Fiat
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Fiat's 500 gets a few but All-Important Tweaks for the American market - Including... Mega Size Cupholders TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2010 Auto fans in America have been watching the arrival of the Fiat 500 with a wary eye, unsure of whether or not the adorable city car will be the vehicle to return affordable Italian automobiles to the American market. Finally, the changes deemed necessary for American consumer appeal have been made, and the list isn't exactly surprising. In order to meet Mini-esque cute-luxury requirements, the car will get a slightly softer ride, stronger engine, and a revised center console to fit 'Murrican cup-holders for those 64-oz. jugs o'cola fr…
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Ferrari importer offers limited edition California exclusive to Japan by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) on Nov 16th 2010 at 6:28PM If you live in Japan and have the means, there are any number of enticing automobiles you can get domestically that aren't available elsewhere. Most of them are from Japanese automakers, though. But last week, we reported on the BMW Z4 Silver Top edition, and now Ferrari has joined the race with an exclusive offering of its own. This Ferrari California Limited Edition is being offered exclusively by Cornes & Co, Ferrari's main importer in Japan for the past 30 years. Their latest limited edition starts with Maranello's first front-engined V8 …
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Three colors available for U.S.-spec Fiat 500 by Steven J. Ewing (RSS feed) on Nov 9th 2010 at 10:01AM Next week's Los Angeles Auto Show marks the official debut of the America-bound Fiat 500, and we'd be liars if we said we weren't immensely excited for the pint-sized hatch's arrival here on our shores. Fiat has now posted on its Facebook page the three colors available for the first batch of 500s, called Prima Edizione, slated for consumption here in the United States. Rosso (red), Bianco (white) and Grigio (grey) will all be on hand for the first round of Fiat customers, and we're eager to see the rest of the color choices that will come our way shortly thereafter…
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Marchionne says new models will help Fiat meet targets November 8, 2010 06:01 CET MILAN (Bloomberg) -- Fiat S.p.A. CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed that the Italian carmaker will release new models in 2011 and said the company won't have problems meeting its targets. The new-model plan for next year, including an updated Panda, a Lancia Y and a European version of the Chrysler 300C carrying the Lancia brand, “is totally confirmed,” Marchionne told reporters in Mirandola, Italy. “They used to say we didn't have any new models,” the CEO said. “Now there are many coming to the market.” Marchionne also said Fiat is committed to its “Fabbrica Italia” plan, in which it will…
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Fiat Debuts Uno Cabrio and Mio Concepts along with New Uno Sporting at Sao Paulo [Live Photos] THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2010 In addition to being one of Fiat's most important markets, the Italian automaker is also getting ready to celebrate its 35 years in Brazil next year, so it comes to no surprise that the company is exhibiting a total of 30 vehicles at this week's Sao Paulo Auto Show. The Uno Cabrio and Mio [or FCC 111] concept models and the new Uno Sporting and Bravo production models, are among the highlights of Fiat's display. Beginning with the Uno Cabrio, this concept study is a two-seater drop top variant of the South American market Uno supermini. In additi…
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Fiat Uno Roadster Study and Uno Sporting to Break Cover at São Paulo Auto Show THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2010 Fiat is planning to debut a conceptual roadster version and a sported-up production variant of its newly revealed Uno city car at next week's 2010 São Paulo Auto Show in Brazil, which will be open to the public from 27 October 7 November. Although designed as a pure concept study, the two-seater Uno Roadster shows the potential for a limited series production model in the near future. The car is powered by a 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine producing 152-horsepower and features a stiffened chassis, 17-inch alloy wheels and an aggressive bodykit. The Roadster…
