Spy
photos of the forthcoming replacement for the Fiat Idea
and Multipla, the so-called ‘Ellezero’, have surfaced in
the run-up to its Geneva launch. Five and
extended-wheelbase seven-seat versions of the Ellezero
will take the place of the two aged minivans in the Fiat
lineup, providing much-needed renewal to Fiat’s lineup
in a market segment now dominated by Ford, Renault, Opel
and, increasingly, Korean carmakers Hyundai and Kia.
Styled by Italdesign, the outgoing Idea mini-MPV was
launched in 2003 at a pivotal moment for Fiat, then
struggling in the midst of its worst-ever financial
crisis. It debuted at that year’s Geneva Motor Show,
alongside the second-generation Panda, Lancia Ypsilon
and Alfa Romeo GT. However, unlike these models, which
all met with varying levels of sales success, the Idea
failed to register with buyers, and sales have slowed to
little more than a trickle in recent years. Indeed,
throughout its life the Idea was overshadowed by its
Lancia sister, the Musa. Despite being heavily based on
the Idea, the Musa sold better due to styling changes
and interior upgrades which, although relatively slight,
were surprisingly effective in distancing it from its
donor model.
However, the Musa will not be directly replaced within
the Lancia lineup. While the Idea’s design was
sufficiently generic to allow the grafting of Lancia
‘cues’, the Ellezero’s styling is clearly tied to those
of other contemporary Fiats. Pronounced superellipsoidal
wheelarches and substantial black plastic inserts in the
bumpers and doors adopt the newfound ‘family’ look also
seen on the new Panda and Uno. Despite these touches,
the design also draws heavily from other manufacturers –
in particular, many elements of both its stance and
detailing suggest Fiat Centro Stile took significant
inspiration from the design of the MINI Countryman.
The
frontal treatment, meanwhile, is heavily influenced by
the 500. This reflects, in part, a conscious decision on
the part of management to pursue a MINI-like strategy of
‘leveraging’ the 500 ‘brand’ across a number of models.
In an interview with Automotive News Europe last month,
Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said Fiat would “continue to
develop the 500’s nomenclature beyond the 500.” The
intent is to carry across some of the 500’s ‘halo
effect’ so as to improve the image, and profit margins,
of selected products.
The
close association with the 500 is also important for
another reason. The five-seat Ellezero is scheduled to
head Stateside in 2013, in a market where Fiat is
building its entire presence around the 500 ‘brand’. A
familial link between the 500 and Ellezero is seen by
Fiat as vital to strengthening and clarifying
perceptions of the brand in the US, where the brand’s
relaunch has got off to a rocky start.
But
despite more than a passing aesthetic nod to the 500,
the Ellezero will be significantly larger in all
dimensions than the A-segment hatchback. Measuring in at
between 4.1m (5-seat) and 4.25m (7-seat) in length,
Ellezero is based on a widened version of the current
Punto’s platform, dubbed ‘Small Wide’. In Europe, the
Ellezero’s engines will include those already engineered
for the existing ‘Small’ architecture, including the 1.3
and 1.6 MultiJet diesels, the 0.9-litre TwinAir and 1.4
FIRE MultiAir.
The
Ellezero will be built at Fiat’s plant at Kragujevac in
Serbia, which has seen an 850 million euro investment to
ready it for the new model. According to Fiat Automobili
Srbija CEO Antonio Cesare Ferrara, the Ellezero will be
primarily aimed at European markets and Russia, with an
optimistic production target of 250,000 units a year.
