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Fiat Automobiles returns
to the 35th Bologna Motor Show next week after missing
last year's edition with no debuts to present but
instead with a major emphasis on educating visitors
about the new technology presented by the Fiat 500
TwinAir. The Fiat brand will be hoping that by turning
up again at the strongly-attended Bologna Motor Show
visitor interest will help to stem its collapsing
domestic sales: in October its sales fell by 42.22
percent year-on-year which added up to twenty thousand
units sold less than the same period last year.
The exhibition area develops Fiat's current motor show
booth theme of "the world I would like" seen through the
eyes of children. Because a brand with its sights set on
the future is bound to listen to the little ones who
will be making the world big one day. They shaped this
stand themselves by giving free rein to their
imaginations and desire for a more eco-friendly future.
The result is a light-hearted, cheerful place, where
houses stand on clouds and a rainbow welcomes visitors,
guiding them into the world of Fiat. The houses and
clouds of a city dreamed up by children showcase our
latest motoring products, cars that represent another
step toward sustainable mobility.
Pride of place on the stand goes to a gem of engineering
developed by Fiat Powertrain Technologies: the 85 HP
twin cylinder TwinAir engine. The forerunner of a new
family of two-cylinder engines by FPT - Fiat Powertrain
Technologies, the power unit deploys the revolutionary
MultiAir system combined with specific fluid dynamics
optimised for maximum combustion efficiency. By taking
the concept of downsizing to the extreme and masterfully
tuning the basic mechanics, the new family – delivering
from 65 to 105 HP – also emits 30% less CO2 than an
engine of equal performance. This is a brand-new concept
on the worldwide motoring scene and confirms the
leadership of the Fiat Group in this field.
The public can admire the 85 HP twin cylinder TwinAir
engine both on coloured windmills – to emphasise the
exhilarating lightness of this compact, hi-tech,
high-performing engine – and on board 4 versions of the
Fiat 500 on show in Bologna, all equipped with
Start&Stop system as standard. And then, on the catwalk,
there’s the brand-new two-tone white and red version.
Tastefully and selectively drawing on themes very close
to her heart, such as her past, the retro world of '50s
American cars and the extraordinary pop art movement,
the 500 presents a brand-new two-tone combination.
White and red is the first of a series of two-tone
versions that will be introduced in the coming months.
This new and original 500 "outfit", which follows the
successful Pink, Matt Black and Orange editions,
confirms the model's strategy of using colour as a
universal language to express emotions and personality.
Colour, the ultimate expression of an attitude, thus
emphasises the 500's various spirits. In particular, the
choice of white and red, with white and red interiors,
expresses the 500's Pop spirit and it will come with
style content such as alloy wheels, coloured electric
windows and chrome kit. The forthcoming two-tone
combinations, on the other hand, will celebrate the Fiat
car's more eco-friendly and sporty spirit.
After all, colour has never been simply a matter of
aesthetics for the 500 model. On the contrary, it is an
integral part of a product philosophy that incorporates
personality, style and maximum scope for personalisation.
On the outside, the new two-tone version therefore
expresses all the appeal of a model that since its
launch has proved that it is not merely a super-compact
city car, but an authentic platform upon which Fiat
Automobiles is building a whole family of cars with
technology and attention to detail worthy of a higher
category. It is not by chance that the Fiat 500 has
introduced a host of new products and achieved major
records in its segment. New products also arrived thick
and fast: 500 by Diesel (September 2008), 500 Pink (June
2009), 500C (July 2009), 500C by Diesel (June 2010), 500
TwinAir (July 2010), 500 Matt Black and 500 Orange
(September 2010): the latter has had great success on
the Japanese market. And now comes the turn of the
exclusive two-tone version.
The spotlights are also on another two Fiat 500
versions: a Lounge and a 500C by Diesel, the result of a
joint venture by the Fiat creative teams and the
world-renowned Italian label. The original Matt Black
version will also take a star turn in the area,
featuring an exclusive black body shade with opaque
treatment enhanced by certain features in satinised
chrome (whiskers, handles, mirror fairings and license
plate holders), opaque black 16” alloys with hubcaps
featuring a red central frame and, in the case of the
100 HP 1.4 engine version, red painted brake calipers.
The same attention to detail is evident inside the new
special series where the totally black environment is
underscored by details in satinised chrome and silver
top-stitching on the steering wheel and gear lever. A
choice is also available between seats in red Frau
leather (an item of content that the 500 introduces for
the first time in the segment) or black trimmed in
leather and fabric that gives the car a particularly
assertive “total black” look when combined with the
opaque black dashboard facia.
The stand features a 500 configurator, like some sort of
high-tech toy, where visitors can customise their own
car with buckets of paint and needle and thread.
