The Fiat stand at the Bologna Motor Show is youthful and fresh with great visual impact. Visitors can admire the mightiest Grande Punto versions with the new off-road Fiat Sedici and Panda SUV versions. The 2300 square metre exhibition area is divided into two areas that represent the themes of sportiness and off-road driving. Both areas share the same blue and white setting that is created using different materials: laminate, carpet and innovative materials that simulate ice coating the asphalt on which the Grande Punto Sport cars are lined up. The host of new car products and all the architectural and graphic features create a magical atmosphere that celebrates Italian motorsport and engineering. Against this stunning backdrop, visitors are free to discover Italian design and the concepts of contemporary appeal, ingenuity and ease of use that are the ongoing features of all Fiat products. The same guidelines have always steered Fiat in its quest for state-of-the-art solutions and unprecedented 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 line-up naturally includes the new Fiat Croma and the Idea MY that parade across the stand in perfect harmony with all the panache of a winning brand that has always played a leading role in various segments.

The Bologna Motor Show is considered the most important automotive festival in Italy and Fiat has decided to create a stand to remember where you can meet, listen to music and discover a host of new automotive products. A DJ stage has thus been set up in cooperation with the stations Playradio and the digital ‘Radio Italia Network’. This will involve visitors in games, races and spectacular exhibitions over the coming days. Indisputable star of the show will be the Grande Punto logo: ‘Mr. Dot’, a fun P-shaped pictogram that performs the dual roles of DJ and Player at the Bologna show. During the Motor Show, Playradio will also put out the first ‘Dot Player’ mix while youngsters who passed heats organised by ‘Radio Italia Network’ in November will challenge one another for the title of ‘Dot DJ’. Several stations have also been set up inside the Fiat stand where visitors can play the latest version of Need for Speed and also find out about exclusive offers formulated in conjunction with Sava and Savarent.

Fiat 4x4 technology

The first focus of the stand is the area devoted to off-road driving and the indisputable stars of the show are the brand-new Fiat Sedici and Panda SUV (the latter also available in a Monster special series) plus the extraordinary ‘Oltre Fiat’ show-car that will form the centrepiece of a spectacular exhibition during the days of the Motor Show. The Fiat Sedici is represented by two cars, both with four wheel drive, (one in a Sand shade and the other with a black body) with chrome bars, 16” alloys and a chrome exhaust tail-pipe. The Panda SUV is represented by two cars (one Green and the other Sand) and a Special Series known as Monster that harks back to a famous Ducati model. The 4x4 theme is reinforced by meaningful references to the winter achieved through the use of specific colour and material effects: for example, the architectural signs present are the start and development of a track in the show. And more: several long, narrow led screens on the inner perimeter walls that are designed to look like a bobsleigh track frame the Fiat stand and show animated films and writing as well as a Panda 4x4 and a Jamaican version of a bobsleigh. Several cars exhibited in an outside area refer directly to the Fiat brand’s sponsorship of the Olympic freestyle and bobsleigh events.

Sportiness and music: Grande Punto Sport and Need For Speed

The second focus of the stand is sportiness, as demonstrated by the five Grande Punto cars on show: three are exhibited in the feistiest version (Sport specification with the potent 130 bhp 1.9 Multijet); one is a Grande Punto Rally Super 2000 that will be a contender in various national and international Rally Championships; the last is a Dynamic car with a Need For Speed outfit. The spotlights will naturally be trained on the Grande Punto Rally Super 2000 with its four wheel drive engineering and distinctive three-coat pearl white paintwork. The car is also equipped with a 2000 cc aspirated engine that develops a maximum power output of some 280 bhp.

The stand also features a Grande Punto Dynamic with the new 90 bhp 1.3 Multijet with a variable geometry turbine and outfitted with the special Need For Speed kit (based on the well-known racing videogame) that includes aluminium pedals, sports exhaust tailpipe, sideskirts, special bumpers at front and rear, roof spoiler, roof bars, 17” alloys and a Hi-Fi system designed for connection to an I-Pod.