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Chrysler Auctions First Fiat 500 in Canada for $85,000 MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2010 The "Numero Uno" (not the pizza, the car), which is the first in a series of 500 limited edition Fiat 500s to reach Canadian shores, was auctioned off on Saturday evening by Chrysler at Toronto's 17th annual Venetian Ball. The car fetched an impressive $85,000 (no word if that's CAD or USD), with all proceeds benefiting Villa Charities, which is said to provide "culturally sensitive care" for the elderly Italian-Canadian population. "The enthusiastic bidding for this iconic vehicle, and the fact that it sold for $85,000, underscore the excitement and interest the Fiat 500 has generated sin…
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Fiat may sell Chrysler 200 in Europe to win fleet sales Luca Ciferri Automotive News Europe -- October 13, 2010 12:33 CET TURIN -- Fiat S.p.A. may sell the Chrysler 200 in Europe to win fleet customers in key markets such as Germany and the UK. The sedan would be sold as a Chrysler model in the UK and Ireland and as a Lancia in the rest of Europe. It would rival cars such as the Volkswagen Passat, Ford Mondeo and Opel/Vauxhall Insignia. The 200 will go on sale in the United States by the end of this year and Fiat S.p.A. CEO Sergio Marchionne said it could make sense to bring the 200 to Europe, mainly for business customers in the big fleet markets of Germany and the…
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Fiat Explains Under-The-Radar Paris Appearance, will Debut New Models in Late 2011 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 05, 2010 Fiat has addressed a question at least a few people were asking this year in Paris, explaining its lack of significant presence at this year's Paris Motor Show. According to CEO Sergio Marchionne, Fiat has been building up steam, waiting to release new product until late next year in order to better balance the brand's many companies' funds. "We have saved ammunition awaiting for the recovery," Sergio Marchionne told journalists on the sidelines of the Paris Auto Show. "New models will arrive at the end of 2011, early 2012. Launching new products in a market th…
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Marchionne's investment freeze delays new Panda Luca Ciferri Automotive News Europe -- October 5, 2010 06:01 CET TURIN – Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne's latest investment freeze will again delay the launch of the third generation of Europe's biggest-selling minicar, the Panda, company sources said. The new Panda has now been postponed until January 2012, people familiar to the matter told Automotive News Europe. Originally due this summer, the Panda's launch had already been postponed until September 2011 in a spending freeze ordered by Marchionne in late 2008 as the financial crisis hit. Other models that will be again delayed include the Lancia Ypsilon subcompact, no…
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Fiat 500 Prima Edizione Special Sells Out in the States THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 As expected, it didn't take long for Fiat fans to buy out the first batch of 500 city cars that will come to the States in the form a limited edition model called the "500 Prima Edizione". Today, Chrysler announced that all 500 examples of the special edition, which was offered in three colors - Bianco (White), Rosso (Red), and Grigio (Gray)- and only with a manual gearbox, have been spoken for. "It's important that the Fiat enthusiasts and fans are among the first to receive their very own Fiat 500 Prima Edizione special edition vehicles, as they share the same excitement about the br…
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FIAT DIVISION RAIDS TOYOTA FOR NEW CEO By Andrew Ganz Fiat's namesake car-building division has named a new chief executive: Andrea Formica. The former Toyota of Europe executive will be in charge of Fiat's global automotive activities, including overseeing sales of Chrysler vehicles in Europe. Formica's responsibilities will focus on all three of Fiat's primary car brands - Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo - and he will help re-integrate Chrysler products into Lancia's lineup in Europe. The 49-year-old Formica was previously Toyota of Europe's vice president in charge of sales, marketing, product planning and communication. Formica replaces Lorenzo Sistino, who, in typic…
