FIAT STILO ( MODEL YEAR 2004 )

Introduction Interior & Exterior Engines & Gearboxes Equipment & Options
The Cassino Plant Images Safety  

INTRODUCTION

The Stilo M.Y. 2004, due to go on sale in January 2004, is more evidence of Fiat's 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.

These winning features have allowed the Fiat Stilo to sell more than 350,000 units throughout Europe within the car's lifetime of two years. The 5 door version, launched in September 2001, has sold 175,000 while the 3 door version has sold 125,000. In 2003, the saloon (3 and 5 door versions) was overall the best-selling car in segment C. These results were complemented by sales of 50,000 units for the Multi Wagon version that made its debut in November 2002.

These figures confirm the Fiat Stilo's success in carving out a significant niche within its hard-fought market band. The Fiat Stilo has now been revised through the addition of some new exterior features and two new engines to reinforce and strengthen its position ahead of its numerous competitors.

Revised exterior styling and brighter interior

The most evident styling changes affect the rear end of the 5 door saloon. The Fiat Style Centre designers have redesigned the tailgate to remove the bumper grooves and the gem-like rear foglights from their current position near the number plate (now they are integral with the rear lights, which also feature a new interior design). Overall, these two improvements give the rear end of the Stilo 5 door a more sophisticated and harmonious appearance while accentuating its sense of solidity.

All the specification packages available for the 5 door version offer an extra touch of elegance due to side and bumper mouldings that are now body coloured. A circular logo is now set in the centre of the tailgate (3 and 5 door versions).

These styling details serve to emphasise the different model spirits still further: a saloon with a single character and two personalities: two 3 and 5 door vehicles that are truly different from one another. The former is geared for individualism, performance and driving satisfaction. It is a youthful, hi-tech car with a strong sporty nature and aggressive shape: the ideal solution for people seeking differentiation and originality. The basic shape consists of two overlying parallelepipeds that join at the waistline where a strong muscle underscores the prevalence of metal over glass.

Comfort is the watchword for the Fiat Stilo M.Y. 04 (5 door) because this car adds all the benefits of the conventional hatchback formula to the advantages of an MPV: the car is easy to get in and out of, there is plenty of room inside and it is driven from a high position that ensures a sense of greater control. The Fiat Stilo's design features and numerous smart solutions for interior space management make it an ideal family car.

The same winning traits are evident on the Stilo Multi Wagon M.Y. 04, a name born out of two very different motoring concepts that have found an ideal balance and blend on this model. On the one hand, the stylistic flair and handling of Station Wagon versions that have always been a byword for travelling satisfaction and the quest for wide open spaces - on the other hand all the versatility and modularity of an MPV that ensure room and comfort for all passengers, both front and back: reconfigurable seats, opening rear window, a particularly comfortable driving position and greater ease of access. The final result was given even greater appeal by equipment and devices until recently exclusive to cars from higher segments.

Engines and suspension

The new model offers a broad and diverse range of power units. This includes three petrol engines and four Common Rail turbodiesels (one is a Multijet) with different attributes. All their qualities are exploited to the full by combining them with 5 or 6 speed gearboxes and, in the case of the 2.4 20v power unit, also a sophisticated Selespeed robotised gearbox.

The various benefits of these many engines include generosity, sparkling performance, high performance and sophisticated technology. All engines share common traits of great reliability and respect for the environment.
 
In particular, the new Fiat Stilo M.Y. 04 range introduces the latest addition to the Fire family: the 1.4 16v unit that develops a maximum power output of 70 kW (95 bhp) available at 5800 rpm and a torque of 128 Nm at 4500 rpm. Fiat Stilo 3 door versions equipped with this engine can reach a top speed of 180 km/h (178 for 5 doors and 176 for the Multi Wagon), accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 12 seconds and cover a kilometre from a standing start in 33.8 seconds). The fuel consumption figures are amongst the best in the segment: 8.2 l/100 km over an urban cycle, 5.5 l/100 km for an extraurban cycle and 6.5 l/100 km over mixed routes. On the Multi Wagon version, the values are 8.7 l/100 km - 5.8 l/100 km - 6.8 l/100 km, while for the 5 door version they are 8.5 l/100 km - 5.7 l/100 km - 6.7 l/100 km.

