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Fiat At The 75th Geneva International Motor Show Review

February 2005
Filed under: FIAT Car News | FIAT Headlines
Pop fashion and Italian style

Fiat has produced a stand of great stylistic and architectural appeal for the 75th Geneva International Motor Show. It is divided into two thematic areas where people can meet the New Croma at its world premier and admire the original show cars produced by the Fiat Style Centre. The exhibition area does much more than accommodate the vehicles; it contributes an emotional experience of its own on a par with the many major new automotive products.
This aim is achieved by innovative metallescent materials that are combined with attractive graphic and colour themes borrowed from Pop fashion. The latest fashion trend, inspired by Seventies pop culture, combines imaginative patterns and technology, a host of colours and top quality fabrics. This same creative force now returns, in all its fresh appeal, to the Fiat stand. The end result will involve visitors emotionally as they discover a new way of perceiving the car, i.e. as an object no longer determined by simple utility but by its symbolic value, with the idea that a standard production model can also represent a way of being or feeling.

The star of the show is naturally the new saloon that is represented by four versions at the Swiss Motor Show. The main attraction is a version clad in a special iridescent three-layer blue body. This stands on a futuristic stand that features round metallescent bands: this illustrates the great capacity of Italian car design to mould raw material and breathe life into the New Croma, the car that marks Fiat's return to a segment that it once led in terms of comfort and technological innovation.

One example says it all: 1986 saw the introduction of the Croma TDI, the first direct injection diesel engine in the world. Now the New Croma introduces three turbodiesels - a 120 or 150 bhp 1.9 Multijet unit and a brand new 200 bhp 2.4 Multijet. This achievement is yet another diesel engine record for the Fiat Group - the first was for the Unijet system and more recently with the Multijet.

These unique touches enhance the innovative design of the new saloon, which confers extraordinary stability and superior comfort. The stand also makes extensive use of metallescent lacquers and innovative materials, an expression of Fiat's accumulated expertise. These are complemented by a kaleidoscope of bright colours, with sinuous modular lines. For example, the wall of the Fiat building is enhanced by recesses housing the 'Fiat Vintage' logo and a red heart, a strong, spontaneous symbol of Fiat's new message, i.e. that it wishes to have greater and greater empathy for people, for their less material desires and for their dreams. The result is an evocative language that goes far beyond cold technical descriptions of cars to allow its audience to experience the emotions aroused by Italian style.

Against this stunning backdrop, visitors are free to discover the New Croma and also the concepts of contemporary appeal, ingenuity and ease of use that are perennial features of Fiat products. The same guidelines have always steered Fiat in its quest for state-of-the-art solutions and structures. It is in our genes to produce models that are icons of their own time and often look to the future with their cutting-edge mechanical solutions. Fiat also backs its revolutionary products with unmistakable design that has always made its models immediately recognisable amidst the run-of-the-mill traffic on the road today. This is evident in a swift glance at the five show cars designed by the Fiat Style Centre and housed in the second area of the stand entitled 'Limited Edition'. These are the indisputable stars of the second area that is not so much a display as an emotional voyage of discovery. With the right exterior options and colours, even a standard product can offer an absolutely unique and unrepeatable sensory experience.

First up are the two Panda 4x4 show cars: the first features a micalised orange body while the second show car pays homage to Switzerland. The livery of the 'Panda Swiss' consists of three coats of red paint emblazoned with a white stripe across the entire car. The roof proudly displays the Swiss flag: a white cross on a red ground.

The two Panda cars on show in Geneva show how careful styling can lead to unexpected results of great emotional impact provided the changes are carried out with the greatest respect for product identity. In this sense, the Panda Swiss is a specific example of how the look of an automotive product can be reworked by emphasising the expressive traits that are a perennial feature of Italian design: innovation, style and personality. On the outside, therefore, the Panda Swiss retains the great personality of the standard production model and limits itself to a few changes to the body and the colour scheme. For example, the wheelarch trims and both side trims are made out of translucent backlit material. The side door mouldings, with their original shiny-opaque milled aluminium finish, are also new.

Inside, however, the restyling is more evident and focuses on the facia, which has been given a different colour and new features to enhance its look. The glove compartment flap is also new, made out of a backlit translucent material. The internal compartment is specially equipped. The ventilation outlet frames are painted in red, the same colour as the seat side strips, the gearbox gaiter and the parcel rack. Other areas of the seats have a distinctly high-tech look. Specially trimmed mats are another feature of this version. The Panda Swiss thus draws attention to the model's versatility without in any way detracting from its identity.

