What would a modern Fiat pickup look like? One designer has a theory...

Picture it: you're on holiday in Ericeira, Portugal and wouldn't you know it, the Vespas you rented to take to Sintra won't fit in the back of the Peugeot. You bang on your Brit ex-pat neighbor's door to see if you can borrow his Ford Transit, but he's not home and the suspiciously young Hungarian lady backpackers he's letting crash are too stoned to remember where he went. This could happen to you, but not if design student Dragos Prodan has anything to say about it. Behold -- the Fiat Sentiero.

Feeling that Fiat needed a pickup truck specifically tailored to the European market, Mr. Prodan spent his last year in school coming up with a vehicle that is practical, functional and innovative. The truck also had to draw upon Fiat's design heritage as well as Italian design in general. We think the results are rather sharp looking. And the various cubby holes to stash stuff are always welcome.

The proposed 3.0-liter diesel V6 sounds like a smart engine, especially as the Sentiero has a payload capacity of 1,800 pounds and can tow nearly 5,300 pounds. In fact, forget Europe – bring this little darling Stateside. That is, if Fiat decides to build it.

[Source: Diseno Art via Pickuptrucks.com]