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Fiat aims at the SUV podium with the Fastback

The model arrives with 1.0 and 1.3 turbo engines and prices starting at R$ 130,000.00

Since 2016, Jeep has easily led the SUV segment, the largest in Brazil’s automotive market. In 2022, despite the advance and many launches by competitors, it is no different, and the American brand got 20% of the registers from January through August, followed by Volkswagen, with 16.7%, and Hyundai, with 9.8%.

Fiat is in the sixth position. Its 7.9% share is smaller than GM’s (9.5%) and Toyota’s (9%). But this disadvantage may fastly disappear, maybe in just a few months. The Italian brand, which entered the segment with the Pulse only 11 months ago, has just launched a second model.

This Wednesday, 9/14, the more than five hundred brand dealerships began to sell the Fastback, made in Betim, MG. Fiat managers are not hiding the enthusiasm about how the model has a coupe-style rear end – which concept was publicly presented in 2018 at the São Paulo Autoshow, the last before the pandemic.

Developed by Stellantis’ design department in Brazil, like the Pulse, which platform it shares, the production Fastback is very close to the original proposal and, more than the attributes common to urban-oriented sport utilities, it stands out exactly for the body design, with a solution already common in premium brand sport-utilities, such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

The coupe-style in a national SUV was premiered two years ago by Volkswagen’s Nivus, mentioned by Fiat as one of the competitors of the Fastback, as are the Hyundai Creta, Chevrolet Tracker and the T-Cross, also from Volkswagen.
Herlander Zola, vice-president of Fiat South America, estimates that, in the first month, the new car’s sales should be up to 3 thousand units.

Coincidence or not, this is the same volume of the VW Nivus in 2022, but much under the performance of the Pulse, a 4.3 thousand monthly average, and especially the Hyundai and Chevrolet models, both reaching around 5 thousand units.

Even if this conservative volume is confirmed – and considering a possible 10% cannibalization of Pulse’s top versions, according to the brand – Fiat could overcome GM, Toyota and Hyundai and take the third position among the segment’s brands, even with prices at the same level as most competitors.

The Fastback reaches the dealers in three versions: Audace 200 (R$ 130,000.00), Impetus 200 (R$ 140,000.00) and the top-of-line Limited Edition (R$ 150,000.00), specially equipped by the group’s sports division Abarth.

There are two options of engines, both already known from other Stellantis brands and models: 130 cv 1.0 flex-fuel turbo, with a CVT transmission for the entry and intermediate versions; and 185 cv 1.3 flex-fuel turbo, exclusive of the Limited Edition, as is the six-speed automatic transmission.

The rear-end configuration is Fastback’s major style appeal. Besides the 17 and 18-inch wheels, stand out in the exterior Led headlights and the led rear lights that extend over the trunk lid. The 516-liter luggage compartment shall captivate even consumers that usually look for more space in sedans.

If the design pleases, it will not be different regarding comfort, safety and onboard technologies standard items, a full set since the cheaper option. It includes the driver assistance systems package, with emergency braking assistance, lane keeping alert and automatic headlights control.

Inside, the panel has no refinements, the air-conditioned is always digital, and there are paddles behind the multifunctional steering wheel for gear changes and inductive cellphone charger. The multimedia central has an 8.4-inch screen in the entry version and a 10.1-inch in all the others, which also carry the sophistication of a customizable digital cluster.

Standard in the three versions are the electronic parking brake, hill start assist, frontal and side airbags, rear parking sensors, and rearview camera. Leather seats are available only for the Impetus 200 and up versions, which have a black roof and frontal parking sensors.

With this equipment and prices, Zola believes the two 1.0 versions shall jointly share 80% of the sales of the new SUV, with the remaining 20% going to the Limited. A curiosity: Fiat says the Limited Edition shall not have a limited production number – it will be permanent.

Photograph: Fiat

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George Guimarães

Jornalista com passagens por jornais, revistas, tevê e assessoria de imprensa, é especializado na cobertura do setor automotivo há trinta anos, período em que já viu (quase) de tudo da indústria, seus produtos, mercado, cadeia produtiva, tecnologias e políticas industriais.

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