These are the two cars that could change the fate of Alfa Romeo and Fiat

Olivier François has a problem. He has been nurturing, nursing and tinkering with an idea he had several years ago, a rather good idea, and although that thought has now become a three-dimensional object for all of us to see, he doesn’t know when it should be turned into something we could all buy. François is marketing director of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and head of the Fiat brand. His idea involves replacing the Fiat Panda , the most charming and basic model in Fiat’s range, with a car that will have the legs for a greener 21st century.

A look at the Fiat Centoventi, the concept car celebrating Fiat’s 120th anniversary, tells you that François and his team have been thinking far beyond a simple replacement for the third-generation Panda. The car would be offered in a single main paint colour, pale grey, in its most basic form and with little equipment. There would be multiple optional add-ons to configure the interior, dashboard and roof, as well as the most fundamental choice of a fully electric transmission.

More specifically, the electric version would be an affordable battery model, which comes as standard with a range of no more than 100 kilometres. You might well consider this unacceptably limiting, even for an urban fugitive. In that case, you can order another 100 km of additional battery, buying it, renting it or even leasing it.

In fact, the Centoventi, and by implication the next Panda, could be all about add-ons. Among the many ideas it carries is an offer of one model, to which you can add as many or as few options as you like, either when you buy or after you have bought it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uohoVrdUGo

Which vehicles will transform Fiat and Alfa Romeo?

But these are secondary problems compared with François’s problem, which is one of when. The new petrol Panda should arrive during 2021, but at what point should an affordable fully electric version be offered? “I want it to be a success,” François has asserted. “It is a radical approach to electrification. It is a matter of time. Some people say we must hurry.” But François is not so sure. “When government incentives disappear, the pricing pressure on EVs will be at its peak,” he has added, which is when he recognises there will be room for a “better product”.

The idea gained momentum again when it was picked up by Michael Manley, now CEO of FCA. “Why don’t you show us that concept of yours?” he suggested. Ask François how real this concept really is and he will tell you: “I still don’t know. I think the look is very faithful to the next-generation Panda. But, clearly, the style is almost incidental, although it is one we like a lot. What matters is the concept as a whole. We will know very quickly whether it is happening or not, because we are in the process of investigating the future of the Fiat range. We have been very active over the last three months.”

The more functional range of family cars will include the new Panda, a new supermini inspired by the 500 Giardinera estate and a replacement for the Tipo that will probably be an SUV, its design informed by the Centoventi. They will be “cool, affordable, stylish and will have smart solutions,” says François. “They will not have tons of technology. What really matters is a sustainable price, space, good design, key equipment and safety.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2wGA-1WBjM

Alfa Romeo Tonale, will it change the Visconte brand?

It takes 10 seconds to draw the Alfa Romeo Tonale. According to Alfa Romeo’s head of design, Scott Krugger, who considers this fact a “beautiful testament” to its design strength and to one of the two unusual processes that helped create it. Drawing the essence of this car in just 10 seconds may sound a little disappointing. It is as if there is nothing to the vehicle, its lines simple to the point of cruelty. But no. The ability to sketch it so quickly, that is, if you are a highly competent draughtsman, is due to the fact that it has a few strong lines that capture the character of a visually distinctive car.

Part of the Tonale’s design process involved examining some of the legendary later Alfa catalogues, says Krugger, and understanding the strongest elements of particular models: “You look at a car for 10 seconds, then you close your eyes and draw. That is why we pulled these old cars from memory.” And that is exactly how the Tonale’s chief exterior designer, Alexandros Liokis, got some of his inspiration for this concept, which should appear in production form after mid-next year.

His inspiration boards include not only the evolution of Tonale deliveries but also nicely crumpled sketches of past Alfas, among them Giorgetto Giugiaro’s 1963 Giulia GT coupé, designed while he was at Bertone. Other Alfas influenced Liokis, but the Giulia GT is the main source and, in particular, the gently arched line that runs from the front spoiler to its tail. “The simplicity and structure of this car are the key elements,” says Liokis, whose daily driver, incidentally, is a 1983 Giulietta.

So how close is this concept to the C-segment SUV that the late FCA boss Sergio Marchionne promised last year? Krugger says: “We are close to this car. This is our target. Some elements are conceptual, like the lights and mirrors. But we will try not to lose the sculpture.” FCA’s European head of design, Klaus Busse, adds that the Tonale was made not digitally, nor by clay modelling, but by means of plaster, an ancient technique that was once widely favoured by Italian coachbuilders. Busse hired the 75-year-old plaster modeller who developed the Lamborghini Countach and the Lancia Stratos, two of the most dramatic supercars of the 1970s.

“The eye is 50% of the work, and touch too,” says Busse. “Sculpture is very important. The translation of the sketch and the way of mixing the ingredients can only be done by hand.” Krugger also talks of purity, and considers the Tonale “pure in a moment of hyper-design”, perhaps a euphemistic reference to the busy designs of some of Alfa Romeo’s rivals.

The Tonale, which will compete in one of the most popular segments on the market, was born as a concept last November, appearing at the Geneva show in March. The real car will share a platform with the Jeep Renegade, both vehicles offering a plug-in hybrid option. It is still unclear whether this is a completely new platform or a modification of the existing one. Either way, Alfa will need to work hard to develop what is fundamentally a front-wheel-drive SUV platform to complement the high standards set by the Giulia and the Stelvio, which benefit from their own bespoke Alfa Romeo architecture.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxiFUB6EOxg

“We have a dynamic team and they understand what an Alfa should be,” says Krugger by way of reassurance. It will also come as a plug-in hybrid, which will trigger the transition of Alfa Romeo to even more powerful but greener powertrains, which should add flavour to this elegant and desirable compact SUV.