Geneva Motor Show 2001 Preview

Lancia flagship concept to be shown at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show

The heir of the Lancia K will be among the stars of the Geneva Show, replacing the former company flagship which ceased production last month.

The new Lancia flagship is going to attract a lot of interest for its aristocratic style even though on one side it reminds images of the past. On the other side the new Lancia, (whose name is sourced from the Greek dictionary, much like has been the case with the successful Lybra) comes with a very distinguished style that perfectly communicates a new concept of luxury and elegance. Somehow it anticipates the trend of the Maybach by DaimlerChrysler.

Directly inspired by the 1998 Lancia Dialogos show car, the new Lancia is likely to be introduced in Geneva as a “design study” teaser. The new Lancia is expected to be ready for the market later this year.

In a recent press-release Lancia says that this new model, called Thesis, is meant to re-establish the Lancia brand by taking it back to the spirit of its origins. Thesis is called “a car with a unique and exciting style, cutting-edge technology and elite comfort.”

The Thesis is due to join the European market for large, luxury saloons and aims at confronting competition with “sophisticated engineering, innovative IT and navigation devices, choice of materials and supreme dedication to finishing.”

Just under five metres long (4.91) and distinguished by a new touch of style and elegance, the Lancia Thesis matches retro sensations - such as the high front, the long bonnet and the profile resembling an upside-down wedge - with an entirely new stylistic language. Hence the large, vertical grille and rhomboid headlamps built into sculpted, shapely mudguards. The new Lancia Thesis is planned to reach the European market late this year.

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	Click for larger images	Lancia flagship concept to be shown at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show The heir of the Lancia K will be among the stars of the Geneva Show, replacing the former company flagship which ceased production last month. The new Lancia flagship is going to attract a lot of interest for its aristocratic style even though on one side it reminds images of the past. On the other side the new Lancia, (whose name is sourced from the Greek dictionary, much like has been the case with the successful Lybra) comes with a very distinguished style that perfectly communicates a new concept of luxury and elegance. Somehow it anticipates the trend of the Maybach by DaimlerChrysler. Directly inspired by the 1998 Lancia Dialogos show car, the new Lancia is likely to be introduced in Geneva as a “design study” teaser. The new Lancia is expected to be ready for the market later this year. In a recent press-release Lancia says that this new model, called Thesis, is meant to re-establish the Lancia brand by taking it back to the spirit of its origins. Thesis is called “a car with a unique and exciting style, cutting-edge technology and elite comfort.” The Thesis is due to join the European market for large, luxury saloons and aims at confronting competition with “sophisticated engineering, innovative IT and navigation devices, choice of materials and supreme dedication to finishing.” Just under five metres long (4.91) and distinguished by a new touch of style and elegance, the Lancia Thesis matches retro sensations - such as the high front, the long bonnet and the profile resembling an upside-down wedge - with an entirely new stylistic language. Hence the large, vertical grille and rhomboid headlamps built into sculpted, shapely mudguards. The new Lancia Thesis is planned to reach the European market late this year.

		Five door Alfa 147 to be presented in Geneva On its side, Alfa Romeo is not giving up the opportunity to attract show-visitors with a new model of its own. In Geneva, Alfa Romeo will exhibit its 5 door Alfa 147 that is scheduled to go on sale next April. The five-door version attempts to match the looks of the three door, and as with the 156 Sportwagon, the rear door handle is hidden in the window area, to preserve the 'coupe' feel.
		Fiat to unviel it's next generation Bravo Fiat Auto has announced the name of its new model due to replace the current Bravo/Brava, middle class range. The new car is called STILO and, as anticipated come with one architecture and one style, with two different door configurations: three and five doors. The Fiat Stilo 5-door is 4.25 metres long, 1.76 wide, 1.51 high and has a wheelbase of 2.60 metres. The Fiat Stilo 3-door keeps the same width and wheelbase but is 4.18 metres long and 1.46 high. Both will be equipped with four petrol engines and two turbodiesel power units. Fiat said its Stilo is easy to get in and out, offers plenty of space inside and comes with a high driving position to make the driver feel more in control. The car is modular and adaptable because one front seat can be folded forward and the two sliding rear seats can be reclined independently. As such it may tempt a segment of the market being targeted by MPVs. Contrary to original plans, Fiat will not wait for its production lines to be ready to deliver its new generation Bravo at full pace, thus giving to its dealer network the time to reduce their stock of the current models. The next generation Bravo is scheduled to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, reportedly under pressure from General Motors.
		I.DE.A. Institute completing first 8 wheel drive limousine Details are still sketchy and dealt with great confidentiality but the news, although amazing, has been confirmed... I.DE.A. Institute of Moncalieri (Torino, Italy) is completing a superlative Limousine engineered and developed by the University of Tokyo and that is bound to make a lot of noise at the Geneva Show despite its very silent motors. The cars come with 8 electric motors, each one applied to one of the 8 wheels the limousine will be running on. The big limousine is reportedly very stable, agile and nimble to drive with six of its driving wheels also participating to the steering. Steering is likely to be of the steer-by-wire type recently demonstrated by BMW and few other systems manufacturers.