A recent presentation made by Fiat Auto to the company's unions during a meeting held at the Mirafiori Motor Village in Turin, reveals some very interesting new and facelift models which are set to join the Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo line-ups during the period 2006-08.

The presentation covers the three Fiat Auto mass-selling brands. For Fiat it confirms the arrival of the Bravo (replacement for the C-segment Stilo), 500 (a Panda-based joint venture being undertaken with Ford) and the Tofas-developed "Minicargo Panorama" (a light van project being brought to the market in conjunction with PSA Peugeot-Citroën). The new Bravo - states the presentation - will feature "Italian design: sportiness with pure C-segment dimensions". Quality will see "new targets of excellence" being set, along with "carefully designed interiors" and "customisation" will also be a cornerstone. It will be a "spacious and comfortable five-seater" with "generous boot space". While achieving a Euro Ncap 5-star rating will be the safety priority, the engine line up is confirmed to be led out by a new 1.4-petrol turbo (with 120 and 150 bhp) and a new 1.6-litre Multijet diesel, both units which are currently being developed by Fiat Powertrain Technologies.

The presentation also announces that the Fiat brand will "launch of a compact crossover model to replace the future MPV". Finally - somewhat surprisingly - a facelift of the Croma model is scheduled for next year. The Giorgetto Giugiaro-designed Croma "stationwagon" was only launched at last year's Geneva Motor Show, and this facelift will come well ahead of normal schedule. The Croma - which has now been on the market for just over a year - has been selling in line with targets, and with higher-specification models being the majority ordered. However it has been criticised for its somewhat 'dull' styling and so the facelift will give it a sharper edge as well as reflecting its more upmarket ambitions.

The Lancia brand's revival will finally get underway in earnest this autumn with the facelifted Ypsilon scheduled to be unveiled during the Paris Motor Show, being held later next month.
 

Introduced in late 2003, the Ypsilon model has proved to a bedrock for Lancia, keeping the "luxury" division's sales steady while the Fiat and Alfa Romeo brand's have been the main focus of Fiat Auto managements' attention over the past two years. Alongside the new Ypsilon, a full "Sport" version is scheduled to arrive next year. The exciting "Ypsilon Sport" concept - created by Zagato - was presented at the Geneva Motor Show last year to widespread acclaim, and introducing a production version will build on this interest and take the model head-to-head with BMW's Mini which this month has received a weak facelift. It will not go unnoticed that Frank Stephenson - who styled the Mini - is now head of Fiat Centro Style and responsibility for creating the Ypsilon Sport will fall into his remit.

Also confirmed for the 2006-08 period is the new C/D segment Lancia model, based on the new Bravo's architecture, commonly referred to as the "New Delta", and the much promised "niche" model (expected to be a Zagato-built Ypsilon Coupé-Cabriolet) while the Musa "compact MPV" will offer higher equipment levels and greater refinement. Finally - and somewhat unexpectedly - the presentation states that a facelift for the Thesis is "under evaluation". First shown at Geneva in 2001 (the interior was unveiled at the Frankfurt IAA later that year) the super-luxury Thesis saloon has become almost a forgotten car in recent years, with no more than a niche appeal.

In the 2006-08 period the Alfa Romeo brand will see the Alfa 149 (replacement for the C-segment Alfa 147) arriving in two years time, while the presentation also discusses "widening of the 'upper range' offer with models derived from the Premium architecture". This alludes to a replacement for the Alfa 166 (dubbed the "Alfa 169") which will use the Premium floorpan (now used by the Alfa 159 and Brera) and will be developed in conjunction with the requirements of the Maserati brand. Finally, Fiat Veicoli Commerciali will see a new Scudo and the Minicargo arriving in the timeline up to 2008.