It appears that the Japanese have also embraced Italy’s compact Fiat 500, but this was hardly what we expected from a Japanese tuner. Office-K out in Japan got their hands on a limited edition Fiat Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari and figured it’d look a whole lot better in chrome.

The Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari comes in its own Scuderia Red finish, but Office-K didn’t really care for that shade. They wrapped the entire compact in chrome vinyl while applying racing stripes in Italy’s infamous colors. Surprisingly nothing else was done to the vehicle, leaving the upgraded 1.4L turbocharged four-cylinder with 180-hp.

Abarth’s 695 Tributo Ferrari features its own aero package, 17-inch wheels, Brembo brakes, carbon mirrors, “Record Monza” dual exhaust and suspension upgrades as well. On the inside, Abarth outfits the Tributo Ferrari with a pair of carbon fiber bucket seats, flat-bottomed leather steering wheel with red inserts, and carbon fiber trim.

Check out a video showing off the shiny, chrome Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari after the break.

[Source: Carscoop]

Continue Reading…

The fuel wars are heating up as automakers search for new ways to squeeze more mileage out of their cars. While some might take this chance to preach doom and gloom for future cars, Chrysler-Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne isn’t ready to call the Road Warrior just yet.

Some companies are turning to electric vehicles, others to extended-range hybrids. Yet another school of thought is turning to diesel engines to meet mounting expectations for fuel consumption. In the face of what seems like a trembling industry, unsure of what the next revolution will be, Marchionne stands strong.

“I believe in our industry’s ability to find solutions. Even with traditional combustion engines, we have only skimmed the surface of the ability to squeeze out higher fuel efficiency levels, allowing us to extract much more power out of smaller displacements,” Marchionne said during an appearance at the Automotive News World Congress.

For the time being, he is determined that diesel engines will remain reserved for larger cars, like the Jeep Grand Cherokee (pictured above), which Chrysler will begin assembling in Detroit early next year. Diesel engines, despite their shrinking stigma, are still a minority consideration in the overall U.S. market. We really like some of the small car diesel variants to pop up recently. For example, Mazda will offer a diesel version of their Mazda6 sedan in 2013, as will Chevrolet with the Cruze.

Despite that, Marchionne is hanging onto the gasoline engine and hoping cars like their recently unveiled Dodge Dart will tackle the small car market and capture young consumer imaginations. Critics of his stubborn resolve might want to hold their opinions for now, considering the about face Marchionne championed since 2009, taking Chrysler from near-ruin to respectable territory.

“Fiat and Chrysler come from two different pasts, but they have something very strong in common,” said Marchionne. “Both have been to hell and back.”

GALLERY: 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel

[Source: The Detroit Bureau]

When there’s blood in the water, sharks start to bite. If the automotive industry does nothing else, it fosters ruthless competition and a winner-takes-all mentality akin to professional sports.

That’s exactly why reporters were peppering Chrysler-Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne with questions about his company wanting to buy GM’s struggling German subsidiary, Opel.

Outside scheduled announcements, Marchionne told the Detroit News that ”there’s a willingness on the part of Fiat-Chrysler to listen,” going on to say that ”this is an industry that is in evolution.”

Despite his affirmation that Fiat would be willing to consider the idea, there doesn’t seem to be any plan being cooked up. GM vice chairman Steve Girsky said he and Marchionne had dinner last Sunday and that Marchionne wasn’t interested in Opel.

“Opel is not for sale,” Girsky said. “We’re going to make Opel work.” GM is “committed to returning our European business to sustained profitability. There’s a lot of work to do.”

For better or worse, the business world is sensitive to such discussions. The notion that something like that might happen drove speculation that Fiat might also be eyeing Peugeot. Once again, it seems the rumor mill is churning out little more than hot air, though Marchionne maintains that he is open to opportunities.

For now it seems the dinner discussions that spurred these questions were little more than meals, though we’ll stick to Marchionne’s philosophy and refuse to rule anything out, especially considering his original plan after buying Chrysler was, in fact, to take Opel as well.

[Source: Detroit News]

Pricing for the Fiat 500 Abarth model has finally been announced, starting at $22,000 making it cheaper than the Volkswagen GTI, MINI Cooper S and (presumably) the Hyundai Veloster Turbo.

