2013 Abarth Used Turbo 1.4l I4 16v Fwd Hatchback Premium on 2040-cars

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Fiat 500 facelift found

Following a tumultuous few years on the US market (not to mention the several years it was sold in Europe before crossing the pond) Fiat is preparing a moderate refresh of its bread-and-butter 500 hatchback. As you can tell by the Hannibal Lecter look of this particular prototype, the focus of these updates will be on the front and rear clips. Sadly, it's virtually impossible to pick up any of the details due to the rather obtrusive camouflage. Although they're typically part of a mid-cycle update, it looks like Fiat will be leaving the headlights and taillights of the city car alone for the next model year. Beyond that, though, this is quite light as far as updates go. As for when we could see the freshened 500, it's open for debate. Geneva is certainly a possibility, as is April's New York Auto Show. Be sure to keep your eyes open then.

2023 Fiat 500e Abarth revealed, quicker than the gas model

The much-loved Fiat 500 Abarth finally has a successor, and now it's electric. The 500e Abarth takes the regular model and adds a much more powerful electric motor, plus sportier styling. And while outright power is less than the top gas model, Fiat says that the new Abarth is faster on track. On the outside, the Abarth features the brand's name plastered across the nose in place of the regular "500" logo and chrome bar. The scorpion badge now sits on top of the hood. The front bumper is unique with more aggressive air vents and a deeper air dam. The side skirts are new, too, and the rear bumper diffuser gets white inserts to match the front air dam. The Abarth scorpion badges on the sides have been tweaked to fit the electric theme, and the car gets new 18-inch wheels and some of the coolest side stripes we've seen in some time. Inside, the Abarth in the launch Scorpionissima trim gets a three-spoke steering wheel, Alcantara upholstery and stainless steel pedals and door sills. The major performance upgrade for the 500e Abarth is the motor. It makes 153 horsepower and 173 pound-feet, compared to the next most-powerful 500e at 118 horsepower. It will get the little hatchback from 0 to 62 mph in 7 seconds. Fiat didn't say much about suspension and brake upgrades, but we assume they've been improved to match the sporty pretensions of the Abarth. Especially as Fiat says the electric Abarth will lap the company's Balocco test track more than a second faster than the current gas-powered 500 Abarth 695, which packs 180 horsepower. Certainly the lower center of gravity, wider track and longer wheelbase play some role, but there are likely other upgrades at work. The Abarth won't be going farther than the regular 500e, though. It uses the same 42-kWh battery, which returns 199 miles of range on the WLTP cycle in the 500e. In the Abarth, with its more powerful motor, range is likely to decrease somewhat. Owners worried about the lack of sound from an electric car won't have to worry about that with the Abarth. Available is an external sound generator. It can produce an emulated exhaust note based on the gas-powered Abarth models audible to the driver and to passersby. Fortunately, it can be switched off, too, if you don't like the idea of fake exhaust sounds. We sort of wish they opted for a more creative and less "realistic" sound like Dodge did with the Charger Daytona concept and its Fratzonic exhaust sound generator.

FCA-Renault merger faces tall odds delivering on cost-cutting promises

FRANKFURT/DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Renault promise huge savings from a mega-merger, but such combinations face tall odds because of the industry's long product cycles and problems translating deal blueprints into real world success, industry veterans told Reuters. BMW's 1994 purchase of Rover, and Daimler's 1998 merger with Chrysler both made sense on paper. The companies promised to hike profits by combining vehicle platforms and engine families. Both combinations proved unworkable in reality, and were unwound. Renault and Nissan, which have been in an alliance since 1999 designed to share vehicle components, have only managed to use common vehicle platforms in 35% of Nissan's products despite an original target of 70%, according to Morgan Stanley. FCA and Renault have raised the stakes for themselves by ruling out plant closures. That increases the pressure to achieve more than $5 billion in promised annual savings from pooling procurement and research investments. The two companies have yet to fill in many of the blanks in the merger plan put forward by Fiat Chrysler. Renault's board is expected to act soon to accept the proposal, but that would lead only to a memorandum of understanding to pursue detailed operational and financial plans. A final deal and the legal combination of the two companies could take months to complete if all goes well. Pressure to cut automotive pollution is driving the latest round of consolidation. Automakers are looking at multibillion-dollar bills to develop electric and hybrid cars and cleaner internal combustion engines. Fiat Chrysler and Renault are betting they can design common electric vehicle systems, then sell more of them through their respective brands and dealer networks, cutting the cost per car. Developing all-new electric vehicles can bring more opportunities to share costs from the outset, industry experts said. "With the emergence of connected, autonomous, electric and shared vehicles, carmakers face immediate investments, so new opportunities for sharing costs have emerged," said Elmar Kades, managing director at Alix Partners. However, most electric vehicles lose money. This is a challenge for city car brands in Europe in particular. Both Renault and Fiat rely heavily on this segment for sales.