(1) This is Roberto Giolito. He is the head of Fiat Style. A designer. He says that when they were developing what was to become the 2012 Fiat 500—more than 50 years after the original Cinquecento, which had its roots in the 1936 Topolino—they wanted to acknowledge the past without being captive to it. One modern aspect of the vehicle development: They actually crowd-sourced some of the design, with people going on line making suggestions regarding a concept version of the car-in-becoming. Giolito says that interior features and the shape of the fascias were directly influenced by those voting on the website.
(2) In order to be contemporaneous, changes had to be made to what is typically considered to be iconic about the Cinquecento. While the new car is respectful, it is different. One consideration that was made in designing the 500 is, Giolito says, “The position of people sitting in the car. We wanted them to be centered in the windows—not too low, not too high.” Not all designers ostensibly pay attention to this.
(3) The Fiat 500 was originally launched in 2007. Since then, more than 500,000 have been sold, and it has become available in some 80 countries. The Fiat 500 that is available in the U.S., explains Laura Soave, head of Fiat Brand North America, has undergone modifications to not only meet regulations, but to make it more appealing for the American consumer. For example, an acoustic package—including door and hatch sealing, foam in the C-pillars, foam-in-place material under the carpet, and an acoustic damping engine cover—was developed for the car; which reduces the sound level to 71 dB, five dB less than the European car. The five-speed manual has new gear ratios for the U.S. market and an Aisin six-speed automatic was developed specifically for American customers. There is a new rear axle design to improve the torsional stiffness. These developments will be rolled back across the Atlantic. The Fiat 500 for U.S. consumers is built in the Chrysler Toluca Assembly Plant in Mexico. (The 500 available elsewhere is built in a Fiat plant in Tychy, Poland.)
(4) Michael Vincent, chief program engineer, 1.4 MultiAir Engine, says that there is an acronym related to what’s found under the hood of the 500: FIRE. It stands for “Fully Integrated Robotized Engine.” Essentially, there is an electro-hydraulic intake valve management system that controls air intake into each cylinder and stroke-by-stroke, based on driving conditions. In addition to which, there’s no throttle valve. The result of this is that there is 10% more power and 15% more torque developed while reducing fuel consumption by 10%. The 1.4-liter in-line four produces 101 hp @ 6,500 rpm and 98 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm. The engine is built at the GEMA Engine Plant in Dundee, MI.
(5) The 500 is available in three models: Pop, Sport and Lounge. There are 14 exterior paint colors (including metallic, non-metallic, and tri-coat pearl finishes), two interior colors (black and ivory), and 14 seat color and material combinations. Soave describes the car as a “lifestyle vehicle,” and hastens to point out that while it is small—it has an overall length of 139.6 in.; a 90.6-in. wheelbase; a width of 64.1 in.; and a height of 59.8 in.—it has seven airbags, reactive head restraints, electronic stability control, and other safety features, including an ultra-high-strength steel hot-stamped B-pillar.
Ten Things To Know About the 2011 Chrysler 300
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One of the most intriguing show cars to come from Chrysler in the past few years is the 200C Concept, unveiled at the 2009 North American International Auto Show. According to Brandon Faurote, head of Chrysler Brand Design, that was an influence on the 2011 300.
Inside, there is tremendous attention to detail and the now-requisite level of infotainment capability. Note the shape of the clock face in the center of the IP. Now look at the shape of the grille. Attention to detail.
Designer Faurote talks about “American design” in relation to what they’re trying to achieve at Chrysler. They went back to earlier models, like this 300 from 1955, for inspiration (note the raised fender forms).
1. According to Brandon Faurote, head of Chrysler Brand Design, one of the influences for the design of the second-generation 300 is the 200C Concept vehicle that appeared at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Specifically, the “sharp edges with soft transitions.”
2. Another heritage design influence, this one going back much further: the raised fender forms on the 300 models during the 1950s. “A bit of American nostalgia,” Faurote says.
3. Inside: an all-new interior. Faurote: “More expressive. Fewer cutlines. Better fit and finish. Satin and bright-chrome details. Ice-blue lighting.”
