To mark the public debut of the Fiat Croma at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, Giorgetto Giugiaro wanted to recall Gianni Agnelli, the uncrowned monarch of the Italian motor industry – an enthusiast of his “Croma Special” - bringing to light a more generous model this time round in terms of performance and appearance, encapsulating the essence of a high-performance car, just like the car that would have appealed – as so we believe – to the “Avvocato”, the Croma 8V prototype.

“I have great empathy with the Croma. I remember the first model: its breakthrough architecture and comfort carried it forward to being the flagship medium-large saloon on sale between 1985 and 1994, with over 450,000 vehicles sold during that period.

"For the new Croma range, I sought to make the Croma 8V what it should be: extraordinarily spacious, innovative and stunning in quality. As a mere starting point, I looked to the space assignable to passengers and reminisced on the experience gained from the styling and design challenge emerging from the Maserati Buran prototype, which I designed in 2000 as a compact, luxury saloon car. My thoughts weaved back yet again to the privilege of motion and easy access, spacious, multi-purpose interior.

I" remember presenting the Buran to Gianni Agnelli o track and how he so appreciated that train of thought focused around offering unashamedly and unapologetically spacious legroom and passenger comfort. Having assessed the interior space available in this car range, unique in its size class, I knew in myself that the interior space available in the Croma 8V was crying out to be exalted”, confirms Giorgetto Giugiaro.

Compared with the series-production Fiat Croma, the exterior introduces unique design features that herald the elegancy of this luxury, high-performance car. The all-new radiator grill mounts a slanting ribbed grid, set just below the chrome beltline allied to the bodywork, while the lower air-intake continues to thread through the upside-down trapezoidal motif embodied within the radiator grille.
 

Enriching the rear light units is led technology. Chrome inlays on the front and rear bumpers confer elegance, whilst their heightened chiselled angles also work towards protecting the bodyshell.

In response to the challenges posed by the new and more powerful eight-cylinder engine, the car features two exhaust silencers at the tail-end; the exhausts intermesh into a spoiler motif, while the louvers take a bolder stance.

Offering greater privacy, the car comes with dark tinted windows.

An “executive” interior cradled in ultimate refinement

Classified within the high-range segment, the Fiat Croma Special offers seating for four, all of which cradled in an atmosphere of stunning elegance: the leather-wrapped and trimmed seating surfaces were created in collaboration with Poltrona Frau with whom Giorgetto Giugiaro styled a pastel harmony, mated to inlays surrounded in briarwood trim.

The low–slung second row seating at the rear makes access easier for passengers: given the low-slung design around the structure shapes, which, at that point, verge downwards and generously carve out more legroom between the seating and the door post.

Second-row passenger amenities include a multi-use storage compartment located in the center aisle that folds forward into the tunnel. There is an upright fridge-bar fitted between the rear seats.

Beneath the center armrest is a fold-down work table and an extra storage holder has been added where cups, glasses or other can be kept, whilst, at the touch of a button, aeronautic-type swivel monitors emerge.

As the rear seats are not tilt-adjustable, some 50 mm. of extra space has been carved out and added to the backrest’s depth, thereby ensuring more comfortable seating.

Affording protection to the car’s occupants from noise or draughts on opening the luggage trunk is the fixed glass pane introduced by Giorgetto Giugiaro behind the hat rack thereby setting apart the passenger environment from the luggage trunk, also tailored in fine detail with fine leather trims.

To the side of the trunk’s interior, next to the wheel arches, there are handy flap-holders, with book-retaining straps, complete with portable bags. Additionally, fixed to the rim of the hatch-back door is a panel enabling luggage to be laid flat, along with an underlying float chamber.
 

FIAT CROMA 8V: TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION