Fiat Centoventi EV destined for production
Italian car-maker said to be expanding its small car range with bold small hatch, will be based on new Fiat 500Fiat has announced it will launch a production car previewed by the pure-electric Centoventi city-car it unveiled at last year's Geneva motor show.
Confirming the 2019 concept would transition to production reality, Fiat's global boss Olivier Francois told
that work has already begun readying the Centoventi for market.“At Geneva last year, we showed our other EV car, our urban baby, [and] we are still working on it -- it was not just a flash in the pan,” he said.
Set to line up alongside the current Fiat Panda and the upcoming Fiat 500 EV, the Centoventi is thought to borrow the latter car's platform and pure-electric battery and running gear.
Originally created to celebrate 120 years of the Fiat brand, it was said at the 2019 Geneva show to represent a battery-powered take on a futuristic Panda.
With prominent wheel-arches and Panda-aping squared-off boxy looks, the beauty of the Centoventi was claimed to be its interchangeable body and roof panels that could be easily swapped out to help owners personalise their cars.
Up front, the cute concept featured the original Panda multi-bar grille that has been reinterpreted to show the charging status of the car.
Unlikely to make it to production are the concept's practical barn-like rear doors and pillarless design, which would likely be swapped for a pair of conventional apertures.
Expect a less radical interior too, but the concept's interchangeable seat fabrics could be carried over.
Beneath the skin, the small Fiat should share the same 42kWh battery and rapid-charging capability as the new Fiat 500. The range, likewise, should be around 320km.
There's no word yet when the Centoventi will go on sale, but it's thought 2022 is a safe bet -- at least in Europe.
Speaking about the Centoventi, Fiat's global president Francois added: “It’s another approach to full electric. So I think we have a bright future in the full electric approach to city cars, through the 500e and through the more non-traditional approach with this minimalist, lower prince Centoventi that is very Panda-inspired.”
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
