NEW YORK -- Fiat demonstrated the versatility of LCDs and its own forward thinking by showing off a new LCD instrument cluster for the Fiat 500. The LCD replaces the analog gauges on both the 500 Turbo and the Abarth .
The new virtual gauge shows the vehicle's speed in large digits in the top center. Underneath and to the sides are a variety of information that can be configured by the driver.
Running a demonstration program on the auto show floor, the LCD cycled through a number of configurations. The left side showed a tachometer gauge in varying formats as well as the engine temperature.
The right side included a fuel gauge and either the turbo pressure, an eco rating system, or the current engine power output as a percentage.
The middle of the LCD could display the current audio source or a lateral and longitudinal g-force indicator. It showed graphics of the car to alert the driver when a door or the hatch was open, and a rear-distance indicator based on sonar sensors to aid parking.
Although not the first LCD instrument cluster to appear in a car, the Fiat 500 Turbo and Abarth represent how this technology will filter down through automakers' product lineups to eventually arrive in less-expensive models.
