2004 Fiat Idea 5Terre

The Fiat Idea '5terre' makes its debut at the 74th Geneva Motor Show

The Fiat Idea had its world preview here in Geneva one year ago. Today, the same stage hosts the debut of the Fiat Idea '5terre', a show car whose most distinctive feature is its 'transversality'. The model combines the dynamic, functional look of an SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) with the modularity and internal flexibility of an MPV (Multipurpose Vehicle). The Fiat Idea '5terre' forges a link between the elegant line and personality of an 'off-road' vehicle, and styling and design trends which are developing interesting solutions for the future, and particularly for the SUV and MPV segments.

The model's name reflects this striving for balance between form and content. The Cinque Terre is one of the most famous Mediterranean coastal areas, a strip of land suspended between the sea and the sky where uncontaminated nature has coexisted for centuries with the work of man. And for one thousand years these small villages in Liguria, perched on sheer cliffs and surrounded by green hills, have taught us that the balance between opposites is not only possible but often produces results of stunning beauty and extraordinary harmony.

The show car presented in Geneva can therefore be seen (and enjoyed) in the narrow streets of a European metropolis, but also on desert tracks and in frontier landscapes. In fact, since its launch, the Fiat Idea has shown that it aims to do away with the accepted historical limits of conventional cars, reconciling apparently contrasting characteristics: roominess with compact dimensions, easy handling with a large loading area, practicality, versatility and a fresh, carefully appointed interior with a modern, attractive design.

This means that the show car is the ideal solution for a modern motorist who is part of a society in which technology has accustomed him to see the 'multipurpose' value of objects. As a result, the car becomes a versatile product that can adapt to different activities: from work to relaxation, culture and leisure time. In other words, the car must evolve with the motorist who does not accept compromise. Which is why the Fiat Idea '5terre' is a perfect mixture of the intelligent solutions of rational architecture and all-Italian design whose strong personality retains an elegant line and fluid forms inside and out.

Derived from the basic model, the '5terre' prototype stands higher and has distinctive two-tone bodywork, combining 'sunny' Rainbow Gold (three coats of paint with warm iridescent tones) and the Moss colour of the side rubbing strips (a colour with a granular effect that recalls the Mediterranean scrub). The side strips underscore the lines sculpted into the sides, urging dynamically forwards. The front itself has a trapezoid shape, where the two lateral 'claws' highlight the tapered wings, embracing the bumpers and the lower air intake with a strong three-dimensional effect.

The drop-shaped, oblique headlights fit modular hi-tech optics, mounted without frames in a kind of eyelid with a winged profile, which act as the direction indicators. And finally the grille, which merges dialectically with the other styling features to produce the ridge at the centre of the bonnet. The Fiat Idea '5terre' has generous glazed surfaces which enhance the luminosity and visibility in the interior, lightening the car's compact, sturdy shape, an effect underlined by the upper pane that extends the windscreen dynamically onto the roof. The sensation of solidity is repeated in the protective metallic mouldings in the lower part of the front and rear bumpers. This is a distinctive styling feature which is designed to protect the sophisticated 4x4 engineering of the car. The tail end has a simple, rounded shape, from which the cylindrical light cluster modules emerge.

From the exterior to the interior. The passenger compartment is furnished with the same warm welcoming colours as the bodywork, using natural materials like the woven coconut matting that covers the floor and the rear luggage compartment. The upper lid of the facia is treated with a moss effect that is soft and porous to the touch, while all the controls have a 'metallic' finish similar to molten steel. The Moss colour returns in the door panel inserts, upholstered in soft, marble-effect 'Maktub' which also covers the seats. It is an Alcantara® ultra-microfibre specially developed for the car by Trend Design Alcantara®. The effect is completed by the napped Dove Grey leather inserts of the head-restraints and lateral containment of the seats.

SOURCE: FIAT