Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has had a busy week at the Geneva International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland. First, the Jeep brand showed off their upcoming Renegade and Compass PHEV SUVs; then the Alfa Romeo brand showed off its intentions to bring a premium compact SUV to market with the Alfa Romeo Tonale Concept. All three of the vehicle show FCA’s intentions to bring more electric assisted vehicles to market before 2022.
Now the Fiat brand has shown off their latest electrified vehicle entry, with the Fiat Concept Centoventi or Concept One-Hundred Twenty. The name comes from Fiat celebrating its 120th anniversary this year. The concept itself reminds us of the 2017 Chrysler Portal Concept, as this vehicle is positioned as a smaller crossover focused at the millennial generation. However, unlike the Portal, the Centoventi is targeted at the entry-level mass-market by featuring a standard no-frills offering and making it completely customizable for the customer to create the vehicle of their choice.
While the concept consists of a boxy design, the Concept Centoventi doesn’t even feature a standard paint job. Instead, Fiat is saying its a “blank canvas” to be painted to suit the customer’s tastes and needs at any time of his life or day. Fiat is saying that if the Centoventi comes to market, the company will offer a “4U” customizable program. The “4U” program will offer customers to choose a combination out of four different roofs, four different bumpers, four different wheel covers, and four different vinyl wraps which, combined with an extensive catalog of accessories, would make the Fiat Concept Centoventi unique and exclusive.
The Centoventi comes with a standard as an open-top vehicle. The open roof area can be closed by fitting the Centoventi with a “cap.” With the “4U” program, a customer could choose from a number of available roof solutions such as a two-color polycarbonate top, a soft canvas top, or a roof integrating an innovative solar panel. The solar panel itself would generate 50-watts of power, which is enough to keep the car cool when it is parked as well as power an innovative digital display under the tailgate in the rear.
The interior is very modular, well-lit and roomy. The cabin itself is completely reconfigurable and can accommodate up to four people. The Fiat design team followed a “plug and play” philosophy while designing the interior of the Concept Centoventi. The dashboard features small holes in which a multitude of additional components of any shape and/or function can be fitted, thanks to a new patented interlocking mounting system. This system is very similar to the interlocking system found in LEGO building blocks.
The seats of the Concept Centoventi feature a bare back structure made from eco-sustainable materials. Customers can use the “4U” program to customize the color and materials that make up the cushions and head restraints. Seat backs and head restraints are made from 100% recycled yarns using a “3D knit” technology used by shoe manufacturers. The front passenger seat can even be substituted for a storage box or a child seat, depending on the needs of the customer. The rear seats consist of a retractable bench, which can rotate to make a “trunk” area for additional cargo capacity.
The door panels are inspired by refrigerator doors with flat surfaces and minimalistic design. The doors can be fitted with storage pockets, cup holders and audio speakers whenever the customer wants them. This is done by using the same interlocking system from the dashboard design, to allow total customization of one’s own Centoventi.
The Concept Centoventi’s dashboard design features a new patented system of holes for the anchoring of a variety of accessories is revolutionary and allows each individual to come up with how they want their interior laid out to suit their individual needs. There are two available solutions for the instrument panel. One consist of a main 10-inch screen that can be paired with your smartphone using it to run to applications of your phone on the screen such as navigation, music, messaging and more.
The second option would be a more traditional full digital 20-inch “Lingotto” instrument cluster. This screen would work similar to the present day Uconnect touchscreen infotainment systems. However, it would also house essential things like the Human Machine Interaction (HMI) driving assistance and safety functions, such as the turn signal indicators, blind-spot alert systems, braking systems, and battery charging status.
The large tailgate on the Concept Centoventi can accommodate an innovative display that allows the vehicle to supersede the concept of connectivity to become a real social media device. So when the car is moving for safety reasons, the vehicle will show the Fiat logo. However one the Centoventi comes to a stop, the driver can switch to a “messenger” mode and display personal messages on the rear of the vehicle. Fiat says the digital tailgate can become just like an advertising billboard” to rent out to advertisers to recoup the cost of vehicle expenditures.
When it comes to powertrain, the ability to customize continues. Fiat says a standard version of the car could come with a factory-mounted battery with a range of 62 miles (100 kilometers). But if a longer range is needed, up to 3 additional batteries can be added to increase range. This means that the Centoventi can travel up to 248 miles (400 kilometers) on a charge. The extra batteries are installed underneath the floor of the vehicle, by a dealer or certified service network. A sliding rail which supports and connects the batteries makes their installation or removal particularly quick and easy.
An optional battery can also be placed under the seat. It can be disconnected and charged directly in the customer’s home or garage. That would make the Centoventi capable of having five batteries with a total range of 310 miles (or 500 kilometers).
The Concept Centoventi was designed with a roll center exactly midway between the two axle shafts. This places the batteries underneath the vehicle’s center of gravity, giving the car the same weight distribution and handling no matter how many batteries are installed.
Fiat did not release any additional detail specifications about horsepower, torque or even what kind of electric motors the vehicle features. However, the intentions to bring this vehicle or a vehicle very similar to market look to be very high. This would be the brand’s first vehicle built from the ground up as an all-electric vehicle. If the vehicle doesn’t come to market, we expect to see a lot of the innovations on this concept to show up on the next-generation Fiat Panda as well as other FCA future vehicles.
2019 Fiat Concept Centoventi Image Gallery:
