The Fiat Nuova 500 adds an architecture to its range. After saloon and cabriolet (design story on Auto&Design no.243), comes the 3+1. The car retains the volumes and dimensions of the other two versions but has a small door 40 centimetres longer and can open against the wind on the right side up to 83 degrees. “This model has been designed to make life easier for our customers. Thanks to the third door, we make it easier for those who get in the back, who have to assemble or disassemble a car seat, who have to load children or who simply need more flexibility”, says Olivier Francois, Fiat’s CEO, during the presentation at the Lingotto in Turin. The door of the 500 3+1 incorporates the B-pillar and the seatbelt structure.
The designers at the Style Centre worked on a smart solution that kept the same identical measurements as the convertible and sedan versions, adding a third small door on the passenger side. Just like the first 500 in 1957, which had the doors hinged at the rear: a return to the roots of the model in a fruitful dialogue between past and future.
“To make this model we thought of those who needed a compact city car like the 500, but at the same time needed easier access to the second row of seats,” comments Klaus Busse, head of design for the Fca group in Europe. “The great thing is that the access door has remained the same size as before. So if for whatever reason you can’t or won’t open the rear door, you still have the exact same access space as the sedan and convertible”.
