The "Oltre Fiat" show car was presented last Thursday at the Bologna Motor Show in dramatic fashion, driven onto the stage after smashing through a large glass screen by Fiat CEO Luca De Meo, and then forming the centerpiece of a truly spectacular display. This unique model confirms the Fiat Group's technological excellence even in the large four-wheel drive and off-road segment, derived as it is from the Iveco LMV (Light Multirole Vehicle), the new military off-road vehicle that embodies cutting edge technical features and has won the FCLV (Future Command and Liaison Vehicle) contract for the British Army, also being chosen by the Italian Army.

The show car has very generous external dimensions: it is 4,870 mm long, 2,050 mm high, 2,200 mm wide and has a wheelbase of 3,230 mm. It has "exuberant" styling, developed around a silhouette with straight wheelarches that cut across the uncluttered sides. The door handles have been recessed deliberately, so that they do not constitute an obstacle when driving off-road. In other words, the design concept underlines the car's practical personality, which is then taken to the extreme by the vehicle's actual performance.

The Crew-Cab version (long cab with an open platform) achieves a perfect balance between the feeling of dominating the terrain from inside the comfortable cab, and the Spartan personality of a pure expedition Pick-up. The tubular structure above the cab enhances the solidity of the whole vehicle, focusing attention on the presence of a complete rollover bar inside the cab. And finally, the adjustable sunshade at the top of the windscreen increases the dynamism of the roof, and recreates the typical structure of vehicles used for desert crossings. The Oltre-Fiat clearly embodies power and solidity, having inherited all the features peculiar to the military model, starting from the permanent four wheel drive transmission that allows it to tackle any situation or route it comes across. The merit also goes to the generous 50 cm ground clearance, and the highly efficient independent suspension system with coil springs and coaxial dampers.
 

The vehicle's extraordinary capacity as an "explorer" is also enhanced by the fact that all-wheel drive is engaged automatically when it is needed. All three differentials lock, a system that guarantees optimal wheel grip in all conditions. Thanks to these solutions, the Oltre Fiat can negotiate a lateral gradient of up to 40%, and longitudinal gradients of 80%; it can also tackle fords of up to 85 cm, and this can be increased to 1.5 metres by mounting special inlet and exhaust pipe extensions. And finally, the show car is fitted with high performance, ultra sporty (V speed code), low profile Pirelli Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico 315/40R26 XL (Extra load) tyres. The vehicle on show in Bologna can therefore perform a wide range of functions; it is equipped with an Iveco F1C Common rail diesel engine, with a variable geometry turbo and intercooler. The 3-litre engine has 4 cylinders in line and delivers a maximum power output of 136 kW (185 bhp) at 3700 rpm, and peak torque of 456 Nm at 1800 rpm. Combined with a six-speed automatic transmission, the engine gives this extraordinary vehicle a top speed of over 130 km/h.

And finally, the Oltre-Fiat show car weighs about seven tonnes, ready for the road and exploiting all its load capacity. It can seat four or five people, depending on the interior outfit, with an overall payload of about three tonnes. Fiat thanks the following organisations for their collaboration in the development of the Oltre Fiat show car: RRS (vehicle outfit), Pirelli (tyres), Sabelt (seats) and Alpine (audiovisual systems).