The Bologna Motor Show is the setting chosen by Fiat and Electronic Arts (EA), world leader in videogames, for bringing an original team to the attention of the general public. Several stations have been set up to allow visitors to try version two of Need For Speed, the biggest-selling car racing game in the world (version one sold more than 15 million copies) that involves the unexpected participation of a Grande Punto car. Visitors can also admire the real life version of the car in the game, which will shortly be available from dealers to satisfy those who want to enjoy something more substantial than a virtual car.

The cars on show in Bologna are also equipped with a sophisticated Hi-Fi sound system developed in conjunction with Interscope, the prestigious Universal Music brand. The system has been carefully developed, designed and adjusted to fit the passenger compartment to ensure sound quality of unparalleled performance and dynamism. In detail, it consists of 2 Tweeters with a treated silk diaphragm for crystal-clear high notes (40 Watts of music power); 2 165 millimetre Woofers with a polypropylene membrane for clean medium frequencies and precise bass notes (80 Watts of music power); 2 130 millimetre Fullrange with a copper ring for undistorted listening (40 Watts of music power). The Interscope Hi-Fi system is also equipped with a four-channel amplifier (160 Watts of music power) that optimises the sound to the shape of the car for effective spatial sound distribution - and a two-channel amplifier subwoofer box (80 Watts of music power) with a twin coil speaker for deep, powerful bass notes.

The agreements with Electronic Arts and Interscope are part of a wider Fiat strategy to involve itself in art, sport and fashion - and now also entertainment and music. The common aim of the various initiatives is to win over young customers aged between 18 and 35, who make up a demanding, well-informed and forward-looking customer band. Fiat reaches out to these customers by employing clear, immediate language, as is evident in the stand set up at Bologna with its unmistakable message of dynamism and energy.

Safety and versatility in the Croma, Idea MY and New Doblò models

The Bologna show would not be complete without the other models that have been launched this year and are meeting with great critical and public acclaim: the Croma, Idea MY and New Doblò. Firstly, the new Croma, the vehicle that marks Fiat’s return to a segment within which it won records for 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 the Multijet.
 

The Giugiaro-designed new Croma is an advanced Station Wagon concept that aims, like its predecessor, to become the benchmark for medium-top range saloons. It is therefore typified by the substance of the concepts it expresses: great interior roominess for outstanding comfort; technological innovation in the diesel engine field and, lastly, superior quality for a standard production model. On the Fiat stand, visitors can admire an example equipped with the powerful 200 Multijet 2.4 engine and top of the range specification including leather interior, generous Sky Dome sunroof and 18” alloys.

This is the ideal car for customers who want superb performance combined with good value for money in terms of standard equipment – everything at a truly unbeatable price. Not to mention the fact that the Fiat Croma was recently awarded a prestigious five-star Euro NCAP rating, meaning that it is also a best buy for safety. This major accolade, together with the ranking allocated to the Grande Punto, confirm Fiat Auto’s particular commitment to all aspects relating to driver and passenger protection.

The versatile Fiat Idea MY is also reserved a place of honour on the Fiat stand. This revised compact MPV confirms Fiat’s continual commitment to staying close to motorists’ needs. This commitment is translated into the updated style on this model that, since its launch, has proved very appetising to customers who love fashion but are also seeking a comfortable car that can satisfy their need for freedom. The innovative, stylish Fiat Idea is a superlative example in the automotive field of technological progress at the service of mankind. The dual concept ‘innovation and emotion’ has always been one of the most authentic wellsprings of Fiat tradition: to make the most advanced technology available to all and ensure Fiat models offer smart solutions that make life simpler and better. And the Fiat Idea MY is no exception. The new range is represented at the Bologna show by a car in the Dynamic specification equipped with the powerful 100 bhp 1.9 Multijet engine.

The Fiat stand also hosts the New Doblò that is now better-looking, more practical and packed with features. Now with revised styling and the most diverse engine range in its segment (offering petrol, diesel and dual fuel petrol/methane), the new model confirms itself as an original vehicle with two souls: a car and a commercial vehicle (in the latter guise, it was awarded the prestigious international title of Van of the Year 2006). Visitors to the Bologna show can see the New Doblò Family version (7-seater) which is designed for people transport and aimed at customers who seek maximum functionality and practicality plus great value for money.

