The Fiat Concept Centoventi has been named Best Concept Car of 2019 in the Car Design Awards. The annual awards from the publication is made up of a jury of 18 design directors from similarly world-renowned car manufacturers, who praised the revolutionary car as it “stands out for its innovative modular concept and exceptional use of colors and materials.”
Olivier François, President of Fiat Brand Global, noted: “Winning this award makes me extremely proud and a jury of such a high international caliber has highlighted the importance of design in the Centoventi project. This is Fiat's vision for the future of democratic electric mobility, based on more than 120 years of history. The Fiat Concept Centoventi is a ‘blank canvas’ to be painted on according to customers’ tastes and requirements: indeed, the Centoventi was designed to be updated with the greatest freedom and imagination in its colors, in the configuration of its interiors, roof and infotainment system, and even in the range offered by the modular batteries. It therefore represents a radical change to automotive paradigms. This is truly one of the strengths of the concept: no longer having to wait to buy a new car, in the knowledge that the time is always right to change its configuration. Centoventi therefore embodies Fiat’s concept of ‘less is more’, by which we mean removing anything unnecessary or complex from a car, leaving it up to the customer to express their imagination and preferences. Centoventi is a minimalist car and this is the essence of its extreme customisability, making it totally cool.”
Making its world premiere at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, the Fiat Concept Centoventi has approached the topic of electric mobility with an innovative business model: it is both minimalist and fully customisable, in terms of all its details and at any stage in its life cycle. It will come in only one livery, which can be customised via the ‘4U’ program, with a choice between 4 roof covers, 4 bumpers, 4 wheel wraps and 4 paint wraps. The interior accessories are interchangeable and can be installed in ‘plug-and-play’ mode – from the cluster and storage pockets to the seats and child seats – directly by the customer. The exteriors are wrappable, the bumpers are customisable, and various roof covers are available to dress it up as the seasons change or according to your own preferences. Even the range is modular: the innovative battery architecture means it can be varied, according to customers’ specific requirements, from 100 to 500 km (62 to 310 miles), perfect for driving both in the city or for a weekend by the sea or up in the mountains.
Klaus Busse, FCA’s EMEA Head of Design, concluded: “The success of the Centoventi reflects the great collaboration between the designers of Centro Stile Fiat and our engineers to realise the vision of the brand's CEO. Receiving this award is an incredible honor for the entire team, especially from a jury like the one of CDN, made of international heads of design. A group of individuals that live in the presence, but judge through the eyes of the future, that they help create.”
Since 1999, Car Design News (CDN) has been a leading resource for car designers around the world, providing invaluable information, advice and insights to students and design directors: the Car Design News website is viewed by over 500,000 unique users every year. The site's authority lies in its network of industry authors and analysts, many of whom contribute to the annual publication of the Car Design Review, a refined almanac of trends in design and mobility, expert commentaries and future predictions for the international automotive design community. Among other factors, the announcement of the winners in two categories, ‘Best Production Car’ and ‘Best Concept Car’, mark the first deliveries of the Car Design Review, to 1,200 major figures in the field of automotive design.