Showing posts with label Fiat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fiat. Show all posts

Tuesday, 27 September 2022

Colin-on-Cars: Turin unshrouded

Colin-on-Cars: Turin unshrouded

Members of the public will finally be allowed to see the historic collection of cars and other historical artefacts that form part of The Heritage Hub – the combine history of Fiat, Lancia and Abarth.

Made possible by the collaboration between the Stellantis Heritage department, the Municipality of Turin and the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile (the Italian national motor museum), access is via Gate 31 to the Mirafiori industrial complex – located at Via Plava 80, Turin.



The space will host two guided tours per day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon, each lasting around two hours. The site will be open on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays with tickets available online from the MAUTO website.

Brands

The Stellantis Group Heritage Hub is an exhibition space covering about 15 000 m2, ‘home’ of the historical collection of automotive brands from Turin: Abarth, Fiat and Lancia.

To highlight the link between the city and the motor vehicle industry, the former Officina 81 at Mirafiori was selected as its site. Open since 1968, it was an active centre of production for over 30 years, focusing on mechanical components. The space has undergone a meticulous restoration to safeguard its industrial spirit, maintaining the raw concrete floor and the original colour scheme of its time.

The middle of the exhibition space features 64 classic cars, split into eight themed areas:

- Records and Races, protagonists that triumphed on the main circuits;

- Concepts and Customisations, very rare cars, and extraordinary one-offs;

- Archistars, models that revolutionised the architecture of the car, while respecting the principles of productivity and functionality;

- Eco and Sustainable, bringing together cars that stood out for their environmental credentials;

- Small and Safe, models that combined safety and limited dimensions;

- Style Marks, cars that made design history;

- Epic Journeys, vehicles that featured in unforgettable journeys;

- The Rally Era, the milestones of the golden age of road and dirt racing.



The remainder of the collection is displayed within the two long sides of the building, divided by brand, and set out in chronological order. As well as Fiat and Lancia cars, selected models from the Alfa Romeo, Autobianchi and Jeep brands are also on display.

Vintage

There is no shortage of special features, shown by 16 vintage Fiat cars belonging to the Carabinieri police force. From the 600 Multipla to the Panda, via 1100 and Campagnola models, the Carabinieri selection covers a time span of almost half a century, highlighting the deep roots of a collaboration that remains active to this day.

The exhibition space at the entrance to the pavilion, hosts a permanent display on the history of Mirafiori from 1939 to date.  As confirmation of its multifunctionality, the space also includes an area designed for workshops and another for conferences, with capacity for up to 200 people.

Meeting

The ‘engines area’ is an ideal setting for a meeting space, hosting two long benches featuring a selection of over 30 of the most important engines, designed and manufactured by the Group's Italian brands.

True milestones in the history of Italian engines such as the four-cylinder from the ‘100 series’ – which debuted in 1955 in the Fiat 600 and was then used, in its various evolutions, for around 50 years – contrast with pilot projects for electric motors, turbines and even steam engines.


https://bit.ly/3UFoqPZ

Tuesday, 12 October 2021

Colin-on-Cars - Feisty Fiat fully fitted

Colin-on-Cars - Feisty Fiat fully fitted

The quirky Fiat Abarth hatch has gained a special edition model while the rest of the 595 range features new interiors, new colours and new details for the Abarth 595 Turismo and Competizione hatch and cabriolet models.

The Abarth 595 offers as standard all the equipment needed, including a flat-bottomed steering wheel, updated instrument panel and the pressure gauge now lit in white to ensure better legibility, while polyelliptical headlights and LED daytime running lights are fitted as standard on the Competizione.


Competizione

‘Sport’ mode has been renamed ‘Scorpion’ mode throughout the new range aligning it with the Abarth logo and in recognition of the brand’s founder, Carlo Abarth.

Pressing the button on the dashboard alters peak torque delivery, power steering calibration and engine response to the accelerator pedal, making them sharper and increasing driver engagement. The 595 is also equipped with a high-performance braking system specific to Abarth, providing maximum safety courtesy of the 284 mm front ventilated discs and the 240 mm rear discs.

The Abarth 595 Turismo features refreshed interiors, including exclusive diamond-embossed leather seats available in a number of colour options, including the new heritage brown.


Turismo

As part of the upgrade an all new colour has been added to the exterior Competizione palette, rally blue, a matt colour inspired by the Fiat 131 Abarth Rally of the 1970s. New 17-inch alloy wheels are a nod to those of the 1990s Lancia Delta Rally Integrale, while a body colour body kit is specific to the Competizione in combination with the new rally blue or scorpione black exterior paint.

Inside, in addition to the ‘Scorpion’ mode selector with its new design, a new dashboard covered in Alcantara can be found, alongside new leather seats and gear lever in carbon fibre.




The new Abarth 595 range is equipped with the 1.4 T-jet engine, available in two output levels. The 595 Turismo features 121 kW, while the 595 Competizione enjoys a power rise to 132 kW.

All variants of the 1.4 T-jet engine are paired with a six-speed manual transmission and both the Turismo and Competizione can be fitted on request with an Abarth robotised sequential transmission with shift paddles.

The new 595 range is equipped as standard with the Uconnect system with 7-inch high-definition touchscreen radio and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.




