Fresh new proposals for a Fiat 'microcar', just 2.65 metres in length, have been revealed by Italian motoring magazine Quattroroute.

Fiat are keen to build on their famous tradition of producing innovative, fun and fashionable small cars, and a contender in the ever-expanding 'micro' segment is uppermost in their minds. At the Geneva Salon in 2004 Fiat introduced the Trepiuno concept, an innovative 3+1 seat concept that developed the theme of the original and highly-successful Fiat 500, a tiny 'city' car that has rightfully claimed its place in the automotive history books. Geneva is regarded as the world's most important motor show, and the cute little Trepiuno was the show stopper, creating such as positive and enthusiastic reaction that Fiat's senior management were convinced that building a microcar was the route to follow.

However, the Trepiuno concept in the format it was presented to the world in Geneva, was considered too long, too expensive to manufacture, and too close in its dimensions to the Fiat Panda, to ever be seriously considered for full production by Fiat's management, who never, despite the overwhelming public and press enthusiasm, warmed to the concept. Rather, they wish to create a car that will sit clearly below their award-winning Panda, as a genuine and highly cost-effective city transportation method.

The new 'microcar' will thus go head-to-head with Smart's tiny city 'Coupé', the FourTwo, the well established market leader in this segment. Whereas though the FourTwo is a 'lifestyle' product overtly wearing the Mercedes-Benz badge, and as such commands a premium price tag, Fiat want to create a car that will be more widely affordable and truly innovative. Fiat's engineers don't regard the current Smart FourTwo, itself due to be replaced in 2007, as offering any particularly great value or very much technical ability, and firmly believe that they can offer a much more exciting and innovative option at a substantially better price, and in the process create a modern-day replacement for the iconic 1950s Fiat 500.

The Italian carmaker wants to produce a car that once again will see the historic concern breaking the small car mould, pushing the boundaries forward, and, in their new Fiat-Lancia design chief, Frank Stephenson, who arrives fresh from a stint as head of design at the Ferrari-Maserati Group, they have a visionary thinker who wants to stamp his mark on this segment for the first time.
 

For this reason travelling the now-popular 'retro' route with the Trepiuno, designed before he took over the design reigns at Fiat, was never an option for Stephenson, who can count designing the BMW MINI as one of his many achievements, and so it was an idea that was quickly dismissed. To achieve these new ends Fiat see the passenger carrying restrictions imposed by the two-seat Smart FourTwo as unfavourable, and they want their contender to squeeze four seats into its tiny frame, which Quattroruorte magazine believe will be just 2.65 metres in length, and 1.70 metres high. This proposed height will be enough to get four seats into the car, which will be propelled by the highly compact and efficient 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine, positioned behind the high-positioned rear seats, and driving the rear wheels. Luggage stowage space will also be available above the engine and gearbox, and on the back seats which will be swiftly and simply adaptable to provide a secondary function of increasing storage capacity, accessible from the high tailgate. The front bonnet will also open to offer further luggage space.

Innovations will include Fiat's trademark all-glass roof and a sliding door for easy access in confined spaces, very similar in principle to that which has been pioneered by Peugeot on their compact new 1007 model. Prior to the dissolution of the GM-Fiat partnership earlier this year, Fiat had also closely looked at the technology and practices used by Gm to develop their efficient Trixx 'microcar' concept. The possibility of platform and technology sharing still remains an option for a car that Fiat will build in Poland alongside the Panda, and which they estimate would sell in the region of 100,000 to 150,000 units per year.