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Will the Fiat 124 Spider get an Abarth model?

Fiat is finally back in the sports-car business, as evidenced by the reveal of the 2017 124 Spider at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Naturally, the next question becomes: Will Fiat do an Abarth version? "We might look at doing a tuned version, said Olivier Francois, global head of the Fiat brand. "Maybe yes, maybe no." Francois was coy as he spoke to a group of reporters minutes after the 124 debuted in LA, but performance is a part of Fiat's genetics. While Francois wasn't telling, we think those bloodlines will translate into a higher-powered Abarth version. The 2017 Spider launches next summer, so an Abarth variant could arrive about a year later as a 2018 model. We would expect it to feature a stiffer suspension, performance wheels, Abarth badging, and enhanced aerodynamics. Some carbon-fiber pieces (perhaps the hood) would complement Fiat's always interesting palette of color choices, though a rosso corsa, like the one chosen by our illustrator, would be timeless. The engine's output would be the big question mark. The likely plan would be to tune up the 124's 1.4-liter four-cylinder MultiAir turbo rated at 160 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque in the base model. It's the same engine used in the Fiat 500 Abarth model, though the Spider has more torque. Fiat could further goose this mill, perhaps to around 190 to 200 horses, or pluck another mill from Fiat Chrysler's vast powertrain bins. The Alfa Romeo 4C's turbo 237-hp four-cylinder might also be a candidate. Like the MX-5 Miata with which it shares a platform (albeit modified), the Spider is more about driving dynamics and style than raw power. For Fiat, the 124 will offer the allure of an Italian car to the wide range of enthusiasts who can't afford Ferraris, Alfa Romeos, or Lamborghinis. "We think we can appeal to the huge number of people who aspire to a car like this," Francois said. Obviously, an Abarth price point is far in the future, but the Fiat chief said the base 124 "will be very much in line with the segment." The 2016 Miata begins at $25,735, including destination. We estimate 124 Abarth pricing could start around $32,000. The Spider will serve as Fiat's halo. It's a true sports car with a legitimate history. "This is the quintessential Italian car," Francois said. That means it won't be a volume play. The Spider might add a modest 6,000 units per year to Fiat's sales tally in the United States and perhaps 12,000 globally, said IHS Automotive senior analyst Stephanie Brinley.

Don't buy a 2016 Fiat because the 2017s will be cheaper and better equipped

If you're considering the purchase of a new Fiat, you'll want to hold off for the 2017 model year. At the very least, take note of the following for haggling purposes, because the 2017 model year will bring some significant price cuts. The price cuts were first reported by Automotive News after obtaining dealer pricing information. We reached out to Fiat, and a spokesperson was able to confirm the reduced pricing. He also gave us details on trims and packages. The gist is that the 500 hatch, convertible, and 500L all see notable discounts, and the trim levels across the range have been, well, trimmed. For 2017, Fiat 500 hatchback and convertible will only be available in Pop, Lounge, and Abarth trims. This trim reduction removes the mid-level Turbo model from the lineup, and Fiat's spokesperson confirmed the model's 135-horsepower engine will disappear as well. The good news is that the remaining models all drop significantly in price, including the 160-horsepower 500 Abarth. The Abarth will get a $2,850 price cut to start at just under $21,000 with destination. The 500 Pop and Lounge will both drop $2,000, dropping the Pop to just under $15,000 before destination, and just under $16,000 assuming the destination charges remain $995. In addition, the convertible will simply become a $1,450 option for any 500 model, which will make it a much more affordable proposition than it was when offered as a separate model. The electric 500e is the only model not to see a price cut, and will remain priced at $32,795 after destination charges and excluding tax rebates. The 2017 500L, as well as the 500X, will see available trims shrink to down to Pop, Trekking, and Lounge. The 500L doesn't see price cuts as drastic as those for the smaller 500, but it offers additional content to make up for it. The new Pop gets all the features of the higher-level 2016 Easy, along with a standard automatic transmission. Comparing a 2017 Pop with a 2016 automatic-equipped Easy will show a $1,150 reduction. The Trekking only drops by $235, but it now gets standard heated leather seats, BeatsAudio sound system, satellite radio, and Uconnect. Finally the Lounge drops $1,100 and adds 17-inch wheels, BeatsAudio, Uconnect, and satellite radio. As for the 500X, in addition to the reduced trim levels, it sees additional options. However, it won't get any price cuts. Okay, technically the base 500X Pop will start at $19,995 before destination charges, which is $5 less than the 2016 model.

Final Toledo Jeep decision may have nothing to do with city's efforts

Toledo, OH is doing all that it can to keep production of the Jeep Wrangler in its boundaries, but the biggest issue facing the plant may be insurmountable, no matter how desperately the city wants to keep the Wrangler local. The Wrangler is built in a rather interesting manner at the Toledo Supplier Park: Fiat Chrysler only handles the very final assembly of each vehicle, while two other companies, Kuka, a German firm, and Hyundai-Mobis, a member of the sprawling Hyundai empire, produce the body and chassis, respectively. The vehicles are then transferred over to the FCA part of the park, where they're painted and completed. This was, as The Detroit News explains, a convenient arrangement back in 2006 when the supplier park opened. Chrysler, which was still owned by Daimler at the time, arranged for Kuka and Mobis to handle production, saving it a huge sum of money. Both suppliers own their own machinery and buildings and employ their own workers. Now that FCA is a relatively healthy entity, though, there's not a lot of need to be sharing profits with two other companies. "What [FCA boss Sergio Marchionne] would like is to have the advantages of high-capacity utilization, owning that capacity and taking advantage of that for himself versus having a supplier doing some of the things his competitors do internally," David Cole, chairman emeritus at the Ann Arbor, MI-based Center for Automotive Research, told The News. "It really adds another level of complexity to the situation." While Sergio Marchionne is a man that generally gets what he wants, it seems unlikely that either Mobis or Kuka would give up their role quietly. According to Jon Zapf, Mobis North America's chairperson for UAW Local 12, the company "definitely wants to maintain their part of this production process." According to The News, Jeep is likely to announce the location of next-generation Wrangler production in June. Expect to hear much more on this one in the coming months.