2013 Fiat 500 Pop on 2040-cars

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VW, Fiat deny merger talks

All parties involved are actively denying a potentially Earth-shattering shakeup in the automotive universe, as a German business publication claimed that Volkswagen and Fiat have been discussing the possibility of a merger.
The magazine, Manager Magazin, claimed that Fiat was looking to ditch its volume automotive business in order to focus even more heavily on Ferrari, according to Automotive News Europe. The report claims that the merger would allow Chrysler to help bolster the Volkswagen brand in the United States.
Not surprisingly, Volkswagen, Fiat and the Agnelli family (which owns a 30-percent stake in FCA) have all denied this report. VW has said it's focusing on efficiency within its own group, and isn't looking at any takeover plans, according to AN. The Agnelli family, meanwhile, has also denied talks, while Fiat officials say are unaware of any talks.

Peugeot maker PSA posts record profits ahead of FCA merger

PARIS — Peugeot maker PSA Group said its profitability reached a record high in 2019 but the French carmaker forecast falling industry sales in Europe this year as it pursues its merger with Fiat Chrysler, which is strong in North America. PSA has trimmed costs in areas such as the procurement of components as it has integrated its acquisition of Opel and Vauxhall, boosting operating margins to 8.5% last year. The group, which also produces cars under the Citroen and DS brands, offset a slump in vehicle sales by selling pricier SUV models, with launches including the Citroen C5 Aircross helping to lift revenues by a higher-than-expected 1% to $81.2 billion (74.7 billion euros). That helped it stand out in a car market where some rivals including France's Renault have struggled with sliding revenues and profits, amid a broader downturn in demand. PSA's group net profit increased 13.2% to a record 3.2 billion euros, and the company increased its dividend against 2019 results to 1.23 euros per share, up 58% from 2018 levels. The carmaker was "once again very solid", analysts at brokerage Oddo-BHF said in a note, adding the results confirmed the company's "best-in-class status." However PSA forecast a 3% contraction in Europe's car market this year, by far its biggest market. The tie-up with Fiat Chrysler will help it gain exposure to that group's strong presence in North America with brands like Jeep. The two companies struck a deal in December to create the world's No.4 carmaker, to better cope with market turmoil and the cost of making less-polluting vehicles. Fiat also posted more upbeat results than most rivals this year. CORONAVIRUS WEIGHS PSA boss Carlos Tavares told a news conference that the two groups were both in good shape and well placed to face market challenges together. He said he did not expect any major regulatory hurdles to the merger, adding it had so far submitted 14 approval requests to competition authorities out of the 24 it needs. There are no immediate plans to change anything in the large portfolio of brands within the combined group, he added. However the companies still face problems this year, including the coronavirus outbreak which has paralyzed production in China and hits carmakers' supply chain. PSA said the coronavirus impact was still difficult to assess. It factories in Wuhan, at the epicenter of the outbreak, are due to reopen in the second week of March.

2014 Fiat 500L

The saying goes that man cannot live by bread alone, and neither can automakers live by selling one car alone. This holds especially true for automakers with a budding dealer network to support, like the Fiat brand, which returned to US shores in 2011 after a 28-year absence. The company's single car to sell at the time was the Fiat 500, a cute retro rebirth of the original, iconic Cinquecento, which your toddler now calls Luigi thanks to Pixar.
Since then, the new 500 has sold reasonably well here in the US, and the Fiat brand has been following the same playbook that another purveyor of pint-sized autos, Mini, has used: sell as many variants as you can of the one model you've got. So we have the 500, 500C drop top, high-performance 500 Abarth, all-electric 500e and a few additional trim levels and special editions to further fill dealer showrooms. But the axiom that automakers cannot live selling one car alone still stands, and so Fiat has finally introduced its second model, the larger 500L.
Executive Editor Chris Paukert completed our First Drive of the 500L back in June, and was left pleasantly surprised by its combination of utility, offbeat style, fun-to-drive demeanor and value. We've also, however, read some scathing reviews, like this one from The New York Times. I wasn't sure where the truth lay when the keys for this top-trim 2014 Fiat 500L Lounge were handed to me, but finding out would be but a short week of together time away.