Matiz

At the beginning of the Nineties, the seduction of a small city model inspired by the historic Fiat 500 made an impression on both Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugiaro, so much so that they were persuaded to go back to work to develop an independent project - the ID Cinquecento Lucciola - as a hybrid with electric traction for leisure use.

From the roadster-type convertible car, the research spread to an eco-friendly prototype for the young market with their strict requirements, using recyclable materials and an aluminum body, perfect for town, traffic and leisure use.

The hybrid traction uses two electric engines inserted directly on the wheels. Fabrizio concentrates on the passenger compartment of the new car made larger at the expense of the projection of the bonnet; the overall dimensions of the people carrier remain intact. The idea for the interiors of the Lucciola clearly derives from home furnishing design, so much that the structure and movement of the seats are inspired by the versatility of the famous Plia chair by Kartell, designed by Giancarlo Piretti. The project is characterized by the possible configurations of the seats which can be folded down and put facing each other and the treatment of the cushions and padded elements.

No propositional element in terms of content and form made an impression at Fiat for the launch of a version targeted at a young audience. It would be the Korean Daewoo who would appreciate the Lucciola for its architectonic concept (not for the ecological innovation in the traction) and asked Giugiaro to develop the project, leading to the creation of the Matiz and its international success in 1998.