The Bologna Motor Show also provides the perfect
opportunity to take a close look at the new “MyLife”
version of the Punto, with two versions on display: one
77 HP pastel white 1.4 and one 69 HP pastel red 1.2,
both equipped with Euro 5 petrol engine with Start&Stop
system as standard. The new Fiat Punto “MyLife” is the
ideal response to customers who are increasingly
attentive to technological innovation, driving pleasure
and environmental issues. This doesn't mean giving up on
an original and distinctive design, particularly
distinguished by the glossy Pianoblack inserts which
perfectly match the body colours available for this
version. And, perfectly in keeping with this new
approach to the relationship between technology, design
and the environment, visitors can admire two show cars
at Bologna: a 95 HP Euro 5 Fiat Qubo 1.3 MultiJet with
Start&Stop system as standard and a 120 HP Euro 5 Fiat
Bravo 1.6 MultiJet.
The exterior of the Qubo show car is distinguished by
the three-coat red body colour with glossy black
mouldings, grille and rims with inserts. The show car's
equipment is particularly noteworthy, as demonstrated by
the Style pack (privacy windows, 16" alloy wheels and
longitudinal roof rack bars) and the My Blue pack
(MP3-CD radio, leather steering wheel and knob, steering
wheel controls and Blue&Me-TomTom device). Space is also
given to the Bravo show car, whose exclusive three-coat
white body combined with glossy black elements (grille,
post, 17" rims with diamond finish, rear with Bravo logo
and chrome-plated exhaust tailpipe) will capture the
attention of the public, in addition to the on-board
Blue&Me system and Instant Nav satellite navigation
system.
The stand at Bologna underscores Fiat's commitment in
the field of environmental protection and its role in
making users aware that they should use their cars in a
more responsible, eco-friendly manner. It's no
coincidence that Fait has the most eco-friendly fleet in
Europe. After three remarkable years, this leadership
was confirmed also during the first six months of 2010,
with an average emission value of the entire range of
123.5 g/km, more than 4 g/km less that the closest
competition. A fundamental boost to obtaining this
record also results from the extraordinary growth of
methane, the most eco-friendly and cost-effective fuel
available on the market today. A forward-thinking
choice, made over ten years ago, has made Fiat the
undisputed European leader in factory-fitted methane
systems (OEM), as demonstrated by the nearly 400,000
units sold to date in the Natural Power range, a
comprehensive range of dual fuel (methane/petrol) cars
and commercial vehicles able to meet any mobility need.
"eco:DriveGP" will also come to a conclusion at the
Bologna Motor Show, the first eco-friendly driving
competition based on objective driving data provided
through eco:Drive, the innovative Fiat system which
helps to increase driving efficiency, reducing fuel
consumption and emissions. A unique initiative for
Europe, it comprised two stages and was open to all
owners of Fiat cars - with Blue&Me - resident in Italy,
France, Germany, Spain and the UK. In the first stage, a
competition at a national level, the best two
eco:Drivers (one man and one woman) from each country
were selected. And now, for the Motor Show, the 10
national champions have been invited to take part in the
final competition to determine Europe's most efficient,
eco-friendly driver. It should be noted that Fiat is the
only car manufacturer able to launch a competition of
this kind, based on objective results recorded by
eco:Drive, the first and only system able to offer
drivers authentic trip data and personal tips based on
their driving style. eco:Drive therefore represents a
unique way of using technology to bring about long-term
changes in driving behaviour.
In more detail, eco:Drive is a free application which
collects trip data through the car's Blue&Me interface
and analyses it to provide the user with practical
personalised tips for reducing travelling costs and
personal environmental impact. Based as it is on a
simple, efficient and accessible idea (the software is
free of charge), eco:Drive has been an immediate hit, as
borne out by the 140,000 copies of the system which have
been downloaded to date since its launch (Paris Motor
Show 2008). Every day, more than 50,000 drivers use it
and approximately 10 million journeys have been logged
and analysed on the Fiat database. Taking into account
the contribution of all the drivers who have joined
eco:Ville, the online community of all Fiat eco-drivers,
it is possible to calculate an overall saving of
approximately 3,500 tonnes of CO2.
This shows that the small measures taken collectively by
many people have a very substantial impact. Fiat has
always believed in this philosophy and, starting from 4
November, launched a roadshow in the major European
countries to present the eco:Drive “White Paper”, a
study on over 400,000 trips by European Fiat eco:Drivers.
For the first time, a research on driving styles is
based on a scientific, statistically representative
method of analysis. This is because data was collected
from engine control units and not by gathering and
processing subjective opinions of motorists. This
information is therefore the most accurate, extensive
statistic base that has ever existed on driving styles
and how to improve them.
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