Visitors to the Auto Esporte website in Brazil have voted the new Fiat Strada Cabine Dupla as the Picape do Ano 2010 (Pick-up of the Year) conferring an important award onto the latest version of Fiat's long-running Brazilian-built workhorse.

Visitors to the Auto Esporte website in Brazil have voted the new Fiat Strada Cabine Dupla as the Picape do Ano 2010 (Pick-up of the Year) conferring an important award onto the latest version of Fiat's long-running Brazilian-built workhorse. The public vote reflects the similar outcome of voting by 27 automotive specialist journalists who also chose the Strada Cabine Dupla as the Auto Esporte Picape do Ano 2010.

The Fiat Strada Cabine Dupla (double cab) was introduced in the early summer as the third version of the "Project World Car" family member's range, to compliment the options available from the standard version and the extended cab option. It has also been available since launch in "Adventure" series format. The Strada pick-up is the best-selling light commercial vehicle on the Brazilian market.

More than 5,000 visitors to the Auto Esporte website have voted for the best new pick-up or new version to hit the Brazilian market this year and the Strada Cabine Dupla was the clear winner with 37.62 percent of the votes. This year is the 43rd edition of the awards, though the Picape do Ano honours first started in 1997 and returned this year after a two-year absence. The Strada Cabine Dupla came out ahead of the Volkswagen Saveiro which took a quarter of all the votes (25.94 percent) and the Toyota Hilux (gasolina) which was less than one percent adrift (25.06 percent) while the Ford Ranger was fourth with 11.37 percent.

This is the first time that Fiat has won the Picape do Ano award, Ford and Chevrolet are the most lauded, tying together with three wins apiece. The Dodge Dakota won in 2000 and this pick-up which is still on the market in its latest-generation format is now under the influence of the Fiat Group thanks to its 20 percent shareholding and overall control of Chrysler Group. The previous winners of Picape do Ano are: 1997 (Chevrolet S10), 1998 (Chevrolet Silverado), 1999 (Ford Ranger), 2000 (Dodge Dakota), 2001 (Ford F-250), 2003 (Nissan Frontier), 2004 (Chevrolet Montana), 2005 (Ford Ranger), 2006 (Toyota Hilux) and 2007 (Toyota Hilux). Curiously the first ever winner of the Auto Esporte Carro do Ano (Car of the Year) award in 1966 was the Willy's pick-up.