Brazil and South Africa are the only two countries in the world that have any real market for half-tonne bakkies. The Brazilian-built Fiat Strada enjoys 25% of the light commercial vehicle market in its home country, and now that it’s arrived in South Africa it’ll probably have a huge impact on sales of General Motors’ Corsa utility and Ford’s Bantam.
Just as one-tonne bakkies have grown bigger and are capable of carrying more cargo than their predecessors, the smaller pickups have also evolved, and the Fiat’s 715 kg payload actually makes it more of a ¾ tonner than a half tonner. We haven’t driven the little bakkie or even seen it in the flesh yet but on paper it looks impressive. The Strada is available with either a 1,6 litre 74 kW / 140 Nm petrol engine, or 1,7 litre turbodiesel and 1,2 litre diesel options worth 51 kW/135 Nm and 54 kW/102 Nm respectively. The range is offered with five speed manual gearboxes only. Standard features for all models include power steering, a clock, tinted windows, a load-box liner, central locking and a full-sized spare wheel positioned in the cab behind the passenger seat. Aircon is standard or an option, depending upon which model you pick. The range-topping ELX also comes standard with electric windows and a CD /radio.
Pricing starts at R77 900 and peaks at R115 900. The Strada comes with a two-year / 100 000 km mechanical, three year paint and five year body warranties, which could lead one to suspect that they know something we don’ t. There’s also a 12 month AA Fleetcare roadside assistance program.