Entertainment and ecology in the outdoor areas

This kaleidoscope of music, fashion and new products is bound to attract thousands of visitors, particularly kids seeking answers to their expectations and desires. The fun and surprises go on, even outside the pavilions housing the stand. An off-road track with different road surfaces and typical offroad test obstacles has been set up over an area of some 2400 square metres. Here visitors can enjoy hours of fun watching the Fiat Sedici and Panda SUV. And more. Minimum environmental impact vehicles bearing the Natural Power logo are on show in another area: here visitors can see the Punto, Multipla and Doblò as well as the Punto Van, Doblò Cargo and Ducato commercial vehicles, all with methane and petrol dual fuel systems. If you want, you can even try out the Doblò ‘Natural Power’ on a dedicated track. Environmental protection is one of the main guiding strands for the development of future models as far as Fiat Auto is concerned.

For this reason, visitors to the Bologna show can also see a Panda Hydrogen, the first Fuel Cell vehicle developed by the Fiat Research Centre, which offers standards of performance and roominess comparable to those of conventional cars. The attention of the major car manufacturers in this field is now mainly directed toward Fuel Cells known as PEMs (Proton Exchange Membranes) that can generate electricity through a process involving the chemical recombination of hydrogen and oxygen. This type of Fuel Cell offers a quick response to the car’s energy needs, high specific power and a relatively simple construction that makes it particularly suitable for creating light, sturdy and reliable generators to be used for the generation of electric power on board the car.

More specifically, the Panda Hydrogen features ‘Full Power’ architecture. The Nuvera production stack (i.e. the heart of the Fuel Cell electrical generation system) is connected directly to the electrical traction engine and supplies the vehicle with all the power required. The stack is located beneath the floorpan and consists of several cells connected in series. Inside, hydrogen and oxygen atoms combine with the aid of a catalytic converter to produce water and heat and also generate electrical energy with zero emissions.

The system is supplied with hydrogen at a pressure of 1.5 bars and produces, from oxygen contained in air (also compressed), electrical energy with a maximum power of 60 kW with a high rate of efficiency (60% at 20% of maximum power). The alternating current three-phase asynchronous electric motor and the transmission are located in the engine compartment together with their accessories.

The hydrogen that feeds the Fuel Cell is contained at a pressure of 350 bar in a tank made out of composite material installed beneath the car’s rear floorpan: all the distinguishing features of the New Panda passenger compartment are therefore maintained, including outstanding roominess for four people. The system is complemented by auxiliary circuits to supply the hydrogen, manage the air and water and cool the stack. At full power, the Fuel Cell engine on the Panda Hydrogen delivers 60 kW that allows the car to reach a top speed of more than 130 km/h, with acceleration from 0 to 50 km/h in 7 seconds. The car can also climb a maximum gradient of 23% at take-off. With its overall capacity of 68 litres, the hydrogen tank assures the Fiat Panda Hydrogen a range of more than 200 km over an urban cycle. Refuelling time is very quick also at less than 5 minutes, i.e. comparable to the time taken to refuel a methane car.

The introduction of the Panda Hydrogen is simply the latest in a string of developments that have seen Fiat taking centre stage internationally. Though Fuel Cell propulsion systems will not be widely available before the end of the next decade, Fiat Auto has already been active in their development and application for a few years – as we saw in 2001 with the debut of the Seicento ‘Elettra H₂ Fuel Cell’, and then the Seicento Hydrogen. The Panda Hydrogen has now taken up the baton to take research from the laboratory prototype stage to that of a field research vehicle. 2006 will see the beginning of the demonstration stage of small Panda Hydrogen fleets, as a forerunner to wide-ranging demonstration programmes promoted and supported by the European Union and by the Italian Ministries and Regions. The ultimate aim is for such vehicles to be marketed in 2020.