You are? Fiat turns to public for name of new SUV

Once named, the SuvFiat will only be offered in South America.

Fiat has revealed its new South American market SUV, but has asked the public to vote for a name. Images: motor1.com Brazil

Having taken the wraps off of the facelift Toro towards the end of last month, Fiat has now unveiled an all-new crossover in Brazil said to be the replacement for the Punto discontinued three years ago.

Known internally as Project 363, the newcomer arrives based on a new platform called MLA whose details are currently unknown. Resembling to the Toro to an extent at the front with the rear mirroring that of the new Skoda Fabia from some angles, Fiat has opted to launch the 363 without a name.

Instead, the automaker is asking the public to provide the name in a move similar to what Ford did with the original Fiesta, which ultimately came to nothing after the final vote was overridden and Fiesta chosen.

Rear seemingly mirrors that of the new Skoda Fabia, Images: motor1.com Brazil

As such, the currently called SuvFiat will either become the Domo, Pulse or Tuo with the final outcome set to be revealed in the coming months before sales commence in Brazil in September.

According to motor1.com Brazil, the 363 will slot-in below sister Stellantis brand Jeep’s Renegade with pricing from a reported R $ 80 000 (R215 361) to R $ 110 000 (R296 121), and features such as adaptive cruise control, Autonomous Emergency Braking, the latest Uconnect infotainment system and as evident by the images, a two-tone body colour option.

Up front, the 363 will be motivated by two versions of the flex-fuel Firefly engines; the three-cylinder 1.0-litre turbo from the Argo outputting 92kW/196Nm and a bigger but normally aspirated version of the 1.3 used in the Toro, Fiat Strada/Ram 700, Renegade and Jeep Compass rated at 80kW/139Nm. Transmission will comprise a six-speed automatic on the former and a CVT on the latter with drive going to the front wheels only.

As mentioned, sales are set to start in September but before then, expect Fiat to not only reveal the 363’s name, but also specification details as well as images of the interior. Unfortunately, the “SuvFiat” will be limited to South America and therefore a no-no for South Africa.