Fiat-Chrysler “Willing” to Form an Alliance with Opel
In 2000, General Motors and Fiat formed an alliance in which the GM gained 20 percent of the Fiat’s shares in exchange for 5.1 percent of its own stock. The two companies jointly developed the Gamma platform for B-segment cars that underpinned the 2005 Fiat Punto and the 2007 Opel Corsa.
Sergio Marchionne commented during the Detroit Motor Show that Fiat and Chrysler would be “willing participants” if General Motors wanted to discuss Opel tying up with another manufacturer.
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Fiat 500 Amongst Worst Product Flops of 2011
A report on the seven worst product flops in the U.S. from 24/7 Wall Street two vehicle introductions, the Chevrolet Volt and the Fiat 500.
The Fiat expected to sell some 50,000 cars during its first year in the States, but he sold fewer than 12,000 from January through July, and that the company ousted its chief Laura Soave this past November. For the record, Fiat sold 15,826 examples of the coupe and the 500C through October.
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Fiat 500 get three-star NHTSA safety rating
The Fiat 500 collected just three stars safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The side-impact test was particularly cruel to the Italian compact, with NHTSA awarding the vehicle two stars in that category – a somewhat surprising result considering that Fiat went to the trouble of redesigning the 500 for U.S. crash test compatibility. The 500 finds itself in the company of the Dodge Caliber and outgoing Ford Escape as the only models tested so far to receive the three-star designation.
Fiat 500 Abarth now in the U.S.
Fiat 500 Abarth today arrive in North American showrooms. Today Chrysler Group finally unveiled the American version of the Fiat 500 Abarth. The Fiat 500 Abarth which arriving in Chrysler dealerships will pack an all-new 1.4-liter MultiAir turbocharged four, kept in check by upgraded brakes, handled by a sportier suspension, controlled by a higher level of technology and conveyed by a more aggressive appearance.
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Fiat Group Loses Big in Europe
The Fiat Group CEO, Sergio Marchionne, admits that his company is facing huge troubles in Europe as in the first nine months of 2011, the company’s sales decreased by 12% compared to the same period last year, with its share in the European market dropping from 8.2% to 7.3%.
Even in its home market of Italy Fiat sales for the first nine months of the year have hit their lowest mark in the past 20 years.
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2012 Fiat Punto
Today Fiat unveiled facelifted version of the Punto supermini. The most interesting change is the two-cylinder MultiAir turbocharged gasoline engine. It’s the same unit used in Fiat’s 500 and Panda, producing 85HP and 145 Nm of torque at 2,000 rpm.
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Fiat Expand 500 Range with New Models
Fiat plans to enhance the 500th range with a variety of new models within the next two years. The first new addition to arrive in USA is the Fiat 500 Abarth. The Abarth 500 is powered by a highly-tuned 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder delivering 180HP and 300 Nm of torque.
The diminutive hatchback sports an aggressive bodykit, stiffer suspension, an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, and 17-inch alloy OZ wheels.
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Fiat 500 by Gucci
Fiat announced the release of cabrio version of its 500 model that goes by the name “500C by Gucci“. Gucci Studio customized the special edition version of the 500C in collaboration with the Fiat. The chief difference between the two models is that Giannini removed the green-red-green Gucci web pattern from the 500C’s profile and placed it on the car’s electrically operated black top.
The Fiat 500C by Gucci will be available in either white with matte chrome-plated elements or glossy black with shiny chrome-plated accents.
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Fiat and Chrysler will have a Single Management Team
Fiat and Chrysler will soon get a single management structure. The Bloomberg reports that Marchionne, CEO of both companies, told that he intends to implement his unified management team “pretty quickly”.
This is just another step in Marchionne’s plan to integrate the two carmakers and achieve a revenue of more than $140 billion by 2014. Marchionne noted that even though a merger of Fiat and Chrysler is in the making, it’s unlikely that it will happen in 2011.
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TwinAir Lineup for the 500 and 500C
FIAT has announced the new 500 TwinAir version, available for both the three-door and convertible models. The 500 TwinAir lineup comes with bespoke styling elements and upgraded equipment features. All versions are equipped with the 0.9-liter TwinAir turbocharged engine that produces 85 horsepower and 145 Nm of torque. The 500 TwinAir accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 11 seconds and can reach a top speed of 173 km/h (108 mph).
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