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FIAT SHAREHOLDERS OK SPIN-OFF; MORE VALUE IN TRUCKS THAN FERRARIS? By Andrew Ganz Fiat's investors have approved CEO Sergio Marchionne's plan to spin off Fiat Industrial SpA, the company's commercial and industrial arm. The move, analysts say, could benefit the soon-to-be-newly-independent truck arm more than the company's car-building sector. "Fiat Industrial is undervalued by investors and will benefit from a recovery of the capital goods market,” Gabriele Gambarova of Banca Akros SpA, told Bloomberg. Gambarova is the top ranked Fiat analysts, according to Bloomberg. “Investors will be more cautious on Fiat auto, which will have to invest to complete its commercial …
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Chrysler shows off Fiat 500 Sport for North America by Zach Bowman (RSS feed) on Sep 14th 2010 at 10:50AM Chrysler has officially pulled back the covers on the American version of the Fiat 500 Sport. The pint-sized hatchback will be dueling with the Mini Cooper on our shores in short order, powered by none-other than the Fiat 1.4-liter turbocharged Multiair four-cylinder engine. The Pentastar hasn't released power figures for the American version of the powerplant, nor do we know official fuel economy numbers. However, don't expect output to vary too much from the 135 horsepower available from the 1.4-liter in its European guise. Chrysler says the Fiat 500 will be ava…
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Spy Shots: Fiat 500 getting AWD variant? by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) on Sep 9th 2010 at 2:01PM An alert enthusiast in Sicily caught sight of a jacked up Fiat 500 and crawled underneath to investigate. What he found was a driveshaft and rear differential, leading one to deduce that Fiat is working on an all-wheel-drive version of its popular little hatch. This update would be a natural evolution: the Fiat Panda, on which the 500 is based, is already available with AWD as the Panda Cross. According to alVolante.com, a business plan Fiat submitted to the Italian government during recent union talks says that just such a 500 will come in 2012. Perhaps the Americanized 5…
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2011 Fiat 500: Will It Be a Hit With American Families? By Suzanne Kane September 7th, 2010 With the success of the MINI Cooper, Smart ForTwo, and other small-but-very-fuel-efficient cars, the news that an American version of the Italian-spec 2011 Fiat 500 may be coming to the U.S. as early as the end of 2010 has caused more than a few automotive reviewers to stop and think. Will the tiny car be a hit with American consumers? Why Fiat, why now? The merger of Chrysler and Fiat involves a lot of restructuring, product mix changes, and a possible revitalization of the Chrysler brand in America. In Europe, the Fiat 500 is a very popular model and the thinking is that it …
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Report: Fiat wants to sell 50,000 500s in the U.S. through 165 dealers by Steven J. Ewing (RSS feed) on Aug 31st 2010 at 12:44PM Chrysler is set to debut its American-spec Fiat 500 at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show with the first examples being sold near the end of 2010. During the 2011 calendar year, Chrysler hopes to sell 50,000 of the Mini Cooper fighters, including the 500 Cabrio, which goes on sale sometime in 2011. Built in Toluca, Mexico, the 500 will be sold through a network of 165 dealers across the United States, mostly in cities that have the largest small car markets. Will Chrysler be able to move 50,000 of the new Fiats? That's mildly ambitious, since …
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Non-Chrysler dealers may get Fiat franchises Bradford Wernle Automotive News -- July 30, 2010 - 4:08 pm ET Some non-Chrysler Group dealers may receive franchises to sell Fiats, said Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat and Chrysler. “I think there's going to be a large part of the distribution that will be part of the Chrysler environment,” Marchionne told reporters today. “There may be others that will not” be Chrysler dealers. Marchionne spoke after President Barack Obama's appearance at Chrysler's Jefferson North Assembly Plant. He also said Fiat franchisees could also get the Alfa Romeo franchise, which will return to the United States in 2012. Marchionne said C…
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Fiat Presents Redesigned Idea MPV for South America [140 Photos] FRIDAY, JULY 30, 2010 Fiat rolled out a facelifted version of its Idea small MPV initially for Brazil and then throughout South America. It remains to be seen if Fiat will also update the Idea in Europe. The South American model gets a new appearance that brings it line with Fiat's more recent models such as the Linea and Bravo, as well as a revised engine lineup. The design upgrades are mainly to the front with larger headlamps, Fiat's new company grille and a redesigned bumper. At the back, the rear lights are new while the tailgate is more sculptured and bumper has been reprofiled. Inside, the Brazil…
