Car Design News (CDN) has announced the popular Fiat Centoventi Concept has been named “Best Concept Car of 2019”. CDN has been a leading resource for car designers around the world, providing invaluable information, advice, and insights to students and design directors with over 500,000 unique users every year. A panel made up of 18 design directors from similarly world-renowned car manufacturers, awarded the innovative Fiat concept the title last week.
Olivier François, President of Fiat Brand Global, stated, “Winning this award makes me extremely proud and a jury of such high international caliber has highlighted the importance of design in the Centoventi project. This is Fiat’s vision for the future of democratic electric mobility, based on more than 120 years of history. The Fiat Concept Centoventi is a “blank canvas” to be painted on according to customers’ tastes and requirements: indeed, the Centoventi was designed to be updated with the greatest freedom and imagination in its colors, in the configuration of its interiors, roof and infotainment system, and even in the range offered by the modular batteries. It, therefore, represents a radical change to automotive paradigms. This is truly one of the strengths of the concept: no longer having to wait to buy a new car, in the knowledge that the time is always right to “change” its configuration. Centoventi, therefore, embodies Fiat’s concept of “less is more”, by which we mean removing anything unnecessary or complex from a car, leaving it up to the customer to express their imagination and preferences. Centoventi is a minimalist car and this is the essence of its extreme customizability, making it totally cool.”
The Fiat Centoventi Concept made its debut last year at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show and has since traveled the globe, winning several design awards. The Centoventi highlights the future of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) to eMobility with an innovative business case, being completely customizable in every detail. The interior accessories can be installed with a unique “plug and play” system. This includes everything from the instrumental clusters, storage compartments, seats, and even child restraint systems, by the customer. The exterior of the vehicle can be wrapped in a variety of colors, while the bumpers can be customized, and various types of roof options are available. But that is only the start.
The Centoventi Concept features an innovative battery architecture, which battery range can be varied to meet the customer’s specific needs by a number of different additional batteries. These additional batteries can make the electric range of the Centroventi Concept start at a modest 62 miles and can top 310 miles with all available battery options. This allows the Centroventi to be perfect for the daily local drive to work or for commuting for a weekend away.
“The success of the Centoventi reflects the great collaboration between the designers of Centro Stile Fiat and our engineers to realize the vision of the brand’s CEO. Receiving this award is an incredible honor for the entire team, especially from a Jury like the one of CDN, made of international Heads of Design. A group of individuals that live in the presence, but judge through the eyes of the future, that they help create”, said Klaus Busse, FCA’s EMEA Head of Design.
