Thursday, June 5, 2008
According to sources in Italy, the Fulvia is likely to reach production soon. Lancia first showed its modern update of the classic Fulvia coupe in concept form at the Frankfurt show in 2003, where it received positive feedback.
However, a combination of Fiat’s then-rocky financial situation and the fact that the show car was based on the ageing Mk2 Fiat Punto platform put the concept on ice.
Sources now say that the project has been revived and it could appear as soon as the Paris motor show this September. However, industry opinion differs on the form the car will take. Some sources say the Lancia Fulvia will be engineered with a folding hard-top, others say it will be a regular coupe.
In any case, it’s thought that the Fulvia will get the same platform that underpins Alfa Romeo’s Mito hatch. Although this chassis is based on the current Punto, its A-pillar design has been expensively re-engineered to make cleaner rooflines more feasible.
It’s thought that the final car will differ from the retro-styled concept of 2003. Lancia design chief, Marco Tencone hinted at the fresh design direction of future new models.
“When you start in a new segment, you need a new design,” he said. “In future you need different languages for different cars, sporting and mainstream. We will be evolving the Lancia design language.”