Fiat Unveils Euro-Hummer Concept

Motoring Channel Staff - 2/12/2005

Having witnessed the success experienced by GM with its Hummer line of rugged 4x4 vehicles, Italian car maker Fiat has presented the Oltre Fiat - which could be read as the Fiat Beyond if loosely translated - at the Bologna Motor Show.

Fiat says that the unique model confirms the Fiat Group's technological excellence even in the large four-wheel drive and off-road segment.

And like the Hummer vehicles, which were based on the US military's Hum-Vee model, the Oltre Fiat is derived from the Iveco LMV (Light Multirole Vehicle), the new military offroad vehicle that embodies cutting edge technical features insists Fiat, and has won the FCLV (Future Command and Liaison Vehicle) contract for the British Army, and also for the Italian Army.

One of the reasons the Hummer was so popular was due to its direct military connection, which conveys the idea of a vehicle built for the harshest of conditions, and the new Oltre Fiat show car will no doubt benefit from its own military links.

The show car has large external dimensions for a road car, measuring 4870mm long, 2050mm high, 2200mm or 2.2 metres wide and has a wheelbase of 3230mm. Fiat calls its styling "exuberant", developed around a silhouette with straight wheelarches that cut across the uncluttered sides.

The door handles have been recessed deliberately, so that they do not constitute an obstacle when driving offroad In other words, the design concept underlines the car's practical personality, which is then taken to an extreme by the vehicle's real performance.

Fiat explains that the vehicle's extraordinary capacity as an "explorer" is also enhanced by the fact that all-wheel drive is engaged automatically when it is needed. All three differentials lock, a system that guarantees optimal wheel grip in all conditions.

Thanks to these solutions, the Oltre Fiat can negotiate a lateral gradient of up to 40%, and longitudinal gradients of 80%; it can also ford bodies of water of up to 85cm deep, and this can be increased to an impressive 1.5 metres by mounting special inlet and exhaust pipe extensions.

The show car is not fitted with rugged offroad wheels. Instead the Hummer rival gets high performance, ultra sporty (V speed code), low profile Pirelli Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico 315/40 R26 XL (extra load) tyres fitted to polished 26-inch alloy wheel rims.

The crew-cab version achieves a perfect balance between the feeling of dominating the terrain from inside the comfortable cab, and the spartan personality of a pure expedition pick-up. The tubular structure above the cab enhances the solidity of the whole vehicle, focusing attention on the presence of a complete rollover bar inside the cab.

Fiat asserts that the Oltre Fiat embodies power and solidity, having inherited all the features peculiar to the military model, starting from the permanent 4x4 transmission that allows it to tackle any situation or route to the generous 50 centimetres of ground clearance, and the highly efficient independent suspension system with coil springs and coaxial dampers.

Fiat says that the vehicle on show in Bologna can perform a wide range of functions; it is equipped with an Iveco F1C Common rail diesel engine, with a variable geometry turbo and intercooler. The 3.0-litre engine has 4-cylinders in line and delivers a maximum power output of 136kW (185hp) @ 3700rpm, and peak torque of 456Nm @ 1800rpm. Combined with a 6-speed automatic transmission, the engine gives this provocative vehicle a top speed of over 130km/h.

Fiat has also revealed that its military-based vehicle weighs about 7.0 tonnes, which gives it an overall payload of 3.0 tonnes, and can seat four or five people depending on the interior outfit.