GM/Fiat Premium platform
The Premium platform was General Motors's and Fiat Group's high-end automobile platform for front wheel drive and four wheel drive automobiles in the mid-2000s.[3]
GM/Fiat Premium platform | |
---|---|
Body and chassis | |
Class | Compact executive car Convertible Coupe |
Layout | Front engine, Front-wheel drive / Four-wheel drive |
Body style(s) | Sedan Coupe Roadster Station wagon |
Vehicles | Alfa Romeo Brera Alfa Romeo Spider Alfa Romeo 159 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon Alfa Romeo Visconti (concept car)[1] Opel Insignia concept[2] |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 2,525–2,700 mm (99.4–106.3 in) |
Chronology | |
Successor | GM Epsilon II (for Opel) FCA Giorgio Platform (for Alfa Romeo) |
The architecture debuted in production form with the Alfa Romeo Brera, although it was used earlier for the Opel Insignia concept in 2003 and Alfa Romeo Visconti (concept car) in 2004. After the dissolution of the GM/Fiat partnership, both companies retained the rights to continue developing Premium-derived models, though no GM versions are known.
Saab stopped development of its Premium automobile in late 2002; the Saab models (the 9X sports car and the replacement for the 9-5 sedan) would have used an entirely different suspension than the Alfa Romeo vehicles, which would have proved too expensive. Although the platform debuted in 2003 with the Opel Insignia concept car, this vehicle was not produced. A planned Buick model was also dropped. In the end, only the Alfa Romeo models moved forward to production. Some of the GM models originally set to use the Premium platform eventually were produced using the GM Epsilon II platform.
References
- "2004 Alfa Romeo Visconti Concept by Italdesign". seriouswheels.com. Retrieved 2012-01-02.
- "GM's All-New Platform". wardsautoworld.com. 2003. Retrieved 2012-01-02.
- "Alfa Poised for U.S. Return". caranddriver.com. Retrieved 2012-01-02.