Fiat Automòveis are at the moment investigating the possibility of commercialising Tata Motors' recent Cliffrider Pick-up/Sports Utility Vehicle project as part of the two firms' deepening proposals to assemble Fiat and Tata branded products at the formers' Cordoba factory in Argentina.

Tata first showed their double-cab "Cliffrider" concept at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and it could solve several issues at a stroke. The new platform can quickly be adapted to being put into production as either a pick-up or SUV, Tata have already shown both options in concept format and it's arrival would rapidly plug a large market gap for Fiat Automòveis, as the autonomous Brazilian arm of Fiat Auto is not at present represented in the either mid-size pick-up or SUV market segment. Fiat is, at the same time, particularly keen to build on the sales successes which has been achieved by the small Strada pick-up in recent years: it is currently Brazil's best-selling commercial vehicle; and bringing to the market progressively upscale 'family' of pick-ups is seen as being an immediate priority.
 

Fiat also believes there is a strong upside in extending the highly popular 'Adventure' branding, which sees several road range models given a more rugged and stylish off-road look, onto new larger vehicles in a revamped range.

The Tata Cliffrider could be commercialised as soon as the end of next year, or by early 2008. It would be badged by both Fiat and Tata Motors, and also exported and sold by Fiat in Europe, where demand for this type of vehicle is growing. In fact the Brazilian-built Strada Adventure version has just been launched on several European markets. The Cliffrider will be proposed as having two or four wheel drive, a range manual and automatic gearboxes, and using a newly revised version of Tata's 3.0 litre DICOR engine, with 157 bhp available to replace the somewhat underpowered current unit that turns out just 115 bhp. Fiat has also recently investigated the potential of Tata's "Safari" SUV for South America, although interest in this ageing model appears to remain open.

Additional reporting by Claudio Perlini