The new Fiat Centoventi made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show and is the car with which the Turin car company intends to celebrate its 120th anniversary. This is a vehicle with electric propulsion that recalls the simple style that characterized the Panda in the 1980s, not even too implicitly. The Panda of the future, according to the new concept, remains faithful to the design ” ABC “, ” Affordable but Cool “.
In terms of design, the reference to the Panda in the 1980s is quite evident: simple shapes and few frills where the dimensions are much more similar to those of modern small cars. The concept is 3.68 meters long and is 1.53 meters high, with a width of 1.74 meters, which becomes 1.85 meters with the mirrors open.
Among the most obvious references to the Panda ” 141 ” we have the bumper strip processing for protection from urban dangers, or the Italian flag on the front that recalls the original Fiat Panda logo.
The stylistic references do not end there: the lights on the bumpers, for example, refer to the shape of the original headlights of the old Pandas, as well as the extremely simplified form of the dashboard.
In all cases, the shapes of the old are combined with completely new technologies: the headlights become LED, and the interiors are ready to meet the needs of the modern user, with the ability to connect smartphones and exploit fully digitized tools (and probably more reliable than those of the original model).
There are also several customizable solutions, such as the possibility of having open roof options. The concept includes doors without uprights, an extremely sophisticated solution (typical, precisely, of the concepts) that we will hardly see on a possible 120 marketed (if ever there will be).
The Fiat 120 will also be customizable with regard to autonomy on the road: the standard battery will offer a mileage of approximately 100 km, but the addition of additional modules will allow it to go up to 500 km.
The car can accommodate up to a maximum of four battery packs to be used only when needed. For urban use, it will be possible to circulate with a single module to the advantage of easy handling, while if longer crossings are planned it is sufficient to go to a specialized service center that will insert (or otherwise, quickly) the new modules through a system sledges. According to Fiat, the system is designed not to negatively influence weight distribution, even in the most extreme case with four modules installed.
However, there is a lack of information about the new Fiat concept for a project that at the moment seems only sketchy. We do not even know how much of what we have seen will be transposed on a vehicle that will actually be placed in the sales circuits, and no technical information on the battery capacities in the individual modules has been offered, nor information on charging times or power supplied from the vehicle. We know that there will be a ” 4U ” personalization program that will allow the buyer to customize the car in a capillary manner.
You will be able to choose four types of roofs, four styles for the bumpers, and there will also be four choices on the rims and external finishes. The car will be offered in gray, while different colors can be applied later by the dealership with a temporary wrapping system replaceable if necessary.
For the roof instead the buyer can choose a polycarbonate panel, a fabric soft top, a load port or an integrated solar panel for recharging the batteries when in motion.
In total, according to Fiat, it will be possible to choose from 120 accessories at launch, with the Fiat 120 which will be a ” blank canvas “, an empty project in which the buyer himself will choose the details.
What is certain is that there remains some doubt about the real desire of Fiat to propose such an innovative project to the public, although judging by the words spent by the company on the new Centoventi it seems that there are all intentions. To date, considering the brand’s innovative verve of recent years, some doubts are better reserved.