The prototype represents a new interpretation of the Panda's way of being which is perfectly in line with the Panda spirit and the other concept cars developed from the same base. And of course the Panda Swiss also benefits from all the winning features of the Panda 4x4, the original four wheel drive version that will tackle any situation but will not stop for anything, exactly as claimed by its 'Don't' stop me baby' advertising slogan. The Panda 4x4 immediately makes you want to set off for the distant horizon, yet still offers great satisfaction when negotiating narrow town centre streets.

The two four wheel drive show cars are flanked by a two-tone Panda with black and blue body livery. This extra touch of sophistication and style makes for a truly fashionable car. This is borne out by the denim interior and the top-quality Alcantara seat side trim. This particular version is very reminiscent of the exclusive clothing and accessory collection bearing the 'Fiat Vintage' label that has been flying off the shelves for the last few months.

The two-tone show car confirms the strengths of a model whose original shape is all about dynamism. Once you climb aboard, the same car conveys all the practicality and comfort of a higher category car. This, in brief, is the spirit of the new Panda, recently crowned 2004 Car of the Year and 2004 European Car of the Year, critical acclaim that was immediately matched by sales success.

The credit goes to a design that has generated a car of compact external dimensions that is complemented by all the creature comforts we are now used to finding on larger cars. Designed to be mean with fuel but no less spirited as a result. Ideal in city traffic but at the same time eager to tackle longer journeys, always ensuring a relaxing drive for its passengers. All these features make the Fiat Panda a fun pint-sized car that also represents fantastic value for money with its winning package of features, low running costs and resale value.

And so Fiat will take its rightful place as leader of this growing segment where so much of motoring history bears its name: from the first 600 to the 500, from the 126 to the Panda and from the Cinquecento to the Seicento. The first people to discover that the car is an irreplaceable means of individual mobility drove Fiat city cars. And they learned how to appreciate cars that could be good-looking, reliable and fun to drive at low cost despite their lack of space, weight and cylinder capacity. Now the baton passes to the new Panda, a model that has won seven prestigious international prizes and is already a sales legend in its market band.

The other show car exhibited in Geneva is also the outcome of painstaking stylistic research. The original Limited Edition of the Fiat Idea Italia is reminiscent of the Fiat Vintage fleeces and bags with its attractive pearl Ivory body shade. Inside, the upper part of the facia is deep blue while the seats and door panels are trimmed in fresh-looking denim combined with Tundra grey Alcantara bearing the electro-welded 'Fiat Vintage' logo. The seat strip bears the Fiat logo written in Vintage style embroidery. The Italian flag is also embroidered on the head-restraint. This is another sign of Fiat's wish to stamp its cars with an Italian flavour and enhance the concepts of design and creativity for which Italy is renowned. The Fiat brand has reclaimed its own heritage and reworked the values for a modern audience that is not necessarily a conventional target for a motor manufacturer. The special car on show in Geneva suits the taste of fashion-loving customers who are also in search of a comfortable car that can gratify their yen for freedom. The innovative, stylish Fiat Idea is a superlative example in the automotive field of technological progress at the service of mankind. The dual concept 'innovation and emotion' has always been one of the most authentic wellsprings of Fiat tradition: to make the most advanced technology available to all and ensure Fiat models offer smart solutions that make life simpler and better.

This area of the stand also features the Stilo Multi Wagon Uproad. The version is designed and created for people who wish to stand out in a crowd and enjoy their free time; people who love nature and wish to satisfy their taste for adventure and challenge. The vehicle on show is available with two power units (115 bhp 1.9 JTD and 140 bhp 1.9 Multijet). It is identifiable from the exterior by its 17" alloy wheels and above all for its black side strips and reinforced bumpers that offset the two stylish metallic body shades. The impression is that of a solid, sturdy model of substance that is ready to inspire thousands of aficionados with its free spirit. Inside, the Stilo Multi Wagon 'Uproad' offers new facia and fabric trim colours.

In Geneva, Fiat introduces a new version of the Stilo; more evidence of its tireless commitment to giving motorists what they want. This commitment has delivered a model packed with new style and features that is as 'full of life' as its advertising slogan promises. The same slogan also neatly encapsulates the spirit that typifies the entire Stilo family (3 or 5 door saloon and Multi Wagon) and describes the dynamic, forward-looking way many customers use their car to enjoy their leisure or working time. All model versions boast extraordinary attributes of practicality and versatility that satisfy the will to travel in absolute freedom.

The New Croma, the five show cars and all the architectural and graphic features create a magical atmosphere that celebrates Italian creativity and technology. The Fiat mission is to be an Italian company that creates beautifully styled cars that are practical and accessible to all. Cars packed with creative, clever solutions for a better quality of everyday life. This gift is universally recognised. In Geneva, Fiat shows us that a mass-produced product can be satisfying and exciting if it is re-interpreted with aesthetic flair.

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