Fiat has offered a glimpse of the 500 Aria showcar, which furthers the exploration of new ecological frontiers in the automotive sector, as it is prepared for its world debut today in Geneva.

Manufactured on the base of the Fiat 500 – it's the first model in it's sector with the entire range of Euro5 Ready motors – the Concept car 500 Aria adopts all the latest generation gadgets or those which will be available soon, allowing a significant reduction of consumption and emissions. Specifically, thanks to the solutions applied, the vehicle accomplishes an important lowering of the CO2 with a record value of 98 g/km.

In detail, the prototype is equipped with a Diesel 1.3 16v Multijet Euro 5 power unit (with anti-particulate DPF filter) combined with robotic Dualogic shift (distinguished by a transmission and control box with the best containment of consumption).

Furthermore, the vehicle proposes the innovative Stop&Start system which allows to control the temporary switch-off of the engine and it's subsequent ignition, typical of urban journeys. In particular, uniting the Stop&Start system and the Dualogic shift, around a 10% (urban cycle) reduction of the consumption is obtained. Furthermore, it is worth underlining that all the solutions presented here are an integral part of a development process which, already in 2008, will bring some of the contents on the normal production vehicles.

The prototype's interior foresees the use of recycled materials, for example, the recycled rubber used for the floor is composed by rubber granules deriving from used tyres, “anchored” together with polyurethane binders. The seats have been upholstered with recycled and woven leather (called “mataleather, and supplied by the Matamata company) whilst the fabrics - guaranteed by the Ecolabel brand – are in polyester and in a particular design similar to the raffia palm with natural whirls (supplied by the Apollo company).

“Mataleather” is born out of the re-use of leather amalgamated with natural lattice and subsequently worked in sheets like real leather. The “DNA” Braided leather (the material used on the 500 Aria) is worked on until it forms a textile of real ecological leather, composed only by natural re-used fibres. In regards to the textiles, Ecolabel is the European eco-quality brand that rewards the best products from an ecological point of view – the whole life-cycle is taken into account – whilst maintaining at the same time high performance standards.

Lastly, some important interior components – from the samplers to climate control and the control shield, down to the panel fittings – are made in materials composed by thermoplastics and natural fibres.