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Monday, March 4, 2013

Fiat at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show

Fiat 500 GQ Edition

Fiat will have three world premieres this week at the 83rd International Motor Show in Geneva: the Fiat 500 GQ, the 500L Trekking, and special editions of the Panda 4x4.


Fiat 500 GQ Edition
For the Fiat 500 GQ, Fiat teamed up with Gentlemen's Quarterly to produce a car with sophisticated good looks. This special edition Fiat 500 is set off by a wild two tone paint scheme in matte grey and black carbon fiber look. The unique paint treatment is also applied to the mirror caps, and there are exclusive "GQ" logos on the B pillars and orange 500 logos on the alloy wheel centers. Additionally, cars equipped with the 100 HP 1.4 engine have orange painted brake callipers.

Fiat 500 GQ paint closeup


Inside the Fiat 500 GQ, orange "GQ" logos adorns the matte grey dashboard and leather seats. The seats feature signature "GQ" orange colored stitching. A flat bottom sport steering wheel reminiscent of the 500 Abarth's wheel, along with aluminum sport pedals and a special leather shift knob round out the interior changes.

Fiat 500 GQ mirror caps


Fiat 500 GQ interior


Engine choices for the 500 GQ are the 69 HP 1.2 L EasyPower, the 85 HP 0.9 L TwinAir Turbo and 100 HP 1.4 L 16V petrol engines, as well as the 95 HP 1.3 L 16v MultiJet diesel. Look for the Fiat 500 GQ to go on sale in Europe in June.



Fiat 500L Trekking

Fiat 500L Trekking
The Fiat 500L Trekking also makes its European debut at Geneva. The Fiat 500L is doing exceptionally well in the sales department, with more that 38,000 units sold in five months - over half outside of Italy. It is the only model in its segment in Europe that has had consistent sales growth, despite the current economic conditions. Recently, the 500L was named 'New Model of the Year 2013' by readers of the Italian automotive magazine Quattroruote, beating out the best of its German competitors.

Fiat 500L Trekking rear quarter


The Fiat 500L Trekking should drive these sales even higher with its combination of rugged good looks, practicality and on/off road capability. The European 500L Trekking uses an enhanced traction control system, called Traction+, that dramatically boosts grip on wet surfaces and rough terrain. Traction+ uses ESC settings specifically optimized for slippery and rough road surfaces. An added plus is the system intervenes when needed much more progressively when compared to that of a traditional mechanical locking differential. In North America, the Traction+ system is standard equipment on the full 500 and 500L model range.*

Four versions of the Fiat 500L will be available when it arrives in America this June: Pop, Easy, Trekking and Lounge. Of the four models, the mid-range Trekking is expected to be the most popular.


Fiat 500 Panda 4x4 'SUV of the Year 2012'


Fiat Panda 4x4
Another car Fiat is highlighting at Geneva is the recently introduced Fiat Panda 4x4. The Fiat Panda is the number one selling A segment car in Europe and the Panda 4x4 is Europe's only 4x4x city-car. Introduced in 1983, the Panda 4x4 has earned a reputation as a go anywhere - do anything vehicle over the last thirty years. The drivetrain features a six speed manual gearbox with an ultra-low first gear to get the Panda 4x4 out of just about any situation. This is teamed up with the "Torque on demand" traction system that uses ELD (Electronic Locking Differential) and ESC (Electronic Stability Control) to distribute torque to the wheels with the most traction. The rear suspension uses a new patented torsion beam design that offers an improved ride over last year's model, yet retains the flexibility needed for off-roading.



In December, the Fiat Panda 4x4 was awarded 'SUV of the Year 2012' by Top Gear magazine.

Expect to see three Panda 4x4 showcars at Geneva painted in distinctive two-tone paint schemes: three-layer white, three-layer red and two-tone green/beige. We'll have more images when the show opens later this week. Check back!

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Source: Fiat Group Press

* I updated this story to clarify the Traction+ feature availability for North America.

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