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Fiat is an Italian automaker known for building small cars, as well as aircraft and trains. The Fiat 500 being sold in America marks Fiats return to the US after 25 years of absence. Fiat acquired the Chrysler brand family in 2009. Models to watch: Fiat 500,500L
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Fiat Plans 51% Stake in Chrysler This Year
Fiat may currently own a 25-percent stake in Chrysler, but that’s not enough for them: by the end of the year, says Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, the Italians will increase their stake to over 51% and own more than half of Chrysler. While not an outright merger (because Chrysler is probably pretty wary of those…
Chrysler Factory Store In Los Angeles Is Illegal, Says California Dealer Group
The California New Car Dealers Association is accusing Chrysler of operating a factory store illegally in the Los Angeles area. The showroom, dubbed Motor Village L.A., was designed to boost Chrysler’s profile and show off their revised product lineup, as well as the new Fiat brand. The dealer group filed a petition with the California…
Alfa Romeo MiTo, Fiat Punto, To Get TwinAir 2-Cylinder Turbo Engine
Fiat’s 900cc TwinAir 2-cylinder turbocharged engine, currently available in the European market Fiat 500, has won critical acclaim for its performance and use of advanced technology, and the motor will soon be available in both the Alfa Romeo MiTo and Fiat Punto. The TwinAir will superceed the current base engines in both cars, rated at…
Maserati To Use Turbochargers, 8-Speed Automatics In Future Cars
Maserati‘s new GranTurismo MC Stradale might be using a nifty new single-clutch automated manual gearbox in its home market of Europe, but North America will get a ZF-built 8-speed automatic. The ZF unit is a precursor to Maserati’s further use of the gearbox, and frankly, North American consumers of the brand will likely not notice…
Fiat 500 Convertible to Debut at New York Auto Show
Fiat will reportedly launch the U.S.-spec version of the 500 Convertible at the New York Auto Show in late April, with the car going on sale almost immediately. Just in time for Spring, the drop-top is unique in that it retains the roof structure, but trades rear glass and a metal top for a retractable…
Alfa Would Get Porsche Engines Under Volkswagen Ownership
Despite claims by Fiat that its not letting go of Alfa Romeo, Volkswagen is continuing to put pressure on the powers-that-be to acquire the premium brand. Most recently VW chairman Ferdinand Piech commented that under the German automaker’s ownership sales of the Italian brand would quadruple. Now comes word that Volkswagen already has a complete…
Fiat 500 Will Fail, Says Ford CEO Alan Mulally
For all the hype surrounding the Fiat 500, Ford‘s CEO, Alan Mulally, has become one of its most prominent detractors, condemning the car to failure before it’s even launched. Speaking to the Italian language magazine Panorama, Mulally remarked “I do not see large market in the U.S.A. for a smaller car than the Fiesta. Those that tried…
Chrysler Considers IVECO Daily for Commercial Lineup
Now Chrysler, thanks to its alliance with Fiat is at it again, this time looking at bringing the IVECO daily to North American shores.
Fiat Produces Lowest CO2 Emissions for Fourth Straight Year
For the fourth year in a row, the overall Fiat brand has produced the lowest CO2 emissions in Europe, a continent that actually pays attention to CO2 emissions figures. The brand’s average, 123.1 grams per kilometer, dropped 4.7g from last year. And from the past four years the company’s CO2 emissions have dropped 10 percent, from…
Jeep Planning Supermini SUV With Wrangler Styling
Some of that Fiat influence is sneaking into Jeep, and more of it than expected. The brand is planning to launch a supermini SUV to compete against the MINI Cooper and Audi A1 (and, by extension, the Fiat 500) that will be even smaller than the Wrangler, while aping its macho styling cues. “There’s definitely…
Geneva 2011: Alfa Romeo 4C Gives Hope To The Budget Italian Car Fan
If you were one of the legions who lusted after an Alfa Romeo 8C but couldn’t afford the six-figure price tag – or get a spot on the waiting list – will have another shot at Milanese glory as Alfa debuted their 4C GTA concept. Rather than a big Maserati V8, the 4C is powered…
Fiat Launch Behind Schedule In America
Although Chrysler initially planned for an ambitious 165 dealer roll-out for their Fiat brand, so far only 12 dealers nationwide are operational, 8 more expected by the end of the week. Fiat said in September, 2010 that it wanted to see their dealerships open by the end of February, but only 30 to 40 franchises…