The second new arrival to the engine range is the powerful 140 bhp 1.9 Multijet, the forerunner of the second generation of Common Rail power units (16 valve JTD engines with Multijet technology) that the Fiat Group introduced to the world for the first time in 2002. The turbodiesel develops a power output of 103 kW (140 bhp) at 4000 rpm and a generous torque of 305 Nm at 2000 rpm. The Fiat Stilo 1.9 Multijet 140 bhp (3 door) touches a top speed of 203 km/h (200 km/h for the 5 door and Multi Wagon), accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.7 seconds and covers a kilometre from a standing start in 30.9 seconds. Despite these searing performance figures, the fuel consumption is low: the saloon returns 7.6 l/100 km over an urban cycle, 4.2 l/100 km over an extraurban cycle, 5.4 l/100 km for a mixed cycle, while the figures for the 5 door and Multi Wagon versions are 7.8 l/100 km - 4.4 l/100 km - 5.6 l/100 km respectively.

These two new power units are complemented by six more engines that were already available on the current range:

  • The 76 kW (103 bhp) 1.6 16v delivers its maximum power output at 5750 rpm and the maximum torque (145 Nm) at 4000 rpm.

  • The 1.8 16v develops a maximum power output of 98 kW (133 bhp) available at 6400 rpm and a torque of 162 Nm at 3500 rpm.

  • 2.4 20v, with Selespeed or manual gearbox, that packs a punch of 125 kW (170 bhp) at 6000 rpm and a torque of 221 Nm at just 3500 rpm.

  • The 1.9 JTD delivers 59 kW (80 bhp), available at just 4000 rpm, and a torque of 196 Nm at 1500 rpm.

  • The 115 bhp 1.9 JTD differs from the 80 bhp version in the presence of an intercooler and variable geometry turbine. It delivers a maximum power output of 85 kW at 4000 rpm and offers a maximum torque of 255 Nm at 2000 rpm.

    And so from engines to the suspension. One of the briefs given to the designers allocated to the Fiat Stilo project was to create a suspension capable of higher-category performance levels. The system had to ensure great driving ease and precision, outstanding roadholding and the best possible passenger comfort.

    Hence the choice of two efficient tried and tested layouts that work very effectively due to the attributes of the new chassis. The front features an independent MacPherson strut configuration refined through the adoption of numerous improvements. The rear configuration is an interconnected wheel (semi-independent) suspension with a torsion beam, a solution already adopted on higher category cars. This configuration assures passengers the following:
     

  • great comfort because less noise and vibration is allowed into the passenger compartment;

  • outstanding handling achieved by means of a folded sheet steel torsion beam that ensures ideal torsional rigidity for the suspension - plus an antiroll bar that is very light due to a hollow cross-section;

  • excellent driving stability because hydraulic bushes attach the axle to the body and create a toe-in effect on bends.

    Top of its class for safety

    On the passive safety front, the Fiat Stilo M.Y. 04 (saloon and Multi Wagon) offers 8 airbags, the front two being Multistage. As far as active safety is concerned, the car boasts four disc brakes and offers all the braking and traction control devices available on the market today. ABS with integral electronic brakeforce distributor EBD; ASR, to limit wheel slip during acceleration and MSR to modulate brake torque while shifting down; EVA and HBA devices to help the driver brake fully in emergencies; a sophisticated ESP device that controls car dynamic stability electronically on bends. The options list also includes Xenon headlights that offer significantly better visibility than conventional beams under all weather conditions.

    Technology at your service

    The Fiat Stilo simplifies the life of its owner: when you enter a tunnel, the headlights will come on automatically under the action of a sensor. At the first drops of a sudden shower, a rain sensor will activate the windscreen wiper. Parking manoeuvres are also made easier by a parking sensor. The driver can customise the operation of these and other systems via a My Car menu on the control panel. The model also offers the convenience of electric power steering and a Memory function that allows you to set and recall up to three steering wheel, seat and door mirror settings. The Fiat Stilo M.Y. 04 also offers CONNECT, an innovative telematic system that links the driver to the wide range of services offered by Fiat Auto. On the new car, the CONNECT service array is complemented by a Dual Band GSM phone with WAP internet access, GPS localisation and a navigation system in addition to a CD sound system that can even play MP3 music files. The system may be managed by voice commands and displayed on a 7" Wide Screen.

