Last week, we told you that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) had big plans for this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. FCA is going to show off its latest concept vehicle the Chrysler Airflow Vision Concept, which shows us the next step to steer the future path of the Chrysler brand. We also have the public debut of the 2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited “4xe” plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), as well as the North American debut of the new Jeep Renegade 4xe and Jeep Compass 4xe PHEVs as well.
But one vehicle, that we quickly mentioned in that article was the FIAT brand was bringing their award-winning Fiat Concept Centoventi to North America for the first time as well. You might recall, we reported on the introduction of the Fiat Concept Centoventi at last year’s Geneva Motor Show when it made it official debut. However, FIAT has been taking the vehicle across Europe getting feedback from customers as well as potential customers about the concept vehicle, which tells us a lot of ideas for the future of the FIAT brand are being showcased with this concept vehicle.
Now, for those who don’t speak Italian, Centoventi means “120”, representing the 120 years the FIAT brand has been operating. But this concept vehicle is showcasing a new idea of how automobiles will be made, designed, and customized in the future.
Now first off the concept is a 100% electric vehicle. What makes this electric system so unique is the vehicle’s innovative battery modular architecture, which can be customized. The driving range may be varied to meet specific needs from 60 miles to 300 miles, which makes it perfect for urban commuting and for a weekend getaway by the sea or in the mountains.
But that’s only the beginning of the customization part of this concept. If produced, the vehicle would come in just one color. The vehicle could then be painted through FIAT’s “4U” program and the exterior could be personalized with a choice of four different roof options, four different bumper designs, four different styles of wheels, and four different available vehicle wraps. So basically, the Fiat Concept Centoventi is a “blank canvas” in which the customer could create their own unique look for the vehicle without customization restrictions linked to the time of purchase.
Pretty cool idea in our opinion, but there is even more to the customization of the vehicle.
As for the vehicle’s interior, it is completely customizable. From the instrument cluster to storage compartments to even front seats and even child-restraint systems are interchangeable. The accessories can be installed using a “plug and play” method on the vehicle’s patented dashboard. So if you like your instrument cluster mounted towards the center of the vehicle apposed to having them right in front of them, you can snap out the instrument cluster and move it to a designated area of your choice. The same goes for the if you want a cup holder in a particular spot and even audio speakers.
So no longer would a customer have to wait for new special editions of facelifts. If you get bored with the look of your vehicle, you can swap entire things including bumpers and interior bits, in a matter of minutes.
The Fiat Concept Centoventi has been designed and engineered with sharing and new forms of urban mobility in mind. The cockpit is equipped with a small screen facing the windshield outward, it can be used to communicate messages, such as busy, free, parking paid, etc.
In addition, a second large tailgate display enables Fiat Concept Centoventi to supersede the concept of connectivity to become a social media device on which messages may be shared with the outdoor world. When the vehicle is in motion, the car will only show the FIAT logo, but once it stops, the driver can switch to “messenger” mode and create a new message.
So what do you think of this idea of total and easy customization of a vehicle? Let us know in the comments below.
