaven forbid, the Dodge Ram.
Slap a Pontiac grill on the Strada and the clad-o-mobile will live on!
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geo.stewart 12:58PM (7/06/2009)
why dont they make the Dakota a small truck instead of a 9.5/10 RAM.
the overlap is ridiculous. You get a 6'6" bed in Dakota and 6'4" bed in Ram.
PumaGTO 2:54PM (7/06/2009)
At first I thouth It was ugly too, but seeing it every day you kind of get used to it. These backlights though, never grew on me. Still don´t like them.
dukeisduke 10:47AM (7/06/2009)
It looks awfully busy with all those plastic add-ons. It also looks like they stole the front end from VW.
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Lee 10:52AM (7/06/2009)
Dodge is the truck brand, no need for any fake ones from Fiat. We just need some small cars and technology from them.
Thanks for asking!!
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Charles 11:25AM (7/06/2009)
I thought Italians were supposed to be known for their aesthetic sensibilities?
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Red 11:30AM (7/06/2009)
They're also occasionally known for being brash enough to over-style, this apparently being the case here.
Charles 11:36AM (7/06/2009)
Maybe, but I don't see much "style" here in the first place with which to "over-style". It reminds me of something from a Chinese make or Ssangyong.
Galley 11:34AM (7/06/2009)
Needs more plastic bits.
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Throwback 11:53AM (7/06/2009)
I would love to see some competition in small trucks. The Tacoma, Canyon etc are just too big and the Ranger too old. This however is not it!
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