    With the exception of the new 140 bhp Multijet, all diesel versions of the Fiat Stilo M.Y. 04 are available with an additional boiler-type heater that can heat the power unit water even with the car parked. This makes it easier to start the car in cold weather and immediately maximises heating capacity inside the passenger compartment. It is also very useful to be able to program the activation of this device directly from the My Car keys or even operate it remotely using a remote control unit (e.g. you can activate the heater conveniently from your home if the car is parked in a garage).

    Next Generation Interior

    The Fiat Stilo M.Y. 04 also offers a brand new approach to interior outfitting and utilisation of space allocated to passengers and luggage. The passenger compartment may be referred to as a new generation interior without fear of exaggeration because it packs all the practicality and flexibility of an MPV into a normal 5 door saloon or station wagon. This is possible due to seats that split (1/3 - 2/3) and fold down or, on 5 door and Multi Wagon versions, are sliding and reclinable. The seats can adapt to the features of any passenger and all load situations: the passenger seat can even be folded down to form a table. This makes the luggage compartment hugely versatile because it can offer a different load capacity and even a different shape as and when required. One example says it all: at 1480 litres, the Multi Wagon version boasts the roomiest luggage compartment in its category.

    One of the most extensive ranges in the segment

    Customers can choose between three vehicles with different styles (3 or 5 door saloon and Multi Wagon), eight engines (95 bhp 1.4 16v; 103 bhp 1.6 16v; 133 bhp 1.8 16v; 170 bhp 2.4 20v; 80 bhp 1.9 JTD; 115 bhp 1.9 JTD - and 140 bhp 1.9 Multijet), five gearboxes (four manual and one Selespeed), four specifications (Actual, Active, Dynamic and Abarth), 13 body colours (7 are brand new) for each of which interior trim is available in different colours and fabrics.

    A range that provides everyone with their ideal Fiat Stilo M.Y. 04. Whether you want to opt for a high-spec, safe vehicle without lots of state-of-the-art toys. Or whether you want to kit your car out with all the automotive extras currently available on the market. If you want to add a touch of personal taste to your Fiat Stilo M.Y. 04 (saloon and Multi Wagon), you could always choose from a long list of options and accessory range items.
    The Fiat Stilo M.Y. 04 is indubitably a car of European spirit because it has successfully adapted to more than 50 markets.

    The factory

    Fiat cannot help being ahead of its time when it comes to manufacturing technologies and work organisation. Fiat Auto has always managed and modified its production organisation to make its plants more competitive and more ready to respond to market needs. This was true at the beginning of the Nineties, when it abandoned traditional methods of organisation in favour of an Integrated Factory approach. And the same thing happened again in 1993 when the Melfi plant was set up to build the Punto. Two milestones in the history of car construction. The year 2001 and the creation of the Fiat Stilo marked another important milestone: the modular integrated Factory set up in the Cassino plant.

    The modular integrated factory philosophy came about due to a need to meet product and market requirements and as a result of changes to the previous form of work organisation. The new system focuses on full involvement by service and subunit suppliers. It also makes much more of Man's role within the team. It makes so much use of cutting-edge computerised technologies that Digital Factory is probably a more appropriate name.

    But this is not all. The Fiat Auto engineers took these ideas one stage further and broke down the production process into its component parts. This enabled them to redesign flows, work stations and equipment. They introduced the most sophisticated technologies - and these are particularly evident in the Panel and Paint shops. They brought in Platform engineers, who came down onto the shop floor to monitor production start-up, step by step.

    Changes were made that affect process organisation and involve technologies, work flow and staff training to make the product customers want. Everything has been reviewed, streamlined and computerised through a radical process of transformation that has affected all the people who work at Cassino in one way or another.