Fiat unveiled the rather surprising Oltre Fiat concept car at the Bologna Motor Show. The direct translation from Italian is 'Beyond Fiat', which makes sense when you cast your eyes over the extreme rugged design and realise that the Italian manufacturer has no off-roader in its range (Panda 4x4 and forthcoming Sedici crossover aside).
I don't think the photographs convey the huge proportions of the concept. The exterior dimensions are: 4870mm long, 2050mm tall and 2200mm wide, which put the Oltre Fiat on a par with the
current Range Rover. That's all well and good until you read that the concept weighs nigh on seven tonnes (yes, that many), though has an impressive three tonne payload, yet can carry a maximum of five passengers due to its quirky pick-up design.
Based on a new military vehicle by child company Iveco, the Oltre Fiat features an advanced four-wheel drive system incorporating three differential locks. It can negotiate lateral gradients up to 40% and longitudinal slopes up to 80%. In standard trim it is claimed to wade to a depth of 0.85m. A 3-litre four-cylinder Iveco common-rail diesel engine powers the monster, with 185bhp and peak torque of 336lb.ft sounding just about enough.
That's all very impressive until you take a closer look at the wheel/tyre combination and realise that this Fiat won't be going too far off-road; the concept features low-profile Pirelli Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico tyres of 315/40 R26 dimensions, yup 26-inch. With some proper off-road tyres on it could actually be quite useful on the rough, but in reality, this car is nothing more than a one-off show car to get your attention. It certainly does that.
Shane O' Donoghue - 19 Dec 2005