Though the comparisons with the other models aren’t exactly apples to apples on paper, Fiat’s 500 Abarth has the most impressive power-to-weight ratio compared. With 160-hp and 170 lb-ft of torque in a 2,533-lb body, the Abarth, in a way, provides the best bang for the buck.

It’s powered by a race-inspired 1.4L MultiAir Turbocharged engine and also features Abarth-tuned suspension, brake systems, dual exhaust, turbo-boost gauge with integrated LED shift light and 16-inch wheels. The interior also gets some race-inspired amenities with performance seats featuring a one-piece design with large side bolsters and racing-harness pass through with accent stitching. It’ll come standard with BLUE&ME Handsfree Communication, Bose premium audio and steering-wheel mounted audio controls.

GALLERY: Fiat 500 Abarth

Oh how compact cars have changed…  Chrysler, or Fiat as it were, is taking a march through the elephant graveyard and bringing new life to some old bones.

At least that’s what the badge might get you to think. Fiat now owns 58.5 percent of Chrysler, up from their initial 20 percent holding in 2009. That increased ownership is the result of Fiat fulfilling the final piece of an operating agreement with Chrysler— to produce a vehicle with at least 40 average miles-per-gallon. The 2013 Dodge Dart makes its official debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and represents that fulfillment.

It was 1960 when the Dart shot onto the American car scene, and boy did it make a bang. Back then people thought of it as a compact, despite the available big block V8. You could choose between a singe- or double-barrel carburetor and single or dual exhaust too. Jump forward to 2012 and we’re eagerly awaiting what could be one of the most intriguing compacts to come on the scene, despite having no resemblance to its namesake.

The new, aerodynamically-minded, Dodge comes with an Alpha Romeo spirit rethought for the North American market. That means an inline 1.4-liter turbocharged Fiat MultiAir engine capable of 168 horsepower and 180 ft-lbs of torque while maintaining an average 40 mpg.

Consumers will also be able to choose from larger displacement 2.0 and 2.4-liter Tigershark 4-cylinder using a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission. There will also be a 9-speed automatic somewhere in the future.

Though there aren’t many more details available we do know the car will feature 4-wheel independent suspension. It’s not the Dart that came around in 1960, but the latest Fiat-Chrysler lovechild is still following in the fresh spirit that made the first generation popular 52 years ago.

GALLERY: 2013 Dodge Dart

Discuss this story at DartForums.com

Efficiency is the new black for automakers and consumers alike. Even Porsche customers can get their gas guzzling Cayenne fix in a more efficient hybrid now or diesel soon, which is why it might come as a surprise that two new fuel-efficient guppies in the veritable ocean that is the U.S. car market seem to be floundering.

The Fiat 500 and Chevrolet Volt are both reaching the end of their first fiscal year with disappointing numbers compared to their manufacturer’s forecasts. That outcome could be a bit of a puzzler, given that the 500 starts at $15,500, offers two more seats and, what some would say, stylish alternative to the Smart FourTwo for about $3000 more.

The same fate befell the Volt, which takes a practical approach to the burgeoning plug-in market. Rather than relying totally on a battery charge. Chevy’s iteration on the new trend borrows power from a teensy 1.4-liter gasoline engine and achieves a sky-scraping 94 mpg average with a starting price of just over $39,000 before tax incentives. Those incentives bring the car closer to $30,000, though other government subsidies for things like home charging stations disappear this year.

It doesn’t take a particularly good periscope to see above the water and realize why both these cars were slow sellers, consumers are often risk averse and both cars proved to be sketchy choices by year’s end.

The Volt will fall short of GM’s projected 10,000 unit forecast by at least 25 percent thanks in part to an NHTSA investigation surrounding spontaneous combustion of the lithium ion battery after severe crashes. The car was supposed to be Chevrolet’s poster boy for the future, but instead the crucial first year will be marred by shaky consumer confidence and questions about safety.

The Fiat 500 might have escaped that fate, given its quirky styling and heavy re-engineering for the North American palate, but poor sales proved otherwise.

