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2017 Fiat 500 Abarth Quick Spin | Old dog masters old tricks

It's hard to believe, but the raucous little hatchback we know as the Fiat 500 Abarth is nearly a decade old. The 160-horsepower version we get here first appeared in Europe at the end of 2008, and while ours didn't arrive until the 2012 model year, it was mostly the same car. That's a really long time for a car to be on sale without any major changes or mechanical updates. So we spent some time with a 2017 model to see how it's holding up. Here's what we learned: It's still a lot of fun for a number of reasons, not least of which is the exhaust. This is by far the best sounding exhaust for the money. It growls, it pops, it's generally a riot. Sure it can drone a bit on long highway jaunts, and you might annoy your neighbors in the morning, but it's worth it. Other manufacturers could learn a thing or two about making their cars more exciting to hear. (I'm talking especially to you, Honda, because the Civic Si is too quiet). The turbo 1.4-liter engine will still nudge you back at full throttle and pull you through corners quickly. The boost comes on very smoothly, too, making it easy to work with. Just make sure you have the car in Sport mode. Boost is limited in Normal mode, so if you want to enjoy everything the car has to offer, hit that button the moment you fire up the Fiat. The seating position is the closest thing this side of a Smart ForTwo to feeling like a road-going motorized bar-stool. The very tall driving position and short, narrow body make for one of the most unique driving feelings on the market. It's not good, it's not bad, just different. And fortunately, you don't feel like the car is going to tip over. In fact, it feels pretty secure... ...most of the time. The short wheelbase does make the Abarth feel a tad nervous when driving through long, fast corners such as freeway ramps. It probably wouldn't bite you with the driving aids on, but you'll find yourself concentrating a little harder in some corners than in cars longer than a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe. Steering is a bit of a mixed bag, too. It's the same electrically-assisted rack the car has used over the years, and it's still vague off-center and slow. Maybe this was on purpose to keep people from unsettling such a short little car. Hints of torque steer show up, as well, and the car does like to follow the contour of the road. On the upside, the steering is weighted well, and the car doesn't lean much and grips well.

Italy reportedly guarantees $7.1 billion loan to Fiat Chrysler

ROME — Italy has approved a decree offering state guarantees for a 6.3-billion euro ($7.1 billion) loan to Fiat Chrysler's (FCA)  Italian unit, a source said, paving the way for the largest crisis loan to a European carmaker. The source said Italy's audit court had signed off on the decree, in a final step of what had been a lengthy and contested process to get the loan approved. The court's approval follows an earlier endorsement by the economy ministry. "The audit court authorized the decree," said a source close to the matter, asking not to be named because of its sensitivity. FCA's Italian division has tapped Rome's COVID-19 emergency financing schemes to secure a state-backed, three-year facility to help the group's operations in the country, as well as Italy's car sector in which about 10,000 businesses operate, weather the crisis triggered by the coronavirus emergency. The loan will be disbursed by Italy's biggest retail bank Intesa Sanpaolo, which has already authorized it pending the approval of guarantees the government will provide on 80% of the sum through export credit agency SACE. The request for state support has sparked controversy because FCA is working to merge with French rival PSA and the holding for the Italian-American carmaker is registered in the Netherlands. FCA's global brands include Fiat, Jeep, Dodge and Maserati. It was not immediately clear what conditions, if any, Italy has set as part of the guarantees and whether they would affect FCA's planned 5.5 billion euro ($6.2 billion) extraordinary dividend, which is a key element in the merger with PSA. FCA, whose shares were down 0.5% by 0908 GMT, had no immediate comment.   Earnings/Financials Chrysler Fiat Peugeot Italy

Fiat-based baby Jeep spotted testing in US and Europe

Details remain scarce, but our spy photographers have managed to capture the upcoming Jeep B-segment crossover for the first time, testing in both the Alps and in the US. Shown here as a cobbled-together Fiat 500L mule, the new Jeep model is expected to arrive for the 2015 model year and act as a replacement for the current Compass and Patriot models.
According to our shooter, the new "baby Jeep" will share a platform with the Fiat 500X, and both models will be built on the same assembly line in Turin, Italy. We can't tell much from these images, but the added length apparent on this 500L mule would seem to dispel the recent speculation that the new entry-level Jeep model would be sized closer to the Ford Fiesta - since the 500L is already considerably larger than the Fiesta. Powertrain options will likely mirror other Fiat/Chrysler collaborative vehicles like the Dodge Dart, but this Jeep will also try to live up to its off-road roots with an optional all-wheel-drive system.