2013 Fiat 500 Abarth - 2700 Miles! Superb Condition! on 2040-cars

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Fiat 500L gets a much needed update for 2018

The Fiat 500L is one of those love-it or hate-it vehicles. Fiat's largest US vehicle has been knocked for questionable styling, poor build quality, and reliability concerns. That's why the new mid-cycle refresh is so important, as the Fiat says 40-percent of the components on the 500L are all new. Styling is much more aggressive, and a new trim level promises some semblance of off-road readiness. The 500L still keeps the general not-quite-a crossover shape, but the front and rear fascias have been redone. The front is more upright, losing that slack-jawed look of the current model. The lower air intake and foglight surrounds are big and wide, with contrasting chrome and black plastic. The lighting is similar to the current model but has been updated with LED accents. Of course, the requisite Fiat badge and mustache are in place. It's a similar story out back. The 500L retains the same general shape, but it's a little more masculine and angular. There are new chrome accents on the bottom of the bumper along with new reverse and rear foglights (for Europe). There are 10 colors available for the 500L, with three options for the roof: body color, gloss black or white, or matte black. All in, Fiat says there are 37 color combinations. Like the exterior, changes to the interior are more refreshed than all-new. Up front, the biggest changes are to the steering wheel, instrument cluster and infotainment system. A speedometer and tachometer flank a 3.5-inch color display. Like the Fiat 500X, the 500L will have a multitude of menus and options to flip through. The infotainment has been updated with the latest version of FCA's excellent UConnect system. That means standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. For Europe, there are three basic configurations: the five-passenger Cross, and optional seven-passenger Wagon, and Urban. There are various trim levels within each configuration, though the long-wheelbase seven-passenger versions are unlikely to make it to the US market. The big news is the Cross, which gets a 25mm lift, skid plates, unique front and rear bumpers, and new wheels and tires. While there are new drive modes, Fiat doesn't make any mention of all-wheel drive. Customers with the need can step up to the smaller but more traditional 500X. The 500L has been a slow seller here in the US. It's unclear when the new model will go on sale, but it's good to see Fiat breathing some life into a slim product line.

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.

Honda scores big in Automobile Advertising of the Year Awards [w/videos]

This year the Detroit Auto Show didn't just celebrate the automobile, it celebrated how we find out about the automobile, too. Partnering The One Club, this year introduced the 2014 One Show Automobile Advertising of the Year Award to Cobo Hall, celebrating winners in five different categories of advertising: broadcast television, online, interactive, experiential, and print/outdoor. Winners in those categories were judged by 50 creative directors and journalists, while a Public Choice category was chosen from among nearly 20,000 online votes.
Honda walked off with three of the six awards, its Hands spot taking Broadcast honors, its Sound of Honda getting the Online category and Illusions winning Public Choice. Hyundai made the grade in Interactive with Driveway Decision Maker, Fiat captured Print/Outdoor with its "Letters" ad, and Toyota's Tundra Endeavor Campaign spot and BMW's A Window into the Near Future were co-winners for Experiential.
You can watch all of the press release and winning videos below or check out all of the finalists, announced last month, for a refresher.