HARMAN International Industries, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., focused on connected technologies for automotive, consumer, and enterprise markets, is pleased to announce the launch of the Fiat New 500 ‘La Prima by Bocelli’ with premium sound engineered and designed by JBL and in partnership with global icon Andrea Bocelli. With this launch, the New 500 La Prima will become the first city car ever equipped with JBL’s ground-breaking ‘Virtual Venues’ technology, ensuring unrivalled listening experiences for drivers and passengers alike.

Designed for listening
The New 500 La Prima is equipped with a JBL premium sound system offering drivers and passengers an iconic, premium car with a ‘Made in Italy’ feel and JBL premium sound so crisp and clear that it is worthy of being mastered by Andrea Bocelli, the most popular living tenor in the world. It delivers a one-of-a-kind audio experience that enhances the silence of an electric car.

“When Fiat and JBL come together in the New 500 ‘La Prima by Bocelli’, the result is a fusion of great design, exhilarating sound, and impeccable quality. And that is exactly what this car is—a legendary Italian icon of style with a revolutionary sound system mastered by Andrea Bocelli,” said Christian Sobottka, President of HARMAN Automotive.

Virtual Venues technology delivers immersive audio curated by Andrea Bocelli
Featuring four venues hand-selected by Maestro Bocelli, the Virtual Venues feature in the JBL premium sound system offers listeners a virtual-reality audio experience that changes the acoustic characteristics of the car depending on the chosen location, transporting listeners to unique listening environments.

My Music Room – An intimate musical experience as if the artist was playing your favourite song right in front of you.

My Recording Studio – Pure acoustics and beautiful tones of a real recording space created specifically for music and recording.

Giuseppe Verdi Opera House, Pisa – Feel the spectacular nature of music in a unique theatre setting.  It’s as if you were sitting front and centre, enjoying a live performance.

Open-Air Arena – Hear the unmistakable acoustics and energetic feeling of an open-air arena.

Using proprietary technology, Virtual Venues transforms any music file to match the sound signature of celebrated audio performance spaces, enhancing the emotional impact of the music. From the intimacy of the ‘Room’ sound setting to the lively atmosphere of the ‘Recording Studio’ setting, to the elegance of the ‘Theatre’ setting, to the intensity of the ‘Arena’ setting, Virtual Venues allows listeners to enter into their music like never before. Smart individualisation and the ability to spontaneously adjust audio playback to suit personal moods further differentiates Virtual Venues, providing listeners with an entirely new audio landscape and an unforgettable listening experience, every time.

A feature-rich premium sound system
As a longstanding partner with the world’s biggest music events, and a vast array of international stars of sound and stage, JBL brings nearly eight decades of expertise to its sound systems, ensuring the clarity and depth needed to enable listeners to experience a concert in their car. The JBL premium sound system in the Fiat New 500 ‘La Prima by Bocelli’ features seven high-performance speakers including two tweeters, two midwoofers, two rear door full range speakers and one subwoofer in the boot, plus an eight-channel amplifier with an output of 320 watts. Simple and intuitive to use, the system is equipped with a multitude of cutting-edge technologies.

Highlights include Virtual Centre technology, which processes each speaker’s audio signal to guarantee a stereo stage with a centre image directly in front of each listener; Intelligent Speed Control Volume, which works with an advanced algorithm to maintain the perceived music volume and balance at any vehicle speed; Variable EQ, which changes its algorithm according to whether the car’s roof is open or closed in order to provide a smoother audio experience in any roof position; and five sound modes (stereo and four Virtual Venues).

Partnerships that amplify the pleasure of driving with Matteo Bocelli’s ‘Tempo’
As the perfect driving companion, Matteo Bocelli, son of Maestro Andrea Bocelli, introduced the new single ‘Tempo’, last week. It is written and performed by Matteo Bocelli and is the soundtrack of the new communication campaign for the launch of the New 500 ‘La Prima by Bocelli’. This partnership reinforces the strong link between FIAT and music, a perfect combination of design, art and creativity that expresses all the excellence of Made in Italy in the world.