For its 120th birthday, Fiat went to the 2019 Geneva Motor Show to present a concept car, except it’s really not a concept car. It’s called the Centoventi Concept, which literally translates to “one hundred and twenty” in our language. It’s not the most creative concept name in the world, but it’ll do, especially when you begin to understand what it’s really all about. Fiat’s press release calls the Centoventi Concept a vehicle that “perfectly expresses the Italian brand's idea of electric mass mobility in the near future.” What that phrase doesn’t tell you is that the Centoventi Concept is a lot more than just a representation of Fiat’s vision for its future electric. The concept is also a blank canvas that invites user customization. It’s a design-your-own ride that lets you personalize the car’s design from the ground up. Future urban mobility? Sure, the concept is that, too. But it’s really a modular platform for creativity. The Centoventi Concept doesn’t really have a “look,” in large part because that “look” will depend on how you design it.

2019 Fiat Centoventi Concept

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2019 Fiat Centoventi Concept
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Pros
Cons

Exterior

- Personalized roof colors - Custom body wraps - New bumpers design - New Wheel Design - 256 different color schemes - Vehicle body acts like a blank canvas

The Fiat Centoventi takes the form of a typical Fiat subcompact. It’s 500-like in size and looks like a modern-day interpretation of the OG Fiat Panda. Look closely, and you’ll see nods from the “141” Panda, which gained notoriety for its lack of meaningful color. The Centoventi follows along that same path, though for an entirely different reason. The show car looks drab with the unpainted body, but that’s precisely Fiat’s intention. There’s no attempt on Fiat’s part to dress up the concept because you’ll have to do it yourself. Yes. You.

This is where the Fiat’s seemingly limitless design options come into the picture. There are four body color wraps to choose from, four roof colors, four wheel trims, and yes, four bumpers. I don’t claim to be a mathematics ace, but I know that with all those options on the table, you can design the concept in 256 different color schemes. The goal, of course, isn’t really to showcase your automotive design chops, but to create a platform that can be changed, altered, and reconfigured at any time, particularly after you purchase the car (provided it ends up in production.)

Imagine sitting in your couch one day and the sudden urge to dress up your Centoventi strikes you. You could dress up the concept to match your outfit for the day, or you can dress it up for a specific occasion. Imagine your Fiat wearing its own tux, or what looks like a tux. That kind of modular adaptation sits at the heart of the concept’s existence. It’s worth noting, too, that the concept’s flat surfaces — there’s a bit of the Citroen C4 Cactus in it, right? — makes the job of reskinning the car in a new color scheme cheap and easy.

It’s not just the concept’s skin that’s customizable. One isn’t exclusive to the other so you can make that choice when you want to. There are even multi-function roofs available, including one with solar panels should the need for one arise. There are also elements of 3D printing that can be adapted into the design of the concept. The Fiat Centoventi Concept will look how you want it to look. Parts like the suicide doors in the back are there for show-and-tell reasons, but, for the most part, the concept doesn’t abide by traditional interpretations of what a concept car should look like, but more on what you want it to look like.

This new wrinkle in vehicle customization can even extend to selling, buying, or trading parts online. Suppose that you want a new skin color for your concept. You can look for one online or trade with a friend who’s experiencing a similar identity crisis. The options know no limits, which is exactly Fiat’s intention in the first place.

Beyond the concept’s modular setup, the Centoventi also features a tailgate that can be used to display messages to others. It’s like a small mobile billboard that you can rent out to advertisers. Who said you can’t make money driving a Fiat? If someone did, he obviously hasn’t seen the Centoventi Concept.

2019 Fiat Concept Centoventi exterior dimensions

Length:

3680 mm

Height:

1527 mm

Width:

1740 mm (with door mirrors 1846 mm)

Wheelbase:

2430 mm

Front overhang:

658 mm

Rear overhang:

592 mm


Interior

- Personalized interior - 20-inch "Lingotto" instrument cluster and digital display - 114 Mopar-designed accessories available

The Centoventi’s interior follows the same create-your-own routine. The interior itself is bare, at least compared to your expectations on what a concept’s interior should look like. There are four seats, a steering wheel, a multi-layered dashboard, and the choice of either a 10-inch display or a 20-inch instrument cluster that Fiat calls "Lingotto." Named after the district in Turin, Italy where Fiat's historic production facility is located, the Lingotto instrument cluster is a fully digital 20-inch device that's integrated with HMI driving assistance and safety functions, such as direction indicator, Blind Sport Alert system, braking system, and battery charge status. At least this is one aspect of the concept that's "traditional."

As for the rest of the cabin, well, this is where your creativity comes into play. Your job is to choose the ones you like and dress up the interior with them. Literally, the floor is yours. So are the seats, the headliner, the doors, the dashboard, the steering wheel, and just about every available surface inside the concept vehicle. You can add plush seat cushions if you want more comfort from those seats. You can also throw in a Bluetooth speaker holder in the event that you need one. A camera mount? Sure. A bottle holder? Why the hell not, right?

Heck, if you're attuned to the art of 3D printing, you can create your own accessories and install them where you think they’ll go. A 3D-printed cup holder sounds ridiculous until you find a place for it inside the Centoventi. Then it becomes useful. You can even do all of this from the confines of your own home. Print the accessory, fit in the car. It’s so simple that it sounds ridiculous.

And yet, the Centoventi Concept itself borders on the ridiculous. It’s a great example of Fiat’s forward-thinking. But is the concept feasible enough in today’s world that Fiat can make a business case of turning it into a production model? I suppose that’s a question for later on.

Drivetrain

- One battery range good for 6.15 miles - Batteries can be bought or leased - 309 miles full range

Fiat didn’t exactly elaborate on power and performance specs, but the theme of flexibility is also applicable in the concept’s range. Just like the exterior and interior of the Centoventi, the number of batteries you want in your vehicle is entirely up to you. Each battery provides the same amount of range, though if you load your car up to the brim with these batteries, you can extend the car’s range to an impressive 309 miles.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of car batteries that can be rented out, but hey, Fiat’s imagination is at work here. In times like this, you take what’s presented to you and run away with it. The Centoventi, after all, isn’t built like a speed machine, so its performance times are largely irrelevant.

It’d be interesting, though, to see a powertrain setup like this. I suppose the whole setup revolves around a plug-and-play system that should, in theory, at least, make it easier for you to install or remove a battery without breaking a sweat.

Final Thoughts

I have a unique level of admiration for Fiat and what it presented at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. All jokes aside, the Centoventi Concept is the kind of idea that could have a promising future in the market. Why should automakers dictate the look of a car that you’re buying? Shouldn’t you be the one who gets to decide that? You should be the one who’s in charge of the car’s colors, materials, and, at least in this case, batteries and their accompanying range totals. Fiat doesn’t answer all of our questions about the feasibility of a concept like the Centoventi turning into reality, but it is showing us a possible avenue that it can explore to make the car-ownership experience more personal to the buyer. I don’t know if this concept will ever see production, but I wouldn’t be opposed to one day seeing a lot of these personalized rides on the road. The Centoventi is Fiat’s way of giving control to the customer to personalize his own car. The black canvas is there. It’s on us to dress it up however we see fit.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2018 Fiat 500.