…but not here.
Fiat now also has an SUV-like with a strongly sloping roofline in its delivery range, but not in Europe. Fiat has launched the Fastback in South America, a car that shares its technology and even wheelbase with the much smaller Pulse. Would such a model be something for the Netherlands?
Until recently, as a car manufacturer you hardly had anything to say if you did not have a compact crossover or SUV in your range, as a car manufacturer you now hardly count if at least one of those long-legged ones has a strongly sloping roofline. SUV-types with a roofline that dips down quite a bit are flying around you at the moment, but Fiat isn’t starting it yet. At least not in Europe. In South America – where the brand has countless models that we are not familiar with in Europe – Fiat is now launching the Fastback. Earlier we were able to show you that car from the outside, now it is also known what goes on under the sheet metal of the Fiat Fastback.
Fiat Fastback
If we take a close look at Fiat’s delivery range in South America’s largest sales market – Brazil – we come across an arsenal of models that you are not familiar with in Europe. We mention the Mobi, the Argo, the Cronos, the Strada, the Toro and the Pulse. The Pulse is one of the most recent South American Fiats. It is a 4.1-meter crossover that is technically related to the hatchback Argo and its sedan version, the Cronos. On the basis of that Pulse, Fiat now comes with the Fastback, a car with which Fiat taps into the trend of ‘coupé SUVs’. We have seen the Fastback from the outside before, but now it can be seen from all angles. The car shares its front with the Pulse, but behind it everything is different. What remains unchanged, however, is the wheelbase. Although the Fiat Fastback with a length of 4.43 meters is more than 30 centimeters longer than the Pulse, the wheelbase with 2.53 meters is equal to that of that smaller crossover. As a result, the Fastback, viewed from the side, has a considerable overhang at the rear. The big advantage of the Fastback’s heavy rear is its influence on the luggage space. With 600 liters, it is just as big as that of the Skoda Octavia.
Fiat Fastback
Fiat supplies the Fastback in three versions: Audace, Impetus and a variant called Limited Edition Powered by Abarth in full. The first two versions both have the Turbo 200 Flex machine under the hood, a 1.0 that, as in Brazil, is not uncommon for both petrol and ethanol. The number in the name of that power unit does not represent the horsepower, but the torque. It is 130 hp (125 hp on petrol) and 200 Nm strong. With this engine you can reach 100 km/h in 9.4 seconds. The Limited Edition Powered by Abarth – quite a mouthful – has the more powerful Turbo Bottle 270 Flex as its powerhouse. That is not a 1.0 but a 1.5 that with 185 hp (180 hp on petrol) and 270 Nm is a lot more potent. The block helps the Fastback to reach a speed of 100 km/h in 8.1 seconds. The basic engine is always tied to a CVT transmission, the stronger variant has a six-speed automatic. Depending on the version chosen, you get an 8.4 or 10.1 inch large infotainment screen. A 7-inch digital instrumentation is standard and safety systems such as Lane Change Alert are also available in the model.
In Brazil, the Fiat Fastback has a starting price of €24,860. For the Abarth version you have lost €28,700. Would Fiat be smart to market such a model in Europe as well? We are curious about your opinion!
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl