Brazil just got its first mild-hybrid pickup — and of course it’s a Fiat. The updated Toro 2027 not only opens the MHEV era in the local segment, but also marks Fiat’s 50th anniversary in the country. Coincidence? Hardly.
Under the hood sits the familiar 1.3-liter Turbo 270 Flex (gasoline or ethanol, your call) paired with a brand-new 48-volt belt-driven starter-generator. It replaces the conventional starter and alternator and adds 16 hp and up to 65 Nm — right where a turbo engine struggles most, at low revs while the turbo is still asleep. In the city, the difference is immediate.
The savings Fiat promises are modest but honest: 11.1% less fuel on gasoline and 11.7% less on ethanol compared to the regular Turbo 270 Flex. Engine output stays the same — 175 hp on gasoline, 182 hp on ethanol, 270 Nm available from just 1,750 rpm. Transmission is a 6-speed automatic. And yes, unlike the bigger 2.2 Multijet II diesel Toro with its 9-speed and four-wheel drive, the hybrid version stays front-wheel drive. Not for off-roading — for the city.
And here’s the best part — no plugs. None. The 0.85 kWh battery recharges itself, harvesting energy during braking and deceleration. Start-stop has been taught to shut the engine down before the car even comes to a full halt, then wake it up almost instantly. Under light load the engine disconnects from the transmission altogether, while the 48-volt battery handles part of the electrical load. Quiet, drama-free, cable-free.
The asking price is 197,490 reais for the Volcano and 206,490 for the Ultra (roughly $35,300 and $36,900 at current rates). The entry-level Endurance and Freedom start at 167,490 and 177,490 reais, while the diesel Volcano and Ranch begin at 220,490 and 238,490. The whole Toro lineup falls somewhere between $29,900 and $42,600.
Volcano and Ultra get a 10.1-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control and keyless entry. The Toro itself — known as the Ram 1000 in some markets — rides on a platform shared with the Jeep Renegade and Compass, and remains the confident segment leader in Brazil.
The point of this story isn’t that the Toro suddenly turned into an EV — it didn’t try to. Fiat did something smarter: added electrification exactly where it actually works. Less fuel in traffic. Smoother launches. And not a single plug. Seriously.
