2011 Fiat Freemont Announced

The 2011 Fiat Freemont will be one of the first models to roll out from the Fiat-Chrysler partnership and it will be officially unveiled in March at the 2011 Geneva Auto Show. Based on the Dodge Journey, the Freemont will be manufactured at Fiat’s plant in Toluca, Mexico where they also make the tiny 500 model.

The car is 489 cm long, 188 cm wide and 172 cm high. With a wheelbase of 289 cm, the 2011 Fiat Freemont is being advertised as a genuine crossover which will offer plenty of space inside the cabin to complement its distinctive exterior design. Speaking of, it has an aggressive front end and an appealing bumper. In the back, it doesn’t look that much like older brother, the Journey, as it has a redesigned bumper and LED taillights.

The biggest advantage of the crossover will be in the cabin as the customers will get a great package. First of all, there will be plenty of room thanks to the standard seven seats and the easy to access third row. These seats can be easily folded down, disappearing below the car’s floor and making a regular load platform if you need it. The second row of the Fiat can be equipped with the innovative child booster system.

The cabin benefits from an updated design that complements the very nice soft touch materials that include a brand-new instrument panel, a wrap-around dashboard with chrome inserts and an infotainment system that features a generous color touchscreen. Other inside goodies include the triple-zone automatic climate control system, fog lights, touchscreen radio with controls on the steering wheel, tire pressure monitoring system, advanced trip computer, cruise control and keyless entry system. The highest trim level of this crossover will also pack rear parking sensors, automatic headlight activation, fold-down door mirrors, roof bars, darkened rear windows and Bluetooth support.

When it will be launched, the 2011 Fiat Freemont will be available with many engine options, including two variants of the 2.0-liter MutliJet turbo diesels that output either 140 or 170 hp. Later on, Fiat will introduce a more powerful V6 3.6-liter engine that produces 276 hp. At first, the crossover will only be available with a front-wheel drive system and later on the Italian automaker will introduce the four-wheel drive system.

Up until this moment, Fiat hasn’t revealed any information about the price tag of the 2011 Freemont, but looking at the $20,845 (SE model) – $27,995 (R/T 7-Passenger model) price range of the Dodge Journey, it should be somewhere around those figures.

When it will be launched it will have to face up some serious competition coming from the Hyundai Santa Fe, the Ford Edge, the Nissan Murano and the Mazda CX-7. From all of these cars, the first one would have to be the most important competitor for the upcoming Freemont. The Santa Fe offers engine options that start with the 2.4-liter DOHC Theta II 4-cylinder that outputs 175 hp and end with the more powerful 3.5-liter DOHC Lambda II V6 that outputs 276 hp. The Freemont will most likely have the most spacious cabin in its class, we’ll have to wait and see a production model before we jump ahead to any conclusions.

Post tags: Tags: crossover, Fiat, freemont