500,000 ways of
‘experiencing the Fiat 500’
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To transform an
industrial product into a unique item. This was the
challenge taken up when Fiat decided to develop the Fiat
500. And this is the goal of a Customisation programme that
has no equals in this segment, represented by over 500,000
possible combinations. Designed by the Fiat Style Centre and
developed in parallel with the 500 project, the
Customisation range of the new car offers all customers,
even the most demanding, an opportunity to choose between
over 100 items that adapt perfectly to the car’s
characteristics, underlining its qualities and the friendly
impression it imparts at first glance. They are accessories
designed to increase comfort on board, to make free time
more enjoyable, and to improve quality of life.
With the dedicated Customisation programme, the new model
confirms that it is a stylish Italian car, lavishly equipped
and excellent value for money. To start with, to embellish
the exterior line, there are 19 original stickers to apply
on the bodywork: from the ‘chequered flag’ for the roof to
the tricolour or monochrome 500 stripe for the roof, bonnet
and tailgate, a barcode and a badge with the Italian flag
above the direction indicator. It is also possible to match
the chosen stickers with the door trims. Motorists who like
chrome-work can order chrome-plated wing mirrors, bonnet
trims and the nudge bar on the front bumper.
A motorist who prefers a sportier spirit can add sideskirts
and a front and rear air dam. If on the outside the car
expresses an attractive style that reflects Italian taste
that is famous the world over (with a few elements that hark
back to the styling of the earlier model), on the inside,
elegance, innovation and practicality merge in an ideal
environment, with references to obvious and specific
elements of the past reinterpreted in a modern key. For
example, there is an innovative ‘fragrance diffuser’, a new
system developed by Fiat that offers a choice of three
fragrances. The device is positioned inside the glass-holder
and supplied by a 12V socket; it is turned on by a button
and the intensity of fragrance can be adjusted. The colour
of the cover can also be chosen to match the car interior.
The fragrances are on sale through the Fiat sales network.
The Fiat 500 debuts with a new ignition key, with a
changeable protective cover. Like some mobile phones, the
cover can be replaced very rapidly, so that the key matches
the bodywork, or simply to reflect the mood of the day. And
in total harmony with the spirit of the Fiat 500, there are
several useful accessories with an original design, starting
from the elegant soft plastic ivory or black jacket-hanger
that fits on the head-restraint. Or the cell phone holder
and iPod player, USB port and 12V socket, which guarantee
calm journeys with no crossed wires. And the car covering
tarpaulins decorated with a picture of the Fiat 500 of the
Sixties, an original way of recalling the new car’s
forebear. It is also possible to order aluminium pedals or a
plate with the 500 logo for the kick panels, and three
different types of leather upholstery for the matching gear
lever knob and steering wheel. Plus accessories for leisure
time, such as the elegant luggage rack that fits on the rear
window to carry skis and snowboards in total safety, with an
extra touch of styling and originality.
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To transform an industrial product into a unique
item. This was the challenge taken up when Fiat
decided to develop the Fiat 500. |
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With the dedicated Customisation programme, the new
model confirms that it is a stylish Italian car,
lavishly equipped and excellent value for money. |
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The long list of accessories that customise the Fiat 500
concludes with a practical unit that fits into the loading
bay, where you can store items of all shapes and sizes.
‘500 cents’ and ‘50to500’:
innovative solutions from Fiat Group Automobiles Financial
Services
In perfect harmony with the many ways of customising the new
model, Fiat Group Automobiles Financial Services has
developed two innovative solutions that also underline the
strategic nature of the Financial Services, and its role of
captive finance company. For Fiat Group Automobiles, ‘500’
is both a name and a brand, and the two formulae offered by
Financial Services are based on this principle: ‘500 cents’
is the ideal product for the customer who purchases with a
loan, while a motorist who usually uses cash, will be able
to try out the new ‘50to500’ financial formula. The new
products were designed with the ‘advantages for the
customer’ firmly in mind, and the loans include ‘additional
services’ offered by Parts&Services, a Fiat Group
Automobiles company that specialises in after-sales services
and loyalty programmes. Both financial products include a 5
year/500,000 km warranty and the ‘500 Free’ package at a
discount price. These two products will be available on all
European markets, starting in Italy through Sava, and in
France through Fiat Crédit, namely in the first two markets
where the Fiat 500 will be launched.
With ‘500 cents’ the customer can customise his car with
over 500,000 variants but the instalment remains the same: ¤
5 a day to buy any version, engine, option or accessory. In
Italy the Sava proposal is based on instalment payments
(even with no down payment) varying in length up to a
maximum of 5 years. In France on the other hand, the Fiat
Crédit proposal is based on a leasing agreement with a final
repurchase value. With ‘50to500’ the customer collects the
car, paying just 50% immediately, and the remaining 50%
after two years, with no intermediate instalments (in Italy
this is an instalment agreement with a large final
instalment, while in France it is a leasing agreement).
The concepts of the two proposals took their inspiration
from the positioning of the new 500: extreme customisation
to reflect one’s own personality. It is the concept of ‘mass
exclusiveness’, a car for the people that should be
accessible to everyone.
‘500 Free’ from Fiat Group
Automobiles Parts & Services
Fiat Group Automobiles Parts & Services has developed ‘500
Free’ for the new car, an exclusive package whose very name
evokes a sense of freedom. In fact, the customer does not
have to worry about anything: a mobile workshop will be at
his disposal 24 hours a day to guarantee complete roadside
service, even if he runs out of petrol or fills up with the
wrong fuel, has a puncture, a flat battery or forgets his
keys; and when it is time for periodical maintenance, the
car collection service will pick the car up from his home,
and his mobility will be guaranteed by the reimbursement of
any taxi fares (bonus up to 50 euros). To use the service the
customer only has to call a freephone number. ‘500 Free’
will be available on all European markets for the customers
who choose it, and will be included in the range of
financial solutions dedicated specifically to the Fiat 500. |
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