FCA, Mitsubishi Team Up to Create a New Global Pickup
Mitsubishi Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles have entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding to develop a new midsize global pickup truck, according to Automotive News. The new vehicle will likely be based on the next-generation Mitsubishi L200, to date one of the most popular small pickups in the world. Last year, at the Geneva Motor Show, Mitsubishi showed a concept hybrid pickup that could offer hints at the next design.
The partnership will allow Fiat Professional (FCA's commercial vehicle arm) to offer a midsize choice for Europe, Latin America and possibly Asia, where the current L200 is built. Whether this new midsize venture will translate into a new option available to Ram Truck or Ram Commercial (it's already borrowed two Fiat Professional vehicle platforms with the ProMaster and ProMaster City vans) remains to be seen, but the pairing is not without a long history.
It wasn't that long ago that both Dodge and Mitsubishi partnered to co-produce the Mitsubishi Mighty Max, Dodge Ram 50 and Plymouth Arrow compact pickup in the 1980s and '90s. The small-truck entry had a stout engine, solid payload capability and offered a sturdy 4x4 setup. Later, the larger Dodge Dakota and Mitsubishi Raider shared platforms as well.
Automotive News reports that FCA's main reason for partnering with Mitsubishi is to regain FCA's profitability in Europe and end its losses there by 2016. A proposed midsize pickup model has been part of FCA's strategy plans for several years, but this is the closest a new, larger pickup for Fiat Professional has come to reality.
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Comments
Those Mitsubishi (bitsamissing) L200 trucks were garbage when I was down in Latin America. They had loads of power and held the road well when driving on the highway, but they broke down a lot and didnt hold up to heavy use around the farms like the Hilux and Landcruisers did.
They were nicer and more modern than the Hilux but they feel apart quick if you worked them hard.
NEW! GLOBAL PICKUP!*
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* Excluding North America.
No U.S import? Then who cares? Nothing to see here, move on.
Who ACTUALLY wants to see one of those sold here?
I would guess that FCA, and others, will be watching GM/Chevy very closely to see how their smaller pickups do. Which, at first glance, seem to be big winners. If they do well I imagine Ram may try to bring back a small pickup. However, considering the Ram 1500 diesel gets better fuel economy than the smaller GM pickup, Ram may not be interested in a small pickup. Time will tell.
Yet another short box....useless to me and a lot of others.
The Colorado/Canyon will do significantly better once GM pulls it's head from it's behind and replaces the 6 speed auto tranny. I'm betting the diesels easily cross over 30mpg.
The above vehicles aren't much different than currently offered vehicles.
Ken or others,
Is there any news that GM(C) will use an 8 or 9 speed with the diesel option? That would solidify my truck shopping list as I am due for an newer newer truck after 16 yrs and over 300K on the odometer. I will be cross shopping diesels only (Titan, Ram, Colorado/Canyon). I prefer the smaller GM(C) size on paper ...
Boy any good size person will NOT have easy time getting into back seat. That door is so small.
Ram should do a Dakota on their own. Body on frame, 3L V6 diesel and 3.6 Pentastar. 8 speed auto. Make it look like a mini Ram again. If they do something with Fiat it won't look very truck-like at all.
@ supercrew02
The pictures are a bit deceiving. The back is about on par with peers but the door opening looks smaller because of the rounded part but that is where the seat cushion would be anyway so there is no loss of actual entry/egress room.
I spent some time in central america where these trucks are quite prevalent and they seemed to be a little more on the upscale as far as design and creature comforts as others have noted. Most of the trucks I saw doing actual work were mostly the Hilux models and the Nissan Navara. (some Hyundai vans too)
The L200 does tend to look better in person than in pictures and likely better in the more muted colors of grey, white and black.
Poor Mitsubishi likely doesn't have long for this world in the US. Of course they have earned that spot by not having very competitive products and models with less than stellar reliability and high repair costs (I should know my 2001 Mitsu Galant recently had the tranny crap out with less than 90k miles. I have had to do some fairly major repairs for a well cared for and low mileage vehicle over the past 3-4 years. About $1200 every year when other vehicles for similar repairs would have been far less costly)
Not enough market share for everyone to sell midsize trucks in America.
