2015 Fiat 500 Pop Hatchback on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2020 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth gets ‘Scorpion Sting' appearance package

There’s currently a cloud of uncertainty surrounding much of the Fiat lineup, and especially the 124 Spider after the brandÂ’s CEO, Olivier Francois, was recently quoted as saying that FiatÂ’s sporty cars “have no legitimacy” and the brand needs to focus elsewhere in the future. It recently pulled the convertible from the U.K., and through the first six months of the year here in the U.S., it had sold a mere 1,528 models, down 19%. (Fun fact: for the first half of 2019, the entire brand sold just 5,103 models, down 38% from the prior year.) But forget all that for now, because Fiat is in denial celebration mode, marking the brandÂ’s 120th anniversary and the 70th anniversary of its Abarth performance sub-brand. To commemorate the occasion, Fiat is offering a “Scorpion Sting” appearance package on the 2020 model-year 124 Spider Abarth. Most prominent is the rosso scorpion hood decal that harkens to the Abarth badge and founder Karl AbarthÂ’s astrological sign. There are also nifty stripes in the same color that run along the length of the roadsterÂ’s lower body. It's available now for $395, and that pretty much wraps it up. Fiat re-introduced the 124 Spider at the L.A. Auto Show in 2015 as a car based on the Mazda MX-5 MiataÂ’s platform, but with its own Italian design and the 1.4-liter turbo-four engine from the 500 Abarth, offering 164 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. Fiat added new options for the roadster for 2019, including a dual-mode “Record Monza Exhaust” for added growl, plus various appearance packages.

Nissan didn't have much say in merger talks, but it had what FCA wanted

TOKYO — Nissan wasn't consulted on the proposed merger between its alliance partner Renault and Fiat Chrysler, but the Japanese automaker's reluctance to go along may have helped bring about the surprise collapse of the talks. While Nissan Motor Co. had a weaker bargaining position from the start, with its financial performance crumbling after the arrest last year of its star executive Carlos Ghosn, it still had as its crown jewel the technology of electric vehicles and hybrids that Fiat Chrysler wanted. The board of Renault, meeting Thursday, didn't get as far as voting on the proposal, announced last week, which would have created the world's third biggest automaker, trailing only Volkswagen AG of Germany and Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. When the French government, Renault's top shareholder with a 15% stake, asked for more time to convince Nissan, Fiat Chrysler Chairman John Elkann abruptly withdrew the offer. Although analysts say reviving the talks isn't out of the question, they say trust among the players appears to have been broken. "The other companies made the mistake of underestimating Nissan's determination to say, 'No,' " said Katsuya Takeuchi, senior analyst at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities in Tokyo. The Note, an electric car with a small gas engine to charge its battery, was Japan's No. 1 selling car, the first time in 50 years that a Nissan beat Toyota and Honda. Renault and Fiat Chrysler highlighted possible synergies that come from sharing parts and research costs as the benefits of the merger. But what Fiat Chrysler lacks and really wanted was what's called in the industry "electrification technology," Takeuchi said. With emissions regulations getting stricter around the world, having such technology is crucial. Yokohama-based Nissan makes the world's best-selling electric car Leaf. Its Note, an electric car equipped with a small gas engine to charge its battery, was Japan's No. 1 selling car for the fiscal year through March, the first time in 50 years that a Nissan model beat Toyota and Honda Motor Co. for that title. Nissan is also a leader in autonomous-driving technology, another area all the automakers are trying to innovate. "Although Nissan had no say, its cautionary stance on the merger ended up being very meaningful," Takeuchi said.

P. Diddy hosting Fiat 500L desert party

Fiat didn't run an advertisement during this year's Super Bowl. We've no idea why, though, because based on this recently released 60-second spot, the Italian brand probably could have done quite well during the big game.
The spot, called Mirage, stars Sean "Diddy" Combs (who happens to be the ex of former Fiat spokesperson Jennifer Lopez) and a pair of very unfortunate pedestrians. Wandering through the desert, the two are confronted by what they think are mirages before stumbling into a giant party hosted by the Grammy Award-winning rapper. It's a humorous spot, highlighting a product that Fiat really needs to succeed, the new 500L.
The Super Bowl-worthy ad is part of a larger campaign that will hopefully help distinguish the four-door L model from its smaller, two-door counterpart. "Too many people discover the 500L through the 500. That's what we have to solve for here," Jason Stoicevich, head of Fiat's brand in North America, told Automotive News. "It's awareness. We know it, we understand it and we had to find a creative way to deal with it."