It also suffered from a sales-scaring three out of five star safety rating by the NHTSA this month. Even without that damning verdict, the hatchback wouldn’t have met the projected 50,000 sales figure— as of November Chrysler’s parent company had managed to squeak out a dismal 17,444 units, with little promise of breaking the 20,000 mark by December 31.

[Source: Edmunds Inside Line]

10. Fiat Returns to America

As another calendar year draws to a close it’s time to take a look back at the top 10 biggest stories of the year in the auto industry. It’s been a busy 12 months, starting all the way back in March when the Fiat 500 officially went on sale, marking the return of the brand to America. The last time an Italian car was sold here that didn’t cost six figures (or close to it) was 27 years ago. Since then, Fiat has introduced the 500C convertible model and most recently the Fiat 500 Abarth, aimed at enthusiasts.

The jury is still out on the Fiat brand’s success in North America, although the first year has failed to live up to expectations, with Fiat predicting sales of 50,000 units, while according to automotive data firm GoodCarBadCar only 17,444 have been sold in the first 11 months of the year (add 5,000 more if you include Canada). Some of this may be the result of Fiat’s marketing initiative with several ads featuring Jenifer Lopez, which the Fiat faithful rejected and many believe cost the brand boss Laura Souve her job. Getting the Fiat dealer network up and running also proved a challenge.

With more models coming, and Alfa Romeo set to return in 2013, Fiat is here to say. More importantly, perhaps, is the Fiat connection to Chrysler – a company it saved from bankruptcy and which it is now slowly rebuilding back into a profitable automaker.

Rather than a version of the Alfa Romeo 4C, Abarth‘s upcoming sports car will be a front-drive machine. Rumors of a stand-alone model for the Fiat performance brand have been circiling for months, with initial speculation that Fiat would share the 4C among brands.

Not so, says the latest report, claiming instead that the Abarth brand’s flagship sports car will put power to the front wheels. How much power? Look for a number in the 200 to 250 hp range, indicating that the car will get an engine larger than the turbocharged 1.4-liter found in the Fiat 500 Abarth model – which debuted at the LA Auto Show last month and which will go on sale in North America soon.

Inspiration for the car is said to come from the 1968 Scorpione, though the car is far from a done-deal. Fiat has yet to officially green light the project and even if it does, the new Abarth sports car isn’t likely to make it to America.

GALLERY: Fiat 500 Abarth

[Source: Car&Driver]

While America anxiously awaits Alfa Romeo’s return, Fiat has been getting busy deciding to produce the 4C sports coupe, packing plenty of lightweight carbon fiber, a turbocharged four-cylinder powerplant with 230-hp, rear-wheel-drive and a 4.5-second 0-60 mph time.

The concept originally debuted at last year’s Geneva Motor Show in a matte red finish (pictured above) and then made another appearance in a liquid-metal finish in Frankfurt a few months ago. Since then, many Europeans have been speculating whether or not Alfa Romeo would go ahead and produce the 4C but now Top Gear is reporting that they will, with testing of the vehicle beginning next year and hitting the market in 2013.

Reports are saying that the 4C will be priced at around £45,000, which is $70,000 or so. For the performance that Alfa Romeo intends to pack in the vehicle, it should be formidable within that price range out in Europe and it’ll be rather interesting to see if it’ll ever make its way to the American market when Chrysler reintroduces the brand to the US.

There is also a chance that Alfa Romeo will over a more powerful 4C model with around 300-hp and possibly a roadster variant later on.

GALLERY: Alfa Romeo 4C

[Source: TopGear]

Fiat reported that its sales forecast for 2012 have fallen a staggering 500,000 units, adjusting the initial forecast from 2.7 million to a more modest target of 2.2 million units. Its Chrysler arm is forecasted to sell 2.4 million units next year.

Yet while forecasts have lowered, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne’s target remains high and maintains his ambition for 5.9 million total sales by 2014. By that measure, Fiat-Chrysler must gain an extra 1.3 million combined sales.

Massimo Vecchio, financial analyst at Mediobanka of Milan, Italy, says, “Marchionne’s 2014 volume target looks truly challenging, unless Fiat’s core markets can show a substantial rebound in the coming years, which looks unlikely now.”

