FIAT at Milano Design Week 2026: CIAO FUTURO!

FIAT proudly takes part in Milano Design Week 2026 with CIAO FUTURO!, a dedicated space that 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 Maestro 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 centered on FIAT’s design DNA, guiding visitors through FIAT’s status of the undisputed queen 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 and ISIA 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 concept is centered around the core idea of flexibility and personalization, with a modular vehicle that can evolve with its user with multiple configurations. The project also introduces a circular economy model with sustainability as a key-aspect.

FIZZ, Gabriele Menozzi
“The question is: how can a small city car create a temporary social space when it stops?”. Inspired by the ritual of the non- alcoholic aperitivo and soft clubbing, FIZZ turns stopping into a moment of urban pause: light and shared where innovations 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 favorite, actively taking part in a shared conversation on design, creativity and future urban living.

Showcased at the event are two iconic heritage vehicles of the past: the 1957 Fiat 500 and the 1980s Fiat Panda, designed by Maestro Giorgetto Giugiaro. The journey then continues in the present with a Fiat Topolino Corallo and goes all the way to the future with the unveiling of the Topolino Sport Edition, a version dedicated to Gen Z, combining playful attitude with responsible mobility.

Following the press event, the space will be open to the public from 6 pm April 21 ^st to April 26 ^th. Daily opening hours will be from 10 am to 8 pm.