29 Sep 06 16:51
This Fiat Grande Punto-based concept by styling house Bertone was first seen at the Geneva Motor Show last spring, but it's attracting attention here again.
It's not an officially-commissioned model for Fiat, but a proposal for what could become a new Punto drop-top. Bertone says it's the only supermini-based convertible with four proper seats, and that it has comfort and cabin space on a par with a much larger car despite being only 4173mm long.
It's meant to be an affordable, accessible vehicle, and one which could appeal to younger drivers. Its name, though, is from the Piedmontese Italian dialect, meaning 'a job done painstakingly' and with attention to detail, so it's not a cheapo roof-chop. The retracting hard-top, developed by German supplier firm CTS, folds into two pieces and stows away into the boot. This design does away with the need for a parcel shelf, but its main distinguishing feature is its steep 'backlite' hatch, which can be lowered whether the roof is open or closed, giving a fresh air intake into the cabin, or raised when the roof is down to act as a wind-stop.
The Suagna has a high waistline, echoing the pram-like first-generation Punto cabrio, but low roof and swage lines which give a suggestion of dynamism. The windscreen is steeply sloped, and the tail high; the prototype rests on large 18" alloy wheels, and features boomerang-style light clusters, giving a very modern flavour. Its cabin is trimmed in a mix of leather and high-tech metallic-effect fabric. Very nice - but will Fiat go for it?
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