The Fiat Albea is a subcompact car produced by Fiat between 2002 and 2012 at the Tofaš facilities in Turkey. It is the European version of the global Fiat Siena, the saloon derived from the Palio hatchback. A low-cost car aimed at developing markets, it was not sold in Western Europe.
Fiat Albea at a glance
| Production | 2002–2012 |
|---|---|
| Built in | Turkey, by Tofaš |
| Class | subcompact saloon |
| Based on | Fiat Siena, derived from the Palio |
| Designer | Giorgetto Giugiaro |
| Wheelbase | longer than the Siena’s |
| Facelift | February 2005 |
| Russian assembly | 2006–2011, Naberezhnye Chelny |
| Russian engine | 1.4-litre petrol only |
| Also built in | China, as the Fiat Siena, Perla and Zotye Z200 |
History of the Fiat Albea
A saloon for the developing world
The Albea belonged to the family of cars Fiat developed around the Palio for markets outside Western Europe. It was the European version of the global Fiat Siena, the saloon derived from the compact Palio hatchback, and it was conceived as a low-cost saloon aimed at developing global markets. It was never sold in Western Europe. The car was also produced in China, where it kept the Fiat Siena nameplate, with two derived versions, the Fiat Perla and, later, the Zotye Z200.
Giugiaro design and a longer wheelbase
The Albea was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. It shared its design with its South American equivalent, the Siena, but had a longer wheelbase; the extension is visible in a somewhat longer segment between the trailing edge of the rear doors and the rear wheel arch. A facelifted version has been available since February 2005, two months before the Palio underwent a similar restyling. It has a new front end, no bumper mouldings and a round Fiat badge at the top centre of the boot lid.
Assembly in Russia
From 2006 to 2011 the Albea was assembled from complete knock-down kits in Russia, at Naberezhnye Chelny, in the Fiat-Sollers plant. There the car was available only with a 1.4-litre petrol engine.
Crash testing
The Albea was tested by ARCAP according to the latest Euro NCAP regulations. It scored 8.5 points in the frontal crash test, equivalent to three stars in Euro NCAP testing, with the tested vehicle equipped with a standard driver airbag and regular seat belts. The Fiat Perla, the Chinese version, was tested by China-NCAP in three separate tests: 8.06 points, or three stars, in the 100 per cent frontal test, 12.02 points, or four stars, in the 40 per cent offset test and 10.96 points, or three stars, in the side test, for an average of 31 points and three stars. That car had standard driver and passenger airbags.
End of production and later use of the name
Production in Turkey ended in 2012, which also ended production of the European version of the Palio altogether. The nameplate had a life of its own elsewhere: in Mexico the 2009 model of the Fiat Siena was marketed as the Fiat Albea, replacing the Palio Sedán nameplate used on the previous series of the car.
Design and features
- Global Siena basis: the European version of the saloon derived from the Palio.
- Longer wheelbase: extra space between the rear doors and the rear wheel arch.
- Giugiaro styling: the body was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro.
- Low-cost brief: aimed at developing markets and never sold in Western Europe.
- 2005 facelift: new front end, no bumper mouldings and a round badge on the boot lid.
Fiat Albea versions
- Fiat Albea: the Turkish-built European version, 2002–2012.
- Facelifted Albea: from February 2005, with a new front end.
- Russian-assembled Albea: CKD kits from 2006 to 2011, 1.4-litre petrol only.
- Fiat Perla: Chinese derivative of the Albea.
- Zotye Z200: later Chinese version developed from the same car.
The Albea was the saloon version of the Fiat Palio family and the European form of the Fiat Siena. More cars are in the Fiat collection.
Sources
- Fiat Albea, English Wikipedia: production, design, wheelbase, facelift, Russian assembly, crash tests
