CIAO FUTURO! FIAT at Milan Design Week 2026

FIAT is proudly taking part in Milan Design Week 2026 with CIAO FUTURO! This dedicated space  presents the brand’s vision for the future of urban mobility as a socially relevant, culturally driven and design‑led experience.

CIAO FUTURO! officially opened today with an exclusive press event attended by international media, marking the beginning of an open dialogue on the design of small compact car of the future. The opening event featured three outstanding voices of automotive: Olivier Francois, FIAT CEO and Global Stellantis CMO; Francois Leboine, FIAT Head of Design; and Giorgetto Giugiaro, GFG Style Chairman together with the students of the three finalist projects from IED Torino and ISIA Rome.

Olivier Francois, FIAT CEO and Global Stellantis CMO: “Dante Giacosa once said that a car should be useful before it is sophisticated, a belief that feels even more relevant today. Usefulness is not measured only in numbers, but in time saved, space gained, effort reduced and added pleasure. In my experience, good design is not just about style — it is about honesty. People are not asking for bigger or more complex cars, but for clear and meaningful solutions. This is where FIAT finds its true role: designing simple, concrete and honest answers that reflect the way people live today, and the way the next generations will live tomorrow.”

Francois Leboine, FIAT Head of Design, added: “The objective of the project was simple in appearance: describe an affordable solution that will allow you, your family and your friends to move everyday where you need, in a clever, joyful and sustainable way. Thinking about the evolution of mobility in the last 50 years, we had the idea to make three generations of designers meet symbolically and work on a vision of the future.”

An experiential journey through FIAT’s Design DNA and future generations

Set at Magna Pars in Milan’s Tortona district, CIAO FUTURO! unfolds as a narrative centred on FIAT’s design DNA, guiding visitors through FIAT’s status of the undisputed leader of urban mobility, highlighting how the brand has continually responded to the evolving needs of cities – and how cities themselves have been shaped by FIAT.

As part of CIAO FUTURO! FIAT presents three finalist small‑car design projects developed by students from IED (Istituto Europeo di Design of Turin) and ISIA (Roma Design), representing a tangible bridge between heritage and innovation, rooted in FIAT’s values of compactness and unmistakable DNA.

The projects:

IPPO - Luca Di Tonto and Alessio Vasta

The IPPO concept rethinks the car not just as a means of transport but as a place that adapts to the rhythms of small towns. The project proposes a more human shared vision of mobility, where the car becomes an extension of public space, strengthening the sense of community.

LUMO SU MISURA - Elettra Cappugi and Daniel Saviuc

This idea is centred around the core idea of flexibility and personalisation, with a modular vehicle that can evolve with its user through multiple configurations. The project also introduces a circular economy element with sustainability as a key-aspect.

FIZZ - Gabriele Menozzi

Focusing on how a small city car can create a temporary social space when it stops and inspired by the ritual non- alcoholic aperitives and soft clubbing, FIZZ turns stopping into a moment of urban pause. The innovation is not about moving faster but about stopping better.

During the entire duration of the Design Week, the public will be invited to explore the projects and vote for their favourite, actively taking part in a shared conversation on design, creativity and future urban living.

Two iconic heritage vehicles are showcased at the event: the 1957 Fiat 500 and the 1980s Fiat Panda, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. The journey then continues to the present with a Fiat Topolino Corallo and continues into the future with a preview of the Topolino Sport Edition, two FIAT icons meeting in a shared narrative, inspired by the very first Sport version produced by FIAT – the 1958 Fiat 500 Sport. The new edition is dedicated to Gen Z, combining playful attitude with responsible mobility.

The space will be open daily 10am to 8pm until 26^th April 2026.

23^rd April 2026

Ends

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Contact:

VINCE CLISHAM
HEAD OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
vincent.clisham@stellantis.com

TEL +44(0)7385 114390 

MICHAEL ARNOLD
PRESS FLEET MANAGER
pressfleet@stellantis.com   

TEL +44(0)7831 829410

JEREMY TOWNSEND
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
jeremy.townsend@stellantis.com   

TEL +44(0)7827 896480