Fiat Egea
The Project Ægea (356) is a family of automobiles researched and developed by FCA Italy in 2014 (beginning of development). The first models were officially revealed in May 2015, with production starting between 2015 and 2016. The family is based on the FCA Small platform destined to diverse markets, for which different body styles have been developed to satisfy the tastes of a diverse customer base.
The project springs from Italy and the models are initially destined for the EMEA market (Europe, Middle East and Africa). The individual models are however designed to be exported around the globe to markets similar to those of EMEA, for example the sedan to Mexico as the Dodge Neon.[1][2][3][4]
Design
The model range was designed in Turin, and consists of three models which distinguish themselves by the chassis and the philosophy of usage, in order to best satisfy the diverse habits and needs of different areas within the EMEA market. The three models are a sedan, a hatchback and a station wagon.
The three-box sedan is the successor to the Fiat Linea in markets where models "with a trunk" are wanted: Turkey, Germany, Spain and Eastern Europe. The two-box sedan succeeds the Fiat Bravo even in markets where hatchbacks outsell other body styles, for example Italy and the UK. The station wagon is the most spacious model of the series, filling a void in the lineup left by the Fiat Stilo MultiWagon and succeeding the Fiat Croma along with the Fiat Freemont. The models will be distributed in the EMEA and 50 other countries worldwide,[1] where the project adopts the same strategy as is used by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in the Chinese and Nord American market with the Fiat Viaggio / Fiat Ottimo and Dodge Dart / Chrysler 200.
Development, production and distribution
The models are developed upon the second generation of the FCA Small Wide LWB platform of FCA. Therefore they are related mechanically to the Fiat 500L.
Sedan
The first model to spring from this project is a three-box sedan, introduced at the Istanbul Autoshow in Turkey. The Turkish market is not only the most important for FCA's compact sedan, but also a strategic region for the Italo-American colossus, which has in Tofaş one of its major production facilities in the city of Bursa, which is also a major center of research and development for models destined to the Eastern European and Middle Eastern markets. In fact, the sedan has been designed in the Centro Stile Fiat at Turin, but the development took place in Bursa, Turkey, where it is also produced.
Designed as a compact world car, it is a four door, 5 seat saloon with the dimensions of 453 cm long, 179 cm wide, 150 cm high and a wheelbase of 264 cm. It has been designed with an interior spacious enough to fit five "robust" adults along with a luggage compartment 510 liters.[1][3] The model was presented by Alfredo Altavilla (responsible for the EMEA market of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles)[3] and reintroduced on the European market after 20 years of absence the Tipo model name.[5]
Hatchback
This version of the project Ægea is the successor to the Fiat Bravo.
Station Wagon
The Station Wagon is the most spacious one of models.[3]
References
- ^ a b c "Progetto Fiat Ægea". Retrieved May 23, 2015.
- ^ "Fiat AEgea a Instambul". Retrieved May 23, 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Fiat Progetto Aegea Altavilla: "Berlina in autunno, hatchback e wagon nel 2016"". Retrieved May 23, 2015.
- ^ "2016 Dodge Neon For Mexico Leaked".
- ^ "Ecco la nuova tre volumi, in Italia da dicembre". Retrieved October 13, 2015.