2014 Fiat 500l Trekking on 2040-cars

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Fiat debuts 500 Ribelle, 500L Urbana Trekking

Fiat has introduced a pair of special edition models at the 2014 Miami Auto Show, trotting out the 500 Ribelle and the 500L Urbana Trekking.
The smaller of the two, the compact 500 Ribelle, expands on the 500's retro-chic looks by adding a red roof, spoiler and mirror caps, which should contrast nicely with the limited color palette of Bianco, Billet Argento, Grigio and Nero Puro. Aside from the paint changes, Fiat has added gloss black headlight and taillight bezels and black wheels. The cabin comes with a choice of two upholstery colors: gray and red or gray and black.
The five-door 500L Urbana Trekking adds a few pieces of matte-painted trim, in the form of new mirror caps, side sills and body side molding. Matte-black, 17-inch wheels spice up the exterior and match the standard black roof, while Fiat's six selectable colors (Verde Bosco Perla, Rosso Perla, Giallo, Bianco, Grigio Scuro and Blue Tornado) add a degree of customization to the limited-edition five-door. For some reason, the pretty matte paint shown in the gallery was a one-off item for the debut car, and won't be offered to consumers. Gloss black interior trim pieces and a mix of black leather and leatherette change up the interior ever so slightly. Beats Audio and satellite radio are both standard features.

Rising aluminum costs cut into Ford's profit

When Ford reports fourth-quarter results on Wednesday afternoon, it is expected to fret that rising metals costs have cut into profits, even as rivals say they have the problem under control. Aluminum prices have risen 20 percent in the last year and nearly 11 percent since Dec. 11. Steel prices have risen just over 9 percent in the last year. Ford uses more aluminum in its vehicles than its rivals. Aluminum is lighter but far more expensive than steel, closing at $2,229 per tonne on Tuesday. U.S. steel futures closed at $677 per ton (0.91 metric tonnes). Republican U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is weighing whether to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, which could push prices even higher. Ford gave a disappointing earnings estimate for 2017 and 2018 last week, saying the higher costs for steel, aluminum and other metals, as well as currency volatility, could cost the company $1.6 billion in 2018. Ford shares took a dive after the announcement. Ford Chief Financial Officer Bob Shanks told analysts at a conference in Detroit last week that while the company benefited from low commodity prices in 2016, rising steel prices were now the main cause of higher costs, followed by aluminum. Shanks said the automaker at times relies on foreign currencies as a "natural hedge" for some commodities but those are now going in the opposite direction, so they are not working. A Ford spokesman added that the automaker also uses a mix of contracts, hedges and indexed buying. Industry analysts point to the spike in aluminum versus steel prices as a plausible reason for Ford's problems, especially since it uses far more of the expensive metal than other major automakers. "When you look at Ford in the context of the other automakers, aluminum drives a lot of their volume and I think that is the cause" of their rising costs, said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at auto consultancy LMC Automotive. Other major automakers say rising commodity costs are not much of a problem. At last week's Detroit auto show, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV's Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne reiterated its earnings guidance for 2018 and held forth on a number of topics, but did not mention metals prices. General Motors Co gave a well-received profit outlook last week and did not mention the subject. "We view changes in raw material costs as something that is manageable," a GM spokesman said in an email.

2013 Fiat 500e looks loud, runs quietly

Somebody wanted it, so we all got it - the Fiat 500e, the electric city car packed with enough Earth-saving tech that CEO Sergio Marchionne quipped (admittedly, early last year) that each one built will cost Fiat $10,000. The good news is that it not only comes with tons of EV-only gadgets and features, it does a good job, to our eye, of flaunting its electric looks and it offers the kinds of personalization one would expect of a hatch in the 500 family.
The multi-contrast exterior is grouped into three color packages, including an e-Sport Package that pairs mean with green. The Interior can be had in either Nero or Steam, both coming with Electric Orange accents, and a seven-inch TFT screen with all kinds of electric-car-status details.
Juice comes courtesy of a 111-horsepower electric-drive motor with 147 pound-feet of torque, using a battery rated at 24 kWh. Range is estimated at "more than 80 miles" on the 15-inch Firehawk GT low-rolling resistance tires, but Fiat says stories of "greater than 100 miles" aren't uncommon. With our high-res gallery above, you don't have to go that far to check it out from every angle.