The new four
wheel drive Fiat Sedici made its UK debut at the La Dolce
Vita show in London last weekend. This new 'crossover' model
which is just going on sale in Italy now, offers car buyers
a fresh choice in a crowded marketplace, carving out its own
niche as a practical family car that brings with it all the
benefits of a four wheel drive vehicle to this category for
the first time.
First revealed
at last December's Bologna Motor Show, the Sedici 4x4
quickly became designated as the 'Official Car' of Torino
2006 - the XX Winter Olympic Games which were held last
month in Fiat's home city of Turin. It then took pride of
place earlier this month at the Geneva International Motor
Show where it headed a strong four wheel drive line-up,
flanked on the stand by the smaller Panda 4x4 and the giant
'Oltre Fiat' showcar.
"We already have 3,000 orders just in Italy from a
production of 20,000 in the first year," revealed Fiat CEO
Luca De Meo during a press conference at the Geneva Motor
Show at the end of last month.
This had been achieved without announcing the official sale
price or potential customers actually being able to test
drive the car, he added. "We see it as the first popular
SUV, meaning that because of price, and because of the
running costs it will appeal to a wide range of potential
customers that today drive smaller or more compact cars. For
the first time in the market they will be able to offer
themselves the practicality of four wheel drive technology
and convenience of SUVs with compromising on what they are
used to." In fact, since Italian Fiat dealers began taking
orders a week later demand has been reported to be high,
with this year's production allocation expected to be filled
quite soon.
The Fiat Sedici
marks a veritable leap in the compact SUV scenario because
it is the result of a style and design approach whose
distinguishing feature is freedom of choice. The new model
is a fusion of different vehicle types: it combines the
driving satisfaction and handling features of a compact Fiat
with the off-road performance of an SUV (Sport Utility
Vehicle).
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The car's name says everything about
its off-road proclivities: Sedici (sixteen) is what you get
when you multiply 4x4 - the code used to identify four-wheel
drive vehicles. Within the Suzuki-Fiat industrial project,
the styling of Fiat Sedici has been jointly done with Italdesign, Giorgetto Giugiaro's design Company.
The Fiat Sedici stands out from the herd of off-road cars
due partly to certain stylistic features such as its
innovatively designed tail-lights, its uniquely dynamic
mid-line, its well-proportioned rump and the muscular bulk
of its side inserts. The new model is available in two
specifications (Dynamic and Emotion) with two power units
(107 bhp 1.6 16v and 120 bhp 1.9 Multijet).
It is currently
being marketed in Italy under the slogan
“QUATTROXQUATTROXTUTTI”,
and Italian pricing was released earlier this month. The 1.6-litre
petrol version has been priced at 18,970 euros for the 'Dynamic' level,
while the higher specification 'Emotion' version comes
in at 20,470 euros. The 1.9 Multijet will sell for
21,970 euro (Dynamic) and 23,470 (Emotion). The Sedici will
come backed up by a three year or 100,000km warrantee.
In one of its first few major public engagements outside
Italy, the Fiat Sedici made its UK debut at 'La Dolce Vita',
the Italian lifestyle show, which was held in London at the
Olympia Exhibition Centre last weekend. Two examples were
presented in the exhibition which seeks to bring a 'slice of
Italy' to the heart of London city life. Also at the show
was the new Fiat Panda Alessi which has been very well
represented in London this month, as two of these stylish
new versions of the tiny car, created by the renown Italian
designer, are also on show in the capital at the Daily Mail
Ideal Home Show, which is taking place just up the road at
Earls Court.
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