The new Abarth 595 Monster Energy Yamaha special series is designed especially for young customers and motor sport fans and is limited to 2 000 units worldwide.

Aesthetically inspired by the livery of the 2020 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s YZR-M1, the exterior of the new special series features a dual colour blue and black livery bearing the ‘Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’ logo on its lower side, just above the ‘595’ logo.

The special series is finished off with the Monster ‘claw’ on the bonnet.

On the inside, the model features the special new Abarth sports seats with blue finishes and the ‘Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’ logo on the head restraints. The blue lining stands out from the black dashboard. Thus mirroring the dual colour livery, while the numbered plate is placed on the central tunnel.

The Abarth 595 Monster Energy Yamaha is equipped with a 1.4 T-jet engine with Euro6B homologation, with manual transmission, but it can be fitted with an Abarth robotised sequential transmission with shift paddles on demand.


https://bit.ly/3AwzNys

Saturday, 21 August 2021

 Fiat 500 gets Cult status

Some 64 years after its birth in Turin, Italy the iconic Fiat 500 is only in its third generation and the new one looks set to continue the tradition established with the original version. 

The original version, beloved of the love generation of the ‘60s, is now transformed into a Fiat 500 Cult that rather aptly describes the emotions that surround the little car, owners and its global fan base. 

Running on 14-inch steel wheels with hubcaps and black exterior mirrors, Cult models feature LED day-time running lamps as standard, with halogen headlights.


 

The interior is highlighted by blue fabric seats with Fiat Monogram and body colour dashboard. A new option for Cult is a Techno Blue Matt dashboard and the standard list of comfort features remains high. UconnectTM five-inch radio with DAB, USB ports and manual air-conditioning are all standard, as is a speed limiter.

 


Adding onto the Cult standard specification, Connect models are identified by 15-inch alloy wheels and specific side skirts, rear spoiler and bumpers, including fog lights. 

New seats, which are height adjustable, enhance the interior along with a multi-function steering wheel with eight buttons. The dashboard can be ordered in Matt Silver. Cooler than ever, other interior upgrades include cruise control, Uconnect seven-inch infotainment with CarPlay and Android Auto, and two additional rear speakers. 

For the more avant-garde, Dolcevita models epitomise Italian style and flair with bespoke badging and chrome accents on the two-tone paintwork. With 16-inch alloy wheels, the Dolcevita also gets the Techno-leather multi-function steering wheel, glass roof, Matelassé fabric seats with techno leather details, and a 50/50 split rear seat. 

More sporty-minded customers will be attracted to the Sport upgrades that include 16-inch alloy wheels, Sport badging, and specific side skirts, bumpers and rear spoiler. The new Cloud Grey colour looks particularly good against the new ‘arrow electro’ seats and Titanium dashboard with red 500 logo. The TFT seven-inch digital cluster accompanies automatic air conditioning.


 

Fiat 500 is powered by Fiat’s TwinAir two-cylinder turbo-charged petrol engine. While this engine incorporates state-of-the-art technology and efficiency, it also pays homage to the original two-cylinder engine from the 1960s concept. 

The advanced 875 cc engine is a high-performance unit designed with major innovations developed by Fiat for petrol engines. The ‘downsizing’ technology reduces the engine power, the number of cylinder and the size of the engine, resulting in a drastic reduction in fuel consumption and emissions levels (up to 30%) but, as it is matched with the turbo-charger, its power and performance remain the same. 

It delivers 62,5 kW at 5 500 r/min and 145 Nm of torque at 1 900 r/min, offering combined cycle fuel consumption of 4,0 l/100 km while still accelerating around town in very respectable times (0-100 km/h in 11 seconds). 

Particularly useful in the A-segment is the fact that Fiat 500 is available in manual and automatic. The five-speed manual MTA transmission allows the convenience and comfort of two-pedal motoring while remaining affordable and reliable when it comes to maintenance and running costs.


 

All four trim levels of the Fiat 500 are available in hatchback guise, while the cabriolet 500C is reserved for Dolcevita and Sport derivatives. Manual transmission is available in Cult, Connect, and Sport hatchbacks, as well as the 500C Sport, while MTA is reserved for 500 and 500C Dolcevita models. 

With seven crash bags as standard, the Fiat 500 set the benchmark for safety in the segment. Anti-lock braking is standard across the range, as is Electronic Stability Control, hill holder and speed limiter. 

Onboard infotainment systems include the Uconnect seven-inch HD touchscreen with ‘tablet effect’ and HD display that includes a range of function, including a hands-free system, Bluetooth technology, and voice recognition. Available with Apple CarPlay and Android AutoTM compatibility, the system has a user-friendly interface that will allow you to easily manage maps, music, contacts, and more. 

MODEL

TRANSMISSION

RETAIL PRICE

Cult 0.9L

FWD 5MT

R 219 900

Connect 0.9L

FWD 5MT

R 260 900

Sport - 0.9L

FWD 5MT

R 269 900

Dolcevita 0.9L

FWD 5AT

R 274 900

Sport Cabriolet 0.9L

FWD 5MT

R 319 900

Dolcevita Cabriolet 0.9L

FWD 5AT

R 324 900