► Fiat Aegea shown at Istanbul motor show
► New three-box sedan for emerging markets
► On sale from November 2015, not for UK yet
Fiat has unveiled the Aegea project, a compact saloon model to succeed the Bravo and Linea – but it’s aimed at 40 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and not UK showrooms yet.
It’s designed in Italy but will be built in one of Fiat Chrysler’s Turkish plants, a fact referenced in the name which refers to Turkey’s western seaboard.
The production version due later in autumn 2015 will carry a different name. This car was designed as a saloon, but hatchback and estate versions are in the pipeline.
Fiat Aegea: the lowdown
Spiritually, this appears to be a successor to the Linea and – potentially – the Bravo, too. Check out Fiat’s website to understand how today’s car range spans just three models: Pandas, 500s and Puntos.
Five passengers and their luggage can be accommodated in the Aegea, claims Fiat; it measures 4.5m in length, 1.78m wide and boasts 510 litres of load capacity.
Buyers can choose from a pair of petrol engines and two MultiJet turbodiesels, the most economical topping 70mpg.
One of the stumbling blocks to UK and European mainland sales is emissions; Fiat says it can fit Euro 6 compliant engines if it decides to bring the Aegea to western Europe.
Turkey and Fiat Chrysler
The new saloon marks the importance of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ Turkish operations – which is why it unveiled the car at the Istanbul motor show this month.
The Aegea will be manufactured at Fiat’s plant in Bursa and sold in Turkey from November 2015.
It’s not completely poverty-spec; the Italians will offer its Uconnect infotainment system, five-inch touchscreen, parking cameras and sat-nav.