Fiat Strada

Fiat Strada at a glance

One name, two cars

In English-speaking countries the name first appeared on a hatchback: from 1978 to 1988 the Fiat Ritmo was sold as the Fiat Strada there. The pickup that took over the name in 1998 is an unrelated vehicle. Fiat's own story is covered in our history of Fiat.

First generation, 1998–2020

The Strada arrived in Brazil in October 1998 as the load-carrying member of Project 178, sharing its platform with the Palio, the Siena and the Uno. It replaced the Fiat City, a pickup version of the Fiorino. The unibody shell carried up to 700 kg, and the bed measured 1,770 × 1,314 mm.

Europe received it in April 1999 with two engines: a 1.2 Fire petrol with 54 kW (73 hp) and a 1.7 turbodiesel with 51 kW (70 hp). South Africa had its own range, including a 1.6 petrol and an X-Space version with a cab stretched by 30 cm.

The first generation was updated several times:

The 2009 range used a 1.4 Fire Flex with 63 kW (85 PS), a 1.8 8V Flex with 84 kW (114 PS) and a 1.3 Multijet diesel with 64 kW (87 PS). The Adventure got a locking differential for loose surfaces. From 2012 the Strada returned to Italy and some other European markets. By 2018 more than 1.4 million had been sold in Brazil, and the best Brazilian year of this generation was 2014 with 153,130 cars.

Second generation, since 2020

The new Strada was presented in Brazil on 26 June 2020. It uses the MC-P modular platform derived from the Argo hatchback, with MacPherson front suspension, rear suspension from the Fiorino and some cabin parts from the Mobi. For the first time the double cab seats five. Ground clearance is 211 mm, and the approach angle is 24 degrees.

Running on ethanol adds 3 to 5 kW in each engine. The turbo three-cylinder raised the top output by 17 kW over the 1.3, and its 200 Nm is about 44 % more torque than the 1.3 offers on ethanol. A 7-inch Uconnect touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, four airbags and electronic stability control are listed for the new model, and the E-Locker system helps traction. Mexico received a new Ram 700 on this basis on 18 November 2020.

Cabs, payload and load bed

The single cab carries 70 kg more and has a bed 54 cm longer, with 60 % more volume. The double cab is the version for families who also need a small open load area. Trim levels at launch were Endurance (single or double cab), Freedom (single or double) and Volcano (double cab only).

Safety

Latin NCAP tested the second-generation Strada in 2022 under its third test protocol and gave both versions one star. The double cab scored 41 % for adult occupants, 53 % for children, 40 % for pedestrians and 49 % for safety assist. The single cab reached 47 % for adults but only 22 % for children. The braking system uses ventilated front discs and rear drums.

Sales: Brazil's number one

The Strada led Brazil's new-vehicle market in 2025 for the fifth year in a row. Fenabrave counted 142,834 registrations, about 20,000 more than the second-placed Volkswagen Polo with 122,613; Wikipedia's table gives 142,903. In Mexico, sales of the Ram 700 grew from 8,159 in 2015 to 17,349 in 2025.