1970 Fiat 500 All Original By Carlo Francesco Lombardi on 2040-cars

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2017 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth | Drivers Notes

We spent the week with a Grigio Argento Aluminum 2017 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth, known to many simply as the Fiata. As you may know, the 124 Spider is heavily based on the current ND Mazda Miata. In fact, both cars are built side-by-side in Hiroshima, Japan. The Miata has been a staff favorite for years, so we were interested to see how Fiat would handle the changes. While there are a lot of shared components between the two models like styling and suspension tuning, the biggest changes are under the hood. Fiat swapped the Miata's 2.0-liter naturally aspirated inline-four for a 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-four. In Abarth trim, the 124 Spider makes 164 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, slightly more than the Miata (though that's offset by a bit of extra weight). Associate Editor Reese Counts: I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this car. The current Miata is nearly flawless when it comes to driving dynamics, so I was afraid Fiat's alterations would undermine what is a fundamentally good vehicle. My fears were almost immediately put to rest. While I'm still not sure I would buy one over a Miata, I can totally recommend it to less performance-minded friends. The suspension is less firm and provides less body roll than the Miata, the latter one of my chief complaints about the Mazda. The transmission isn't as slick as the newer one in the Miata, but the turbo engine it's mated to provides plenty of character. The extra torque provides plenty of kick off the line thanks to minimal turbo lag. On paper, it's really no quicker, but around town it feels like it has a bit more grunt. In a canyon or on a track, I think I would still prefer the Miata. The 124 Spider's looks have grown on me a lot since the reveal in 2015. Honestly, I really didn't like it at first, maybe because I was so in love with the Miata's design. Taken on its own, the 124 Spider really is a pretty thing, with plenty of touches that harken back to the old model. Most important for me, they fixed the terrible, terrible seats in the Miata with new padding and covers. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Senior Producer Eddie Sabatini: I took the 124 Abarth Spider home two days this week, and it was two days of fun. Do I like the Miata better? Yes. For my money, the MX-5 drives better, looks better, and feels better but it's not the runaway contest I thought it would be before I got behind the wheel of the 124.

2016 Fiat 500X First Drive [w/videos]

Fiat's return to the US market four years ago is already cooling off. Neither the Lilliputian 500 or its larger sibling, the 500L, have caught on with mainstream customers. Both were designed years ago for European roads, which are tight and crowded. That's the antithesis of America's driving ethos. Fiat knows this, and its answer is the 2016 500X. It lays the brand's curvy design over a crossover-style package with available all-wheel-drive. There's more room for cargo to suit our national preference for extra space. The 500X still has Italian charm, but it feels more at home on US roads than other Fiats. Put simply, the 500X isn't a transplant, it's made for American buyers (even if it's assembled in Italy, alongside the Jeep Renegade). We were skeptical that the 500X could turn around Fiat's fortunes, but this cute crossover had a way of winning us over. Maybe it was the bright arancio paint (Italian for "orange") of our test car, the most expressive of the 12 exterior hues. Even in the shadowy indoor setting where our test drive begins, in Culver City, CA, this car stands out. In stark contrast, the black and grey interior is subdued and tasteful. Out test car is a Trekking model, the middle of five trim levels, fitted with the optional 2.4-liter engine. This naturally aspirated four-cylinder is a 'free' upgrade from the standard 1.4-liter turbo, but mandates the addition of a nine-speed automatic transmission for $1,500. Taking off through morning traffic, we head for the Santa Monica Freeway. At the entrance we're pitted against an older Toyota Camry in an on-ramp drag race. We lay on the throttle to put the Tigershark engine's 180 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque into full use, and leave the Camry in the dust. As we head north toward Malibu, we can already tell that the 500X feels like a different kind of Fiat, more substantial. It fills the lane. There's an upright driving position, and we feel confident cruising along at 70 miles per hour. Okay, so the 500X can handle an interstate, but what about an open road? We make our way to the Pacific Coast Highway, California's State Route 1, a logical place to test Fiat's claim of being more in step with American buyers. There are stoplights. People wander across the street towards the beach. Cars pass us and we pass them. Subtract the ocean air and surfers, and this road is what a lot of US motorists deal with every day. The 500X is all up for it.

Germany says Fiat Chrysler also cheats on diesel emissions

In May, Germany threatened to ban Fiat Chrysler vehicles because they supposedly had diesel emissions cheat devices. The guilty vehicle at the time was a Fiat 500X. Since then, Italian regulators looked into the issue and said they found no such device. But Germany didn't back down, and filed papers today with the European Commission (EC) and the Italian Transport Ministry saying, again, that there were questionable emissions results in four FCA vehicles. According to Reuters, the Germany's new tests proved there was an, "illegal use of a device to switch off exhaust treatment systems" in the four FCA vehicles. According to Der Spiegel, the four vehicles in the latest batch of offenders are the two new 500Xs, a Fiat Doblo, and a Jeep Renegade. Alexander Dobrindt, Germany's Federal Minister of Transport, noted the vehicles in the letter to the EC, which also said that the EC should communicate with Italian regulators as the next step. Related Video: News Source: Reuters, Der SpiegelImage Credit: GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images Government/Legal Green Chrysler Fiat Diesel Vehicles vw diesel scandal FCA diesel scandal