FIAT SIMBA

Young children will know ‘Simba’ as the cute little lion cub of ‘The Lion King’. It’s a name familiar to the Africans of the Savannah and now it is also a name mentioned in the halls of Fiat’s design centre

The Fiat Simba is a concept car which, like its namesake from the movie, speaks of journeys and adventure through the urban jungle. Compact and cute, its dimensions allow it to slip through traffic jams with ease.

The Simba is said to be a revolutionary concept due to its original styling and versatility, a prototype that will open up new horizons in the minicar segment. It is the first example in Europe of an off-roader that is small yet able to combine the idea of roughing it with the comfort and performance of a conventional car.

That Fiat designers have come up with such a concept is not surprising since the Italian company was a pioneer of small cars 70 years ago. With an eye on changing customer profiles within the sector and the good potential growth prospects, they have now come up with the Simba.

In essence, this car has a dual personality that conveys an immediate impression of freshness and fun backed by solidity and sturdiness. The Simba, created to entertain yet also to surprise the most sceptical young customer, may be envisaged (and experienced) as an authentic off-road vehicle you could take on a desert rally or drive through dense jungle vegetation. Or it could be a fun car capable of navigating intricate city centre streets and slaloming through traffic with ease.

No obstacles could possibly stand in the way of the Simba's 4WD system (with viscous coupling) and neat size (3680 mm long, 1730 mm high and 1630 mm wide). Externally, the prototype is distinguished by crisp body lines and typical off-road equipment: big headlights, spare wheel on the roof, broad windscreen for the best visibility and straight sides for ease of manoeuvring.