FIATAlbea/Siena 2005 - 2012

　　Fiat introduced the Albea lineup in 2002 as a low-cost, small-sized vehicle aimed at East European customers and improved it in 2005 so the car could fit into the Euro 4 emission standards, which became mandatory starting in January 2006.

　　The small-sized sedan segment was rising in Eastern Europe. After the Polo Sedan in the early ‘90s, the Clio Thalia/Symbol and the Skoda Fabia joined the bandwagon. Later, in 2004, Dacia (Renault’s Romanian sub-brand) launched the Logan, which became a best-seller. Fiat’s solution was to refresh the Albea lineup and improve it in several areas. Its main asset was the exterior design that was penned by Italdesign, Giorgetto Giugiaro’s design studio. Even though it wasn’t a piece of art, it was decent, and the artist neatly concealed the fact that the Albea was actually a Fiat Palio with a trunk attached to its back.

　　From the front, the 2005 Albea got a new set of headlights, which were bigger than the previous model. Between them, the automaker added a redesigned grill that sported four slats and the Fiat’s badge in the middle. Depending on the grade, the lower bumper featured a deeper apron with an integrated air intake and flanked by a pair of scoops for the fog lamps. In addition, the hood wasn’t completely flat and featured two creases that visually connected the grille to the windshield.

　　Giugiaro couldn’t completely conceal the connection with the Palio since the Albea featured the same doors as its hatchback sibling. Furthermore, not all versions featured body-colored door mirrors, and all of them sported black door handles. The base models sat on steel wheels with plastic caps, and only the upper versions received alloy wheels. Behind the rear doors, the automaker added a raked forward rear window and a short trunk. Finally, at the back, Fiat installed a set of wide taillights that were split between the trunk’s lid and the quarter panels.

　　Inside, the cabin revealed that the car belonged in the low-cost category, especially in terms of material quality. Still, the available two-tone dashboard design and the options could provide customers with enough comfort to suit their needs. The driver fronted a complex instrument cluster filled with a large tachometer, speedometer, and two smaller gauges for the fuel level and water temperature. In addition, a small TFT display showed the odometer. On the center stack, Fiat added the HVAC control unit and the CD stereo that was mounted on the upper side. In the back, the bench seat was suitable mostly for two adults.

　　Under the hood, Fiat installed a choice of three gasoline and one turbo diesel engine, depending on the market. All of them were paired with a five-speed manual transmission that sent the power to the front wheels.