Fiat is at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show with the goal of flipping the narrative in terms of electric car ownership. That “goal” arrives in the form of the Centoventi EV Concept, a futuristic interpretation of a future mass-market electric car. The Centoventi EV Concept’s existence is not only owed to Fiat’s long-awaited plans for electrification but to also celebrate the automaker’s 120th anniversary. Yes, Fiat has been around that long. Celebrations aside, Fiat aims to turn the Centoventi EV from a concept showcase of its future to an actual production model with the cheapest electric battery on the market. Whether the automaker can pull it off remains to be seen, but the important thing, at least for now, is that the wheels are in motion for that to happen.

The Fiat Centoventi EV stands for a lot of things. It stands for the celebration of Fiat’s history, and it stands for the future of Fiat as an electric car maker. In many ways, it’s the most important concept car Fiat has come up with in recent memory. It’s called “Centoventi” as a nod to its 120th anniversary — “centoventi” is Italian for “one hundred twenty” — but more important than its name is its purpose in Fiat’s electrification plans. See, the Centoventi EV Concept isn’t just a showcase of Fiat’s future. It is Fiat’s future.

Fiat isn’t any different from every automaker that’s focusing its attention on the electric car market. This segment represents the future of the business, and any company that can’t see the forest for the trees will be left behind by the changing times in the business. That’s one of the reasons why the automaker’s goal for the Centoventi’s production version — yes, a production version is coming — is to make it one of the most affordable EVs in the market. Fiat’s not winning any battles with Tesla, folks. But it can succeed with a car like the Centoventi, provided that it’s packaged and developed properly.

Aesthetically, the Centoventi looks like a quintessential Fiat. It draws plenty of styling cues from the “141” Panda, which isn’t all that surprising. To this day, the Panda remains one of Fiat’s hot sellers, especially in its home market of Italy. If you’re familiar with the OG Panda, you’ll notice that the Centoventi follows a similar utilitarian design blueprint as Fiat’s old head. The concept is packaged as a five-door hatchback, drawing similarities to the dimensions of more recent versions of the Panda. The absence of color in the concept’s body is also a nod to the unpainted Pandas of yesteryear. The wheels and the headlamps are of the modern variety but the bumper lights are square, just like the Panda’s headlights. You’ll also notice the Italian flag stripe on the front bumper. Visually, it provides a nice splash of color on an otherwise colorless concept. Historically, it’s a nod to the old Panda’s striped grille.

Speaking of historical throwbacks, the Centoventi EV Concept’s interior is awash in them. The simple dashboard is another hat tip to the 1980 model. Even the instrument cluster is simple in its appearance. It’s fully digitized and features smartphone connectivity, but it’s not as audacious as you might expect from another concept model. There’s a mobile device clip over on the side, too, a feature that should probably come as standard across all EVs by now. Fiat compares the interior to a Croc shoe for reasons that still boggle the mind, but let’s give Fiat the space to run away with it.

This is one of the Centoventi’s most unique attributes. Fiat describes it as a “blank canvas,” which explains why the body is bereft of any color. That was done intentionally to allow prospective customers the opportunity to design their models depending on their tastes and preferences through Fiat’s “4U” personalization program. There are four color options available, not to mention four roofs and four wheel covers. In addition to the program, Fiat also plans to drown would-be customers in as many as 120 additional pieces of accessories, including roof options. The concept’s open-roof setup is another callback to the OG Panda, but Fiat is offering a modern twist to the proceedings through roof options that include a polycarbonate top, an opening canvas one, a roof with an integrated cargo box, or one that comes with a solar panel setup generating power to cool the car's cabin. These are cool features included in the box. Perhaps if Fiat really wants to make a statement, we’ll see them in the production model, as well?

Certain aspects of it will come standard to the model, including modular battery packs that carry a range of just 62 miles. While that figure is understandable given the size of the concept, it does leave us wanting a bit more. Fortunately, the modular nature of these battery packs comes with the potential for increased range through a servicing garage that can add more batteries for a maximum range of 310 miles. In standard guise, though, there’s just one add-on battery that fits under a seat.

The Fiat Centoventi isn’t one of the best concepts at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. It’s certainly not the most memorable. But for its purpose as an anniversary concept and a touchpoint for the future, the Centoventi EV is probably one of the concepts from this year’s show that we’re going to be talking a lot about in the coming years, or however long it takes Fiat to finally put the pieces of its electrification plans together.

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


Further reading

Read our full review on the 2018 Fiat 500.