While initial predictions made in 2010 for passenger car sales in the European Union plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland were set at 14.6 million units next year, recent austerity measures will probably cause an adjusted decline to 13.4 million sales instead.

But more than economic anxiety, Fiat is also suffering from an aging product range, and is losing market share in Europe this year. Fiat’s market share within the European Union plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland has fallen from 7.9 percent to 7.0 in just a year.

Morningstar’s automotive analyst, Richard Higert, adds his take, “Despite the probably downturn in Western European 2012 new vehicle demand, especially Italy, I think the company is expecting to benefit from the market onslaught it plans to unleash over the next three years with 35 new or significantly redesigned models, the bulk of which should come in 2013.”

Whether Marchionne’s leadership can lead Fiat back to stable profitability remains to be seen. In a previous article, Marchionne announced Fiat plans to slow investment and expansion activities amid shaky European economy.

[Source: Autonews]

Discuss this story at Fiat500Owners.com

Fiat‘s iconic assembly plant on the Island of Sicily closed on November 24th and has been taken over by an investor.

The plant, which opened in 1970 and manufactured primarily Fiat 500s was sold for a token single euro. Massimo Di Risio, one of Italy’s largest car dealers, is that investor. He plans to re-open the plant as early as late next year to assemble four Chery models.

Thus far, his efforts to rebadge the Chinese vehicles under his DR brand have been unsuccessful, but he hopes that taking the plant over will help change that.

His goal, despite financial problems caused by the initial failure of his rebadged Chery project, is to produce 65,000 cars per year. Di Risio currently owns an assembly plant north of Naples where he manufactures the DR5 (Chery Tiggos), the DR1 (Chery M1) and the DR2 (Chery A1) that will now come from his new plant.

[Source: Left Lane News]

The slow-selling Fiat 500 hit another snag after NHTSA gave the compact car a three-star crash test rating, a dismal score in an era where five-star ratings are practically ubiquitous.

While the 500 got four stars in the frontal crash and rollover tests, the side impact result was a poor two stars. Only the now-dead Dodge Caliber and the Ford Escape (set to be replaced after a decade in production) have achieved similar ratings. The 500′s fellow subcompact competitors like the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and Chevrolet Sonic have yet to be crash tested.

The Fiat has been plagued by slow sales, with Chrysler reporting a 173-day supply for the vehicles, and three consecutive months of declining sales figures.

[Source: Automotive News]

Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat-Chrysler, is looking forward to 2013 for being a big year for the Italian-American brand. Marchionne is looking ahead to a collection of new Chrysler products, the reintroduction of Alfa Romeo back to America and have a chance to fully combine Fiat and Chrysler into one company.

Fiat, who now owns more than 50-percent of Chrysler, is waiting quietly for Europe’s currency crisis to clear up before deciding on future vehicle investments in the country. And with five money-losing plants in Italy, Chrysler has ironically become Fiat’s strong point in their portfolio. Chrysler made up two-thirds of Fiat’s third-quarter profits thanks to the rebounding US auto industry. On the other hand, Fiat has had to deal with the euro crisis and rigid Italian labor laws.

Looking towards the future however, Chrysler will be launching the Dodge Dart next year which is their compact car built on a Fiat platform to compete with Toyota‘s Corolla and Honda‘s Civic. But 2013 is when everything will be coming together for Fiat-Chrysler, with several refreshed Jeep models making their debuts, and the relaunch of Alfa Romeo into the United States.

We’re not sure how well received Alfa Romeo will be in the US, considering Fiat sales hasn’t exactly gone well in America. Chrysler has sold less than 18,000 500s this year, well shy of their original 50,000 target. We just hope they get a little more clever this time around with Alfa Romeo and avoid any sort of collaboration with J. Lo. Seriously Chrysler, more Fiats would sell if you didn’t associate it with J. Lo.

[Source: Automotive News]

While the revival of the Fiat brand in North America and the acquisition of Chrysler suggested financial strength within the automaker, it seems no company is immune to the current global economic downturn.

According to Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, ”a better line of sight” into Europe’s financial situation and its future is required before resuming Fiat’s planned pace of investment and vehicle launches. Marchionne admitted that Fiat has, “slowed down some of the processes that Fiat normally would have executed much faster for investments and for expansion activities in the Euro zone.”

