Our Exclusive Interview With the Design Team Behind the Fiat Centoventi All-Electric Concept
From a bumper that displays messages to interchangeable seats, the concept has something for everyone
Celebrating the brand’s 120th anniversary and its first concept car in 16 years, Fiat unveiled the electric Concept Centoventi (Concept 120) at the Geneva International Motor Show this week. The vehicle, the next-generation Panda, could arrive as early as 2021. Klaus Busse, the head of design for Europe brands at FCA, says, “It is Italian design”—democratic, accessible, stylish and functional. The car will be delivered with a very basic package that owners will then customize using Fiat’s 4U program, choosing roofs, bumpers, wheel-covers and external wrappings, seating, storage and display options. Most will be easily accessible and can be ordered online and easily installed at home or at the dealer. The result is a vehicle that’s inherently forward-thinking—it’s 100% electric and will have an estimated range of 400+ km. We toured the car with its three top designers: Alberto Dilillo, head of exterior design; Andreas Wuppinger, head of interior design; and Rossella Guasco, head of color and trim.
Guasco notes, “Customers can continue to change or add to the car as their life, habits and needs change. It’s like the interior of your house, which changes all the time, always integrating different objects based on functionality or aesthetics. This was the idea for the car.” It’s an important step in the story of the brand.
Guasco notes, “For all of our brands (Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Maserati) we are talking about made in Italy. Taking inspiration from [other fields] and the country, and not only in the premium way but also in a more affordable and easy way.” It also manifests in how the design team, which works across all of the brands, seeks to differentiate them. Wuppinger says that each brand has its own history, place in Italian culture and its own customers.
The concept, rooted in the design of the Fiat Panda, signals a more “democratic” approach to electric mobility; whether it be customization or the brand’s goal of an accessibly low price point, Fiat is approaching all-electric with experiential features at the forefront.
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