Fiat 500 by Gucci Brings Together Two Iconic Italian Brands
Fiat and Gucci are among the strongest brands to emerge from Italy, and now they have partnered up to bring you a special edition version of the 500 super-mini. Creatively named the Fiat 500 by Gucci, the car is customized by Frida Giannini, the creative director of Gucci. The introduction of this special edition which…
Ferrari To Borrow MultiAir Engine Tech From Fiat For Future V8s
In the Fiat auto group, typically all the new high performance technology is developed by Ferrari and it eventually moves down the ladder to the other brands. However, if the latest reports from Maranello prove to be true, there might be a change in the direction of flow for technology in the near future. According…
Ferrari Will Not Release IPO For Several Years
Ferrari head Luca Cordero di Montezemolo denied reports that the company was planning to go public. “There are no current plans (to list the company). Perhaps in three, four or five years. There is no project now. Maybe there never will be,” he told Reuters. There was brief speculation that Ferrari would be listed on…
Fiat Working On B-Segment Car To Slot Above 500, Made For North America
While speaking to Motor Trend, Fiat USA head Laura Soave told the magazine that in addition to new variants of the Fiat 500, there will be a new subcompact car arriving sometime around 2013, with a focus on the needs of the United States market. Soave did not specify what body styles would be offered,…
Ram Brand Rumored to Unveil New Commercial Vehicle at Chicago Auto Show
The Chrysler Group of brands is set to unveil several new models at the Chicago Auto Show later this week, with rumors pointing towards a new commercial vehicle for the Ram truck brand. According to Automotive News, the vehicle will be, “a truck aimed at carpenters, plumbers and other tradesmen.” Ram (formerly Dodge trucks) already…
Fiat CEO tells VW Boss to Back-Off on Requests for Alfa Romeo, Fix His Own Problems
After repeatedly voicing his interest in purchasing the Alfa Romeo brand from its Fiat parent company, Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piech today received a decisive answer. It’s just not the answer he was looking for. “As long as I am CEO of Chrysler and Fiat, Mr. Piech will never have Alfa Romeo. It’s hands-off,” said Fiat…
Fiat 500 Convertible to Debut This Spring; Abarth Model to Follow Thanks to Demand
With the Fiat 500 already on sale in North America (if you can find a dealer), the Italian automaker will expand its lineup with the addition of a convertible model this Spring. At the recent launch of the 500, Fiat North America CEO Laura Soave revealed that the 500C will be coming in Q2 of…
Alfa Romeo, Jeep To Build 280,000 SUVs Per Year In Italy
As part of the new joint venture between Fiat and Chrysler, the two companies will build 280,000 SUVs a year at the new Fiat facility near Turin, Italy. The SUVs will be produced for the Alfa Romeo and Jeep brands. The Alfa SUV, the first for the 101-year-old sports car maker, will compete with offering…
2012 Fiat 500 Misses The 40 MPG Mark
The Fiat 500 just missed the now coveted 40 mpg mark, returning 30 mpg in the city and 38 mpg highway with the 5-speed manual, while automatic versions will net 27 mpg in town and 34 mpg while cruising. While the numbers are nothing to frown about, expectations were higher considering the car’s 1.4L four-cylinder…
Chrysler Posts Fourth Quarter Loss, But Still Projects Profit for 2011
Chrysler has said it expects 2011 revenue to increase by nearly a third, to $55 billion, with projected net income between $200 and $500. If those targets are met, then it’s highly likely, Chrysler stock will become publicly traded once again before the end of the year.
Dodge Journey Based Fiat Freemont Set for Geneva Auto Show Debut
Chrysler’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, automatic transaxle and AWD, currently offered on the Journey, are slated to join the options list down the road, but given high taxes and fuel costs in Europe, the vast majority of Freemonts sold there will be diesel powered.
Fiat 500 Launch Looking Rocky As Lacks Of Dealers, Manual Transmissions Cause Problems
The launch of the 2012 Fiat 500 may present some problems for parent company Chrysler, as only 20 percent of Fiat franchises will be ready to go in time for the vehicle’s launch in late February. In addition, the initial batch of cars will only have manual transmissions, even though Fiat expects most 500s to…