Awaiting the developments from this week’s EU summit, Marchionne says with cautious confidence, “In the next 30 to 60 days, we should see the euro reacquiring credibility, reacquiring, certainly, support in the international financial markets to move forward.” Financial authorities of France and Germany will lead discussions and plans to stop the sovereign debt crisis from getting worse and restore the market’s confidence in Europe.

Currently, Fiat has five money-losing plants in Italy. Although plans to takeover Chrysler were initially to restore the indebted American automaker, now Fiat must use Chrysler’s profits to compensate for the weak European economy.

[Source: Automotive News]

Dodge revealed teaser shots of their Dart compact car, designed to replace the wretched Caliber crossover, and so far it looks to be the first hit of Alfa Romeo-inspired product for North America.

Using the underpinings of the lovely Alfa Giulietta compact, the Dart will use a 1.4L turbocharged Fiat MultiAir engine – good for 168 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque while returning a reported 39 mpg. Other engines include a 2.0L and 2.4L “Tigershark” 4-cylinder, mated to a 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox. A 9-speed automatic is said to be available at a later date.

Other features include a dual exhaust and 4-wheel independent suspension. The Dart will be built at Chrysler’s Illinois plant, and will get a proper reveal at the 2012 North American International Auto Show.

GALLERY: 2013 Dodge Dart

Discuss this story at DartForums.com

There’s no arguing with it— the Dodge Viper is a badass beast that churns out tire smoke faster than a hillbilly bonfire.

That’s why it was such a disappointment when it briefly disappeared from the Dodge lineup, but fear not for the snake will be back soon. Chrysler has been pretty careful about keeping their mouths shut, but Chrysler’s SRT Brand President and CEO Ralph Gilles spilled the beans to Viper magazine. The next generation will be unveiled at the New York Auto Show in April.

Rumors grow like a virus in a petri dish when such an iconic car gets shrouded from the public, and grow they have. We don’t know much about the car, but rumblings of an 8.7-liter heart under the hood are certainly at the top of the list. Along with that, some are speculating that the new Viper will be based off something from the Fiat line like the Maserati GranTurismo.

Some of that might prove to be true, given Chrysler’s partnership with the Italian automaker, but don’t expect to see anything less than brute force from the new generation.

Gallery: 2011 Viper ACR-X

[Source: AutoBlog]

Fiat‘s re-entry to the North American market after a quarter-century absence, is so far proving a bit of a bumpy one.

The little 500 is proving a tough sell in the US and dealers, many who have invested heavily in new facilities to sell the little city car are growing increasingly nervous about revenues that are turning out to be far less than originally projected by Chrysler-Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne.

In an attempt to address these concerns, Fiat recently hired Tim Kuniskis as its new North American head, replacing Laura Soave, who has left after just 20 months on the job.

Kuniskis appears to have quite a task ahead of him, though with a solid, credible background in dealer operations and marketing at Chrysler (having been with the company for 19 years and worked in a number of the company’s regional business centers and under four different management structures), there are signs already that under his leadership, things are beginning to change. Namely he’s reopened channels of communication between Fiat corporate and its dealer network, which had essentially been non-existent since June.

“Since he’s been onboard I’ve seen some positive changes,” remarked Carl Galeana, a Fiat dealer in suburban Detroit and member of the Fiat advisory committee.

[Source: Automotive News]

After announcing that the new Dodge compact won’t be called a Hornet, speculation began on what it will be named when it’s released. Even though it’s set to unveil at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show in January, Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne still isn’t hinting at what the new Dodge compact will be called, nor has he said what the 2013 replacement for the outgoing Jeep Liberty will be.

Both nameless models are the first two Chrysler Group vehicles based on a Fiat platform. It is known that the Chrysler Group trademarked Hornet, Dart, Duster and Camber on October 21st, and Camber is the only name that was never used in a previous vehicle.

The other vehicle, based on Fiat’s CUSW platform, is the 2013 replacement for the outgoing Jeep Liberty. Last week in Toledo, Marchionne noted that a decision hasn’t been made on whether to retain the Liberty name or to go back to Cherokee.

