ONE-OFF When we talk about the 2000s iconic SUV, nothing is more phenomenal than the Hummer H1 and H2 SUT (the civilian version of the Humvee). The story of the Hummer begins with the figure of an American military tactical vehicle called the HMMWV (High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle) or Humvee which made history when it acted in the conflict in Panama in 1989 and the Gulf War in 1991. The success of the Humvee then prompted the presence of its civilian version under the name Hummer which also succeeded in creating the perception of an ideal SUV.
Fiat Oltre is built in collaboration with Iveco, and inspired by the American Hummer SUV. (Picture from: Otomotif)
The Hummer's success story then inspired the Italian automaker giant Fiat to make a similar SUV. Whereas so far Fiat is better known as the compact car manufacturer, does not mean that they never made the 4x4 SUVs, even one of their production cars named Fiat Campagnola AR 76 is used by the Italian Army. In short, the Italian company managed to build a Hummer-like SUV concept called the Fiat Oltre and is debuted at the 2005 Bologna Motor Show.
Fiat Oltre is based on the Iveco LMV military vehicle platform (which is also the
collaboration result of Fiat and Iveco which is prepared for the FCLV
procurement for the British and Italian militaries). (Picture from: TopGear)
So how was the Oltre look like at the time? The Oltre's appearance really like a Hummer or some say it looks like a Lamborghini LM002. What do you think? The Fiat-made SUV concept appears as a large-sized off-road car that has special cruising capabilities. Although it is called a concept car, the Oltre is actually more worthy of being a "show car" because it is able to fascinate the world's automotive audiences through a tremendous cross-country capability.
Fiat Oltre concept appears as a large-sized off-road car that has special cruising capabilities. (Picture from: TopGear)
Seeing from its history, to build the Oltre, the Italian automotive manufacturer collaborated with another compatriot car manufacturer, Iveco. As it is known that Iveco is a specialist in producing large vehicles such as trucks and vans. The Oltre is based on the Iveco LMV military vehicle platform (which is also the collaboration result of Fiat and Iveco which is prepared for the FCLV procurement for the British and Italian militaries).
Fiat Oltre is powered by an Iveco's common rail 3.0 liter turbo diesel engine, which
is capable of spitting out power of up to 185 hp and torque of 456 Nm. (Picture from: TopGear)
It's no wonder that the technical aspects of the Fiat Oltre are very similar to the Iveco LMV ((Light Multirole Vehicle), such as its dimensions (4,870 mm long, 2,200 mm wide, 2,050 mm heigh, and 3,230 mm wheelbase), the cruising ability (incline gradient of 40%, climbing gradient of 80%, ground clearance of 500 mm, and fording depth of 850 mm).
Fiat Oltre's cabin can accommodate 4-5 passengers, in which are also featured with
several comfort features such as the sports seats and multimedia
devices. (Picture from: TopGear)
Furthermore, the Fiat Oltre is powered by an Iveco's common rail 3.0 liter turbo diesel engine, which is capable of spitting out power of up to 185 hp and torque of 456 Nm and is coupled with a 6-speed automatic transmission system, so it capable to make car run up to a top speed of 130 kph. Similar to the Hummer, the Fiat Oltre is also equipped with a permanent 4WD system and independent suspension with adjustable height features plus a locking differential to maximize its off-road cruising capability.
Fiat Oltre is also equipped with a permanent 4WD system and independent suspension
with adjustable height features plus a locking differential to maximize
its off-road cruising capability. (Picture from: TopGear)
Meanwhile, the Oltre's cabin can accommodate 4-5 passengers, in which are also featured with several comfort features such as the sports seats and multimedia devices. Unfortunately, Fiat canceled the Oltre mass production. According to the Top Gear, the fact is that the market for cars like the Hummer or vehicles for military purposes is very small. So it is not profitable for Fiat to mass produce Oltre, because the production cost is too large which is not proportional to the small market share. As a result, the Fiat Oltre can now only be history for Fiat.
It's just that the opportunity to the Fiat Oltre revival is wide open. The reason is, Fiat is one of the automotive subsidiaries under the FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) flag, so does the legendary American SUV manufacturer, Jeep. So that it is possible to share technology in between the two companies that makes the Italian company more sophisticated in making SUVs. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | TOPGEAR ]
It's just that the opportunity to the Fiat Oltre revival is wide open. The reason is, Fiat is one of the automotive subsidiaries under the FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) flag, so does the legendary American SUV manufacturer, Jeep. So that it is possible to share technology in between the two companies that makes the Italian company more sophisticated in making SUVs. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | TOPGEAR ]