Voila!!! The ALL NEW Dodge (ahem!)...2017 RAM Dakota.
The Fiat Strada will be sold in Mexico as the Ram 750 (if the rumours are correct)
What will they call this? Ram 1000 ?
Don't get your hopes up because this truck will be built for Latin America and Europe and 3rd world countries.
We get the Mitsubishi Triton here in Australia.
From what I've read Mitsubishi and Nissan were going to share a platform for the next mid sizer, but then the deal fell apart.
The current Triton is closer in size to the D20/22 Navara/Frontier.
Mitsubishi's popularity here is largely because of aggressive pricing. It's much cheaper than the latest midsizers.
It's overall performance is on par with a Hilux, so it's a little agricultural.
It's a pity the US will not get these, but I would rather the Amarok, BT50, Izuzu Dmax, and Ranger go over first to the US.
Little short box, but very nice and clean lines.
Mitsubishi makes such unreliable junk for the US market that there has been talk for some time now that they will inevitably pull out. That is the company that Fiat is gonna collaborate with to build pickups? Lol, you couldn't make this stuff up!
Yuck that has to be the ugliest truck ever made. I think it even beats the Reaper in the ugliest or close to it.
both mitsu and fc are two injury prone companies that produce junk on so many levels i wouldnt bother trying to own one even if i did live in Thailand.
Having owned a Mighty Max for over 14 years I would not call them junk. The downside of the Max were the availability and cost of the parts versus a Toyota, Nissan, and Honda. I would rather have the new Colorado/Canyon.
@howam00
Hopefully the new Triton will be a lot more capable than the old L200 model
I would love to see Mitsubishi bring their diesel-hybrid technology to NA like the GR-HEV concept pickup they unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show last year.
"Who ACTUALLY wants to see one of those sold here?
Posted by: Toycrusher | Sep 23, 2014 9:17:37 AM"
You never know. Don't assume everybody likes the same things you do.
"Boy any good size person will NOT have easy time getting into back seat. That door is so small.
Posted by: supercrew02 | Sep 23, 2014 11:00:44 AM"
Then again, if the back seat is never going to be used by a 'good size person', who cares?
"Not enough market share for everyone to sell midsize trucks in America.
Posted by: Ram Big Horn 1500 | Sep 23, 2014 11:32:51 AM"
That's an assumption based on too little real data, considering we haven't had any decent mid-sized trucks in the US market for over a decade--they've all grown too large or have otherwise been essentially ignored as technology progresses. Although personally I think there's a far larger market for compact-sized pickups than mid-size since there's too little difference between today's mid-sized trucks and the previous generation full-sized trucks.
"Voila!!! The ALL NEW Dodge (ahem!)...2017 RAM Dakota.
Posted by: papa jim | Sep 23, 2014 12:21:02 PM"
Not without a serious nose job. Still, I can imagine the fuel economy would be pretty good considering you're not pushing a brick wall through the air. Aerodynamics do make a difference at road speeds.
I am not that bothered by the looks of this truck, but I doubt we will ever see it in the US. Mitsubishi makes capable vehicles but it would not be my first choice among the current midsize trucks.
I agree with Alex, Ram should build their own Dakota. And if it looks anything like the Ram 1500, it would be the best looking mid size truck out there. I have owned three Dakotas, including the 4.7 V8 quad cab I have now, and they are great trucks. I know we won't see another V8 mid size truck but with a new 3.6 V6 or an Eco-diesel, it would have the same, if not more, torque and way better fuel economy. A Mitsubishi based Dakota would have very odd styling as you can see. I couldn't drive something that looks like that!
When I saw that red thing in this story's art I had to stifle the urge to puke.
I saw one of those obnoxious looking Mitsubishi/Dodge pickups a few days ago and my stomach had just started to settle a bit until just a few moments ago I saw this story and that awful looking truck in the artwork.
No wonder that Mitsubishi and Dodge are nearly extinct in this part of the world.
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