The Stelvio Pass, or Passo dello Stelvio in Italian, is one of the best driving roads in Europe, but it’s also a place where you can often find prototype vehicles. Dutch reader Gerard E. stumbled upon such a tester while taking a road trip with his wife and son through the Alps.
“Riding up-hill in our Grand Vitara, we were overtaken by this black car with ease” Gerard tells us. “I immediately saw the strange looks of this car and asked my wife if she could take some pictures. That didn’t work. The vehicle in front of us disappeared and left us in its billowing exhaust fumes.”
“Just before reaching the top of the Stelvio Pass, we took a brief moment for some family-pictures at the Stelvio sign. My wife and son went a little bit further uphill to one of the many curves on this road. That’s when my wife called at me that the strange car was coming downhill. Now I could take the pictures that I wanted!” said Gerard.
But what future model did our reader spy in the Alps? While heavily bagged in wraps, we think it’s Fiat’s new mid-size pickup truck, with this tester featuring the same-shape front wheel arches, rounded front and five-star wheels as the lighter-disguised prototype that another Carscoops reader recently spotted in South America.
If you believe it’s something else, then by all means, do share in the comments.
We don’t have a name yet for Fiat’s upcoming rival to Toyota Hilux, Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara and VW Amarok, but the Italians officially confirmed its existence when they shared their five-year (2014-2018) product offensive last year, with the pickup truck model noted for launch next year.
A big thank you to Gerard E. for the spy shots!
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