For Fiat aficionados around the world, it’s the dawn of a new dolce vita: The Italians will no longer build gray-colored cars.
It’s a rather bold move, but one you may expect from “the brand of joy, colors and optimism,” declared Olivier Francois, Fiat chief executive officer and global chief marketing officer at Stellantis.“We broke the rules: We decided to stop the production of Fiat gray cars … Fiat wants to inspire people to live with optimism and positivity, and this will also be one of the missions of the new Fiat 600e, the electric for families and friends.”
The first Fiat model to delete gray from its palette is the new 600e electric, which is about to debut.
But there remains a colorful antipasto of choices, inspired by “the New Dolce Vita values and the Italian DNA embodied by the Brand.” The current Fiat range — New 500, 500 Hybrid, 500X, Panda and Tipo — will be rendered in Gelato white, Sicilia orange, Paprika orange, Passione red, Blu Dipinto di Blu, Italia blue, Venezia blue, Rugiada green, Foresta green, Rose gold and Cinema black. “All with an evocative name that reminds of Italian beautiful landscapes and dolce vita mood,” says Francois.
Gray has historically been a popular shade — Fiat says it’s the most popular color for new cars in the UK. It represents more than one in four new cars sold in the UK in 2022, the company says. In the U.S., it’s nearly one in every five cars, and automakers have rolled out a new generation of grays that are attempting to be more interesting.