Perhaps to its misfortune, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles does not sell a midsize pickup in the world’s biggest truck market, but buyers in certain overseas markets were able to get into a four-door, body-on-frame midsizer carrying the Fiat badge — the Fullback, more properly described as a rebadged Mitsubishi Triton/L200.
Note the word “were.” The Fiat Fullback is no more, according to FCA’s light commercial vehicles division. The discontinuation stems from the same problem Fiat faces in America: really bad sales.
Speaking to the UK’s Auto Express, Fiat Professional boss Richard Chamberlain, confirmed the pickup’s removal from the brand.
“A combination of factors has led to the Fullback no longer being on sale,” he said. “Low sales volumes and the forthcoming Euro 6 diesel emissions legislation meant it was no longer viable for Fiat Professional to offer the Fullback.”
The Mitsubishi-based Fullback went on sale in 2016 in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, positioned as a hasty competitor to popular midsizers like Ford’s Ranger and Nissan’s Navara. At the time, the midsize pickup segment was, like it is in the U.S., on the march, and the newcomers were all based on other existing pickups.
The Renault Alaskan? It’s a Nissan Navara underneath. Mercedes-Benz’s X-Class? Again, a Navara. So Fiat making use of Mitsubishi’s Triton/L200 made some sense. A 2.4-liter diesel four-cylinder powered Euro models.
Fast-forward two years from its introduction, and the Fullback could only boast a 3.3-percent European pickup market share. Data published by JATO Dynamics for the period of January to April 2018 shows the Fullback in second-last place, ahead only of the Alaskan (which only went on sale in spring of 2017). Not surprisingly, the Ranger took top honors with 26 percent of the continent’s pickup sales. In second place was the Toyota Hilux, a truck familiar to American TV viewers with a fondness for war coverage.
What’s notable about JATO’s data is that the X-Class, a vehicle both truckophiles and Benz aficionados would have good reason to avoid, took 4.5 percent of the market. The aging Volkswagen Amarok? 11 percent.
The Fullback probably won’t be missed. Meanwhile, North Americans wait patiently to see when FCA pulls the plug on the Fiat brand in that market.
[Images: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]
Those wheel arches are almost as ridiculous as using WordPress in 2019.
Hopefully you do not have to login to drive it.
Or answer a math problem
They could have at least tried it in the US before giving up on it. We need more small trucks.
“…We need more small trucks…”
I’m sure it’s bigger than you think, but no one snivels over just 3 or 4 fullsize pickup choices.
This one could never be taken seriously though. It’s rear axle is too far forward for any kind of real “truck” use. It makes for sketchy driving antics, loaded. The DOT would laugh its @SS off.
The there’s the Fiat badge.
What’s with that thing over the bed?
I was a little curious on that myself. Google says its a “sport bar”, apparently to make it stand out from the original Mitsubishi version.
> New pieces to the Fullback include those side steps and the sport bar over the cargo bed. The side steps are larger than standard, making it easier to climb into the cab. Of course, the most noticeable change is the sport bar. It is made from a textured black plastic and is designed to give the pickup a “sleeker silhouette [that] underlines its dynamic profile.”
https://www.topspeed.com/trucks/truck-reviews/fiat/2017-fiat-fullback-cross-ar176047.html
Nice looking little truck except for the “sports bar” over the back. That certainly would be the first thing to come off
Don’t some sport fishing boats have something similar? For aspiring yachtsmen and women.
Do you mean a ski bar? I don’t want to ski off the back of a p-u truck
Great decision. Why sell this (and have the market niche all to yourself) or the Panda when you can sell another stripe-and-trim `special edition` of a car the market was through with years ago.
This isn’t a fullback, it’s barely even a halfback.
Truck will be missed, FIAT would not.
Triton/Fullback/L200 is a decent truck. Problem is the brand not this product.
FIAT is known for it’s small cars. Even it’s small cars are not compelling.
Triton sold in USA and Canada would do surprisingly (to the audience of TTAC) well provided it was priced lower than Ranger, Colorado/Canyon, and Tacoma.
“Perhaps to its misfortune, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles does not sell a midsize pickup in the world’s biggest truck market,”
So what’s the Gladiator??
Word is FCA has a “metric ton” pickup in development. It is supposed to be built in Saltillo, but Saltillo is still building Ram 1500s to fight the pickup market share war.
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What do you think the Jeep Gladiator is ?