Photo: Aksyonov Nikita
Last year, Fiat sold 95,000 examples of 500X in Europe. It's a drop in an ocean of more popular crossovers. The brand has presented numerous plans to expand its lineup over the years but has failed to deliver anything substantial.
That being said, there's a little project out there that sparked people's curiosity, and it's not Italian... technically. The Fiat Fastback was one of the coolest production-intent concepts that you probably never heard about.
It was presented during the 2018 Sao Paulo International Auto Show, looking narrow and long, a bit like the Toro pickup which you also can't buy in Europe, but with a distinct coupe-like roof, a bit like a Mercedes GLC or BMW X4.
Coupe-crossovers from mainstream manufacturers are the next big thing. Volkswagen Group has a whole bunch on the way, and so do Renault-Nissan. At this point, it's not clear if the Fastback will be produced, but concepts shown in Brazil are usually not pointless design exercises since the local branch can't afford to goof off.
Perhaps our favorite design element was the two-tier headlights with really narrow upper portions. Fiat designers also fitted it with cameras instead of door mirrors and flush door handles. But all this was changed when Aksyonov Nikita put a production twist on the concept. The rest of what you see is as Fiat intended it, minus the stickers, of course.
His take features regular mirrors, lights from the 500X and smaller wheels. Fiat's strategies suggested that lifestyle vehicles would mostly belong to the 500 families, though we don't see how that would happen.
A sexy, desirable Sports Activity Coupe is perfect for the Abarth performance brand, which has stagnated since being applied to the 124 Spider. But honestly, the brand doesn't have the engine technology needed for such a model. Maybe they can borrow some smart engineers from Alfa Romeo and maybe shoehorn some Giulia engines under the hood of the Fastback.
It was presented during the 2018 Sao Paulo International Auto Show, looking narrow and long, a bit like the Toro pickup which you also can't buy in Europe, but with a distinct coupe-like roof, a bit like a Mercedes GLC or BMW X4.
Coupe-crossovers from mainstream manufacturers are the next big thing. Volkswagen Group has a whole bunch on the way, and so do Renault-Nissan. At this point, it's not clear if the Fastback will be produced, but concepts shown in Brazil are usually not pointless design exercises since the local branch can't afford to goof off.
Perhaps our favorite design element was the two-tier headlights with really narrow upper portions. Fiat designers also fitted it with cameras instead of door mirrors and flush door handles. But all this was changed when Aksyonov Nikita put a production twist on the concept. The rest of what you see is as Fiat intended it, minus the stickers, of course.
His take features regular mirrors, lights from the 500X and smaller wheels. Fiat's strategies suggested that lifestyle vehicles would mostly belong to the 500 families, though we don't see how that would happen.
A sexy, desirable Sports Activity Coupe is perfect for the Abarth performance brand, which has stagnated since being applied to the 124 Spider. But honestly, the brand doesn't have the engine technology needed for such a model. Maybe they can borrow some smart engineers from Alfa Romeo and maybe shoehorn some Giulia engines under the hood of the Fastback.
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