19.02.2004 FIAT WILL OFFER A MULTI LEVEL STAND OF 'STYLISTIC AND ARCHITECTURAL APPEAL' IN GENEVA

Fiat offers visitors to the Geneva show a stand of huge stylistic and architectural allure. The area is designed to involve the public on different levels and allow visitors to appreciate the entire Fiat range while also experiencing the emotions that the brand claims as its own. Fiat's self declared mission is this: to be an Italian company that produces well-styled, practical cars that are accessible to all. Cars packed with creative, clever solutions for a better quality of everyday life. The same philosophy that led the architects to produce the stand you can see at the 74th Geneva International Motor Show.

Italian design is, in fact, the leit-motif underlying both car product and exhibition area. Visitors may visit our Design Café furnished with lights, seats, tables and many other items that have aided the development of Italian industrial design. Here you can sip a coffee and admire the cars on show as you sit comfortably on armchairs and seats with a distinctively Italian flavour.

The entire stand acts as a truly unique stage set. Stairways and slides divide exhibition areas that are arranged on different levels and painted in different shades. The walls of the Fiat building feature LED screens onto which films are projected while the flooring is in metallescent lacquer. The uplit platforms on which the cars are exhibited are in steel and glass.

Against this stunning backdrop, visitors are free to discover the concepts of contemporary appeal, ingenuity and ease of use that are perennial features of Fiat products. The same guidelines have always steered the Fiat Style Centre in its quest for state-of-the-art solutions and structures. An example? The original 'Fiat Trepiùno' concept car says it all: it is a modern reinterpretation of past superminis. And this new product is flanked by another world first: the New Multipla, now with a new look that is more fun and bears a closer family resemblance to the latest Fiat models.

The 'Fiat Trepiùno' and New Multipla express the will to experiment so typical of Fiat's designers and engineers. It is in our genes to produce models that are icons of their 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.

Design and innovation, style and character. The very same ideas are evident in our two most recent models: the New Panda and Fiat Idea. The former has recently been crowned 'Car of the Year 2004' and 'European Car of the Year 2004' and is the most advanced product in the city-car field. It is a multifunctional compact car that is both comfortable and roomy, ideal in town traffic but also able to tackle longer trips. Its design features harmonious, dynamic volumes and its style was created to meet all the needs of present-day customers who seek maximum practicality combined with comfort and pleasing good looks. Visitors to the Geneva show can admire it in three versions, all clad in bright and bubbly colours: one is equipped with a 70 bhp 1.3 16v Multijet, the second is a 4x4 version and the last is an extrovert SUV. The off-road version is displayed on a special platform that simulates its off-road application.

No show would be complete without the Fiat Idea, the original model that represents a new motoring experience. The model succeeds in combining two very different motoring concepts: handling and compact size on the one hand (it measures a little under four metres in length, 1.70 metres in width and 1.66 metres in height) - and all the modularity and versatility of a true MPV on the other. Still within the area devoted to the Idea, you can view the various activities performed at the Fiat Style Centre on computer workstations. Another innovative way to tell visitors about new design trends at the Fiat studios. Great attention will also be focused on the Stilo MY 2004 and the Stilo Multi Wagon version. Due to go on sale at the beginning of the year, the model has undergone a few exterior tweaks and now offers two new engines: the spirited 95 bhp 1.4 16v and the powerful 140 bhp 1.9 Multijet. Other cars on the stand include a 1.4 5-door, a Stilo Multi Wagon 1.9 Multijet and a 170 bhp 2.4 20v 3-door.

At Geneva, Fiat is also displaying the most recent results of its ongoing commitment to motorists' needs. This commitment is evident in the multi-faceted nature of our product range, in our new models and also in the variants and updates to existing ranges. The fertile nature of this breeding ground is illustrated by the two current production cars on the stand. Firstly, the New Fiat Punto displayed in two versions: a 1.4 16v Sporting and a 70 bhp 1.3 16v Multijet. The second is the New Barchetta in a special 'Prima Classe' specification by Alviero Martini, famous for his leather and luggage collections.

Lastly, glass cases house three second-generation Common Rail engines: the 70 bhp 1.3 Multijet 16v, the 140 bhp1.9 Multijet 16v and the 100 bhp 1.9 Multijet 8v. The three models on show are the result of the most advanced engineering developed by the Fiat Group. They offer generous performance, good fuel economy and respect for environmental matters.