Fiat has produced a
stand of great stylistic and architectural appeal for the
75th Geneva Salon which opens next week.
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.