According to Wheels24, Fiat is finally joining the popular 'soft-roader' category with a direct rival for the Toyota RAV4. Despite several 4x4 versions of its cars such as the Panda through the years, Fiat has never actually made a proper SUV.

As part of its tie-up with General Motors, Fiat will develop the all-new vehicle in conjunction with Suzuki, sharing the platform of the next generation Suzuki Vitara. Assuming Fiat can get the car to market by early in 2006 (expect a concept to appear before that at a motor show), the Italian company could steal a march on the other European manufacturers conspicuous by their absence from this lucrative market segment. VW, Renault and Peugeot come to mind.

No official details are available as yet, but we would expect to see Fiat's JTD common-rail diesel engines as the mainstay of the range, with other engines from the Stilo range also being available. Expect prices to be competitive and specification to be generous.

Shane O' Donoghue (story from Wheels24) - 2 Aug 2004