Fiat is working on a new pickup for South American markets, set to rival the Toyota Hilux in the midsize segment. As revealed by the first official teaser, the new model will be called the Titano and appears to be closely related to the Peugeot Landtrek.
The Titano nameplate was inspired by the pre-Olympian gods in Greek mythology (Titans) and the titanium metal in a quest to communicate strength and toughness. The Italian twist in the spelling was likely chosen to avoid a copyright infringement with the Nissan Titan which is not available in the South American markets.
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The shadowy teaser shows the grille of the pickup with the large Fiat emblem, a portion of the tailgate, and the side view. The greenhouse looks similar to the Nissan Navara, but it is actually based on the Peugeot Landtrek which in turn shares most of its bodywork with the Chinese Kaicene F70 and Changan Lantazhe. Thankfully, the Italians got enough R&D budget to differentiate the front end of the Titano, although the extent of the changes remains to be seen.
The Titano will expand Fiat’s best-selling pickup lineup in Brazil, slotting above the smaller Strada and Toro in terms of size and weight-carrying capabilities. However, unlike the latter which are based on unibody architectures, the Titano will most likely ride on a ladder frame chassis sourced from the French and Chinese triplets. Fiat has been coy on details in terms of powertrains and technical specifications but we expect the pickup to be available with diesel and petrol engines, coming in RWD and AWD guises.
Fiat will likely reveal more information about the upcoming Titano in additional teasers, prior to the official debut and the market launch, which is rumored for the second half of 2023.