[Source: Automotive News]

In recent years, the number of cars in Latin America homes has grown exponentially. To take advantage of this growing market, car companies are offering cheap models to attract more customers into their showrooms.

Some of Latin America’s best selling cars pose high risks of life-threatening injuries and are considered to be two decades behind on safety when compared to cars sold in Europe and North America.

The Uruguay based Latin New Car Assessment Program said in a report released in Sao Paolo, that cars from four manufacturers pose the most risk to its occupants. The manufacturers and their models are the Chevrolet Celta, Corsa Classic and Cruz, the Nissan March and Tiida hatchback,  the Fiat Novo Uno (pictured) and the Ford Focus and Ka. These cars provide a one-star safety rating rather than five-star provided by cars sold in Europe and North America. Poor safety standards and ever growing traffic in these markets are resulting in many traffic fatalities.

Max Mosley, who is the chairman of the British based Global New Car Assessment Program says; “We are witnessing an unprecedented growth in automobile use in emerging markets like Brazil, China and India. Yet it is precisely in these countries where we face a growing death toll on the roads.”

The car companies mentioned in this report have not made any comment on these finding yet.

[Source: Detroit News]

Was J.Lo’s performance at the American Music Awards a creative song and dance routine or a commercial for Fiat 500? Either way, it has got people talking… especially when it comes to how much Jennifer Lopez got paid to dance alongside the compact car.

It’s being reported that J.Lo received about $1 million for that dance number – kind of makes you wish you stuck with your tap dancing lessons, doesn’t it?

This isn’t the first time Jennifer and the Fiat 500 have gotten together. The pair has starred together in a series of commercials in this fully integrated marketing campaign. Not only is the Fiat 500 out in full force, the campaign also coincides with launch of the superstar’s new products.

Do you think that Fiat and J.Lo are selling out or is this just the next generation of commercialism and we should just get used to it? Leave your thoughts in the comments sections below. And you can watch Jen and Fiat get down with their bad selves on the dance floor after the jump.

Video after the jump

Continue Reading…

Chrysler has issued a recall on Dodge Journey and Fiat 500 models produced between October 24th, 2011 and October 26th, 2011. Even though it’s such a narrow timeframe, 340 vehicles are impacted by the recall due to a faulty brake issue.

The vehicles produced in the Chrysler’s Toluca, Mexico plant may have been assembled with contaminated brake fluid, leading to possible degradation of the sealing components within the braking system. If the degradation does occur and the sealing components break down, a brake failure could occur resulting in a crash.

The recall notices will be sent out next month and Chrysler will replace all the brake components impacted by the contaminated fluid.

Sergio Marchionne, head of Fiat, told reports that he expects combined sales of Fiat and Chrysler vehicles to hit 6 million units by 2014. Marchionne’s remarks come even in the face of declining auto sales in Europe, as well as an overall shaky economic climate.

Marchionne said that he was reviewing Fiat’s 2012 European targets, but that overall strength in the U.S. market and strong growth in Brazil had helped contribute to a successful year. He also stated that Fiat and Chrysler would not merge in 2012.

Speaking at a conference in London, Marchionne also expressed his vision for the future of the car industry, with consolidation as a key theme. ”We’re bound to see the elimination of marginal players going forward, I believe we’ll end up with just five to six players whose success will be based on sharing architecture, at a global level,” he said.

[Source: Automotive News]

Fiat will build Alfa Romeo vehicles in China starting in July, 2012, as part of a joint venture with local partner Guanhzhou Automobile Group Co Ltd.

Company president Zeng Qinghong told Automotive News that ”Besides the Fiat brand, after talks between the two shareholders, we will introduce the Alfa Romeo brand to the venture company.”  No timetable was given for when the vehicles would go on sale, but the new venture would be dubbed Guangqi Fiat.

Guangqi Fiat will initially produce 140,000 vehicles annually, and will likely expand beyond just Fiat and Alfa Romeo cars. Fiat has large interests in commercial vehicles, trucks and other vehicles. Alfa Romeo will also have to compete in an increasingly crowded premium vehicle segment in China.

[Source: Automotive News]