If you zero in on the texture of the instrument panel, you’ll see, Faurote says, “animal grains, not mechanical.” Also, the IP has two-levels of gloss, something that is found in BMWs.
4. Mitch Clauw, chief engineer, says that the vehicle develop-ment began approximately 3.5 years ago at the Chrysler Technology Center in Auburn Hills. In a space designated the “LX War Room.” They undertook, he says, a “Design for Six Sigma” effort, during which they created a House of Quality and plotted some 3,300 functional attributes (If it is a knob . . . What does it do? What does it feel like? What is the effort necessary to turn it? . . . ) “Design for Six Sigma,” he says, “very specifically targets all attributes.” But it wasn’t a matter of engineers making judgments. They spent a lot of time talking with real people: “You get overly complicated if you don’t check the functions with the customers.”
5. Among the vehicles bench-marked that Clauw cites:
• Hyundai Genesis
• BMW 5-Series
• Mercedes E-Class
• Lexus LS 460
And the benchmarking was more than looking at lists of specs for the vehicles. For example, he says that when it comes to road and wind noise, the LS 460 was determined to be the best in the world. “So we took one apart and studied all of the elements.” Which led them to use two 8-ft. composite underbody panels, dual-pane acoustic windshield and front-side glass, under flush-mounted roll-framed doors, body-cavity silencing foam, and triple door seals to create a quiet interior.
6. One of the consequences of roll-over crash regulations, the pillars on cars, the A-pillar in particular, have gotten beefy, which attenuates visibility. This is not an issue with the 300. That’s because there is the extensive use of high- or ultra-high-strength steels. The total outward visibility for the 300 is improved 15% compared with the first-generation model; the use of ultra-high-strength steel for pillars and doors is cited as the reason this is achieved. Fifty-three percent of the upper unibody structure consists of the advanced steels. For example, transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) steel is used for the B-pillar (as well as for the lower header and rocker). More than 67% of the vehicle’s lower unibody structure is made with the advanced steels. For example, dual-phase steel is used for inner-front rails and in the engine box area.
7. To assure that the 300 would be viable for the long run, Chrysler engineers tested the sedans for more than 7-million miles (including public roads and proving grounds).
8. Standard is what is claimed to be the largest touch-screen display available as a standard: an 8.4-in. QVGA display that’s the primary interface for the Uconnect Touch infotainment system. To develop this system, Chrysler engineers obtained input from 4,100 owners of E-segment vehicles from Europe, Asia and North America.
9. The 300 is produced at the Brampton Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada. In July 2009, after Chrysler came out of bankruptcy, the company put its personnel through training for a World-Class Manufacturing (WCM) program. At Brampton, more than 30,000 hours of training were taken. An example of a change that occurred at the plant as a result of the WCM training is at Trim 1 Line, where the body wire harness, battery, sunroof, and HVAC unit are installed. After analyzing all of the components involved, kits were created so that workers get precisely what they need to perform their tasks in-station. They’re anticipating an improvement in first-time build quality on the order of 20%. Plans are underway for kitting to be used for the final assembly line, as well.
10. Yes, it still has a HEMI. The 300C and 300C AWD models (the latter is equipped with an on-demand all-wheel-drive system that features an active transfer case and a front-axle disconnect system; when AWD capability isn’t needed, the system automatically disconnects the front axle; when it is needed, up to 38% of the engine torque goes to the front wheels) are available with a 363-hp, 5.7-liter HEMI V8. The engine features Fuel Saver Technology, which runs the engine on four cylinders when full capacity isn’t needed, and which provides a 20% improvement in fuel economy. The 300 and 300 Limited models are equipped with a 292-hp, 3.6-liter Pentastar V6. This engine features double-overhead cams with dual-independent cam phasers, integrated exhaust manifolds, polymer-coated piston skirts, forged con rods, and a high-pressure die-cast aluminum block. The HEMI is produced at the Chrysler Saltillo Engine Plant in Mexico; the Pentastar is produced at the Chrysler Trenton South Engine Plant in Michigan (with additional capacity available at Saltillo).
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