| Make
|
Fiat
|
| Model |
Ecobasic |
| Concept
year |
2005 |
| Production
year |
- |
| Engine |
1.2
litre 4 cylinder |
The Fiat Ecobasic concept which was introduced at the
2004 Geneva Motor Show was a fantastically ugly vehicle
which was also very basic in just about every way.
The Ecobasic was designed to be cheap to make and cheap
to own. The frugal manufacturing method used several unique
ideas to make production as easy and fast as possible.
First off the bodypanels were dyed plastic, meaning no
painting was necessary. Secondly if it had gone into production
there would only have been one version, no frills an no
added extras. And thirdly, because of its modular design,
elements of the car could be produced in different factories.
The final assembly would be just a simple case of slotting
together the structure and bolting in the drivetrain.
Despite the fact Fiat were only planning on offering the
Ecobasic in one flavor, the car would have been very adaptable
to different needs thanks to removable seats and reconfigurable
door arrangements.
Amazingly, despite Fiat's far from perfect reliability
record, the designers decided it would be a good idea
to seal the Ecobasic's engine away in its own capsule
so that only the Dealership could access the engine for
maintenance. They claimed the engine was so reliable that
access was not important!
Power for the Fiat Ecobasic came from a 1.2 litre JTP
direct-injection turbo-diesel engine which produced 61
horsepower @ 3,500 rpm. Top speed was an electronically
limited 99.5 mph. It's fuel economy was very impressive,
returning over 94mpg, and CO2 emissions of just 80g/km.
Despite early promises and the threat of production, Fiat
decided not to put the Ecobasic into production. Instead
they decided to take the brand more upmarket and upgrade
their entire lineup with higher quality vehicles.
Similar and related vehicles:
Fiat IED X1/99
Fiat FCC
Fiat Punto Arbarth
Fiat Oltre
Fiat Ducato Truckster
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