Fiat is the Top Sponsor of the Italian National Basketball Team

• The brand will be at the side of the Italian Basketball Federation for the 2014-2016 three-year period, supporting the Italian men's, women's and youth teams
• Underpinning the sponsorship are the shared values of team spirit, passion, courage and determination
• Fiat Freemont is the Official Car of the National Team for official matches, friendlies and training
• Continuation of Fiat's collaboration with Italian basketball, beginning in 2012 with Official Partnership

Now, after donning the jersey of Official Partner in the two seasons from 2012 to 2014, the Fiat brand takes to the court with the Italian National Basketball Team as Top Sponsor for the 2014-2016 three-year period. The announcement was made at the 'Media Day' organised by the Italian Basketball Federation (FIP) in Milan at the premises of Edison S.p.A., another prestigious sponsor of the FIP.

Throughout the sponsorship period, the Fiat logo will appear on the shorts of the men's, women's and youth national team, as well as courtside, in the areas dedicated to the press and in FIP communication campaigns. The agreement includes other initiatives which will involve basketball fans directly, starting with some competitions that are coming soon and offer the chance to experience a match near the bench of the National Team. Collaboration between Fiat and the FIP also means extensive use of their respective social networking channels and digital platforms to share videos and images of the Italian players on board the Fiat cars provided. It's a comprehensive sponsorship agreement that consolidates Fiat's privileged relationship with Italian basketball, as demonstrated by its support in three prestigious Lega Basket Serie A events in 2012: Final Eight, All Star Game and Supercoppa Italiana.

It should be stressed that, as in previous years, the brand will provide the Italian staff with the Fiat Freemont model for official matches, friendlies and training. Designed to astound and make your every wish come true, the Fiat Freemont is a new way to experience the car: it's designed to face up to any situation that everyday life might bring thanks to its multi-faceted spirit. At the same time, it's a spacious, convenient and versatile vehicle for hectic everyday life but also suitable for leisure time and the requirements of customers with an active, sporty life. These are the keys to the commercial success of the Fiat Freemont in Italy. It's been the best-selling 7-seater and leader in its segment for 35 months running.

This leadership of the Fiat model results from a product concept that combines all the strengths of an SUV - such as the innovative on-demand all-wheel drive, maintaining off-road performance while boosting efficiency in everyday use - with the best features of an MPV, like the 7 seats, 32 seat configurations, 25 storage compartments with total capacity of 140 litres and huge luggage space: up to a maximum of 1,500 litres with all seats folded down except at the front.

The maximum configuration is ideal for a sport like basketball, permitting transport for a whole, 5-player, basketball team, with a load volume of a good 540 litres: plenty for carrying everything you need for a match and with room to spare. The Freemont offer is also characterised by an engine range in the heart of the market, thanks to the 2-litre turbodiesel MultiJet in 140 and 170 HP configurations, ensuring outstanding performance with limited consumption. What's more, the brand-new Cross version will extend the offer within the year. This top-of-the-range version is characterised by a distinctive look and wealth of equipment as standard.

The new sponsorship agreement confirms Fiat's strategy of linking its name to first-rate sporting organisations: from the Italian national football and basketball teams, as Top Sponsor, to the many sports disciplines practised at all levels on courts and pitches and in gyms and pools throughout the country. Fiat has always believed in Italian sport, and its healthy, educational values. This explains the brand's decision to become Official Sponsor of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), which supports the many local sports organisations and makes sport accessible to all, in the same way that Fiat's "democratic" approach results in a wide range of accessible cars. And so the journey that began more than a century ago, which has always seen Fiat and Italy side by side in the social, industrial and cultural evolution of the country, continues to this day.

Turin, 30 June 2014