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Fiat's Serbia unit to start test series in second half of 2011 July 27, 2010 10:23 CET BELGRADE (Bloomberg) -- Italy's Fiat S.p.A. will start test production of new models in Serbia in the second half of 2011, phasing out the Punto, which sells in Serbia and other neighboring markets, a Serbian Economy Ministry official said. The carmaker's plans to start two new car models at its unit in the heart of Serbia outraged Fiat workers in Italy, while Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he “hoped” the decision would not hurt domestic manufacturing. Nebojsa Ciric, Serbia's deputy minister in charge of economy and state asset sales, said Serbia wouldn't interfere in any dis…
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After 30 years, Fiat ready for U.S. return Luca Ciferri Automotive News -- July 26, 2010 - 12:01 am ET The Fiat brand returns to North America in December after an absence of nearly three decades. Depending on the source providing the information, Fiat wants to sell between 50,000 and 100,000 vehicles in North America in 2011. Fiats will be sold in about 200 U.S. Chrysler Group dealerships, mainly in metropolitan areas. The lineup will consist of the 500 minicar and four subsequent variations. They will compete with small imports such as the Mini. The 500 should get more than 40 mpg. The Fiat 500 two-door hatchback is set to arrive in December. It will be power…
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First U.S.-market Fiat 500 Prima Edizione reserved for Fiat fans by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) on Jul 12th 2010 at 11:01AM Fiat 500 gathering at Biltmore Estate – Click above for high-res image gallery There was undoubtedly some freaking out at the annual Fiat Freakout held at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC this year. The Freakout is more respectably referred to as the annual gathering of Club Fiat-Lancia Unlimited, where owners and fans show their vintage love. This year, Fiat North America CEO Laura Soave personally rewarded the assembly with news that they would get first dibs on the first five hundred Fiat 500s to come to America, called the "Prima Edizione." Th…
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VIDEO: Fiat 500 & 500C with New Two-Cylinder Turbo Engine Thursday, July 08, 2010 The crew from Fiat have published some B-roll footage of the 500 hatch and cabriolet models fitted with the Italian firm's new 0.9-liter turbocharged two-cylinder gasoline unit as well as a separate (and somewhat less appealing) video of the engine alone. The Twinair unit the first of a new family of two-cylinder engines that will be used on numerous A- and B-segment cars of the Fiat Group. This particular version produces 85HP propelling the 500 hatch from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in 11 seconds and returning a combined fuel consumption of 4.1 lt/100km (57.4mpg US) with C02 emissions …
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Fiat 500 Strategy Mimics BMW’s Mini By Byron Pope WardsAuto.com, Jul 8, 2010 9:00 AM Chrysler Group LLC dealers grousing over new requirements and potential costs associated with landing a Fiat franchise should take a look at the nearest Mini showroom. Chrysler's plan, revealed in broad strokes this week, closely follows BMW AG's Mini blueprint – a model that is working, several dealers say. About 125 top-performing Chrysler dealers will be offered the opportunity to apply for a Fiat franchise, but there are conditions. For instance, exclusive showrooms will have to be erected, though the facility could be located on a dealer’s existing property. Full details are …
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Fiat's radical platform plan 27 May 2010 Fiat is planning to rely heavily on a range of new, modular platforms to support a range revamp that could take total group production to 800,000 units per year by 2014. The firm believes that by making hi-tech, flexible architectures it can support the short-term goals of replacing several key models and giving US partner Chrysler’s line-up a badly needed shot in the arm without having to invest in bespoke platforms. See pictures of Fiat's mini, small and compact global modular architecture How Fiat's modular tech works Fiat’s own analysis documents state that in 2006 it produced 32 models on a total of 19 architectures. It …
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