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Fiat diesels might also cheat emissions tests

Et tu, Fiat? Fiat is the latest automaker to come under suspicion for excessive emissions from its diesel vehicles. So far the trouble is only in Germany, as opposed to VW's trouble in multiple countries. And instead of using VW's method of installing software that identifies when the car is undergoing an emissions test and only then turning on emissions control devices, Fiat is running out the clock. Because the German emissions test lasts around 20 minutes, Fiat is accused of having its NOx emissions control systems operate only for the first 22 minutes when the car starts up. This potential new bombshell was first reported by Bild am Sonntag, a German newspaper. Bild says that the Italian automaker is under investigation by German authorities after a test of a 500X revealed this time-based method. Bild also says that Bosch tipped off the German authorities about Fiat's strategy. German transport minister Alexander Dobrindt released a report of new tests of 53 diesel cars and highlighted Fiat's numbers, saying, "We will need to carry out further tests on Fiat models." In February, the environmental lobby group DUH found that a 500X that had been running for a while emitted more NOx than one with a cold engine. Fiat said at the time that it had conducted an internal review and found that its diesel engines comply with the law. Of course, thanks to VW's diesel scandal implosion last fall, questions have been emerging from regulators around the world about diesel emissions from passenger vehicles. Mitsubishi was recently suspected of diesel emission irregularities in Japan. A recent lawsuit in the US accuses Mercedes-Benz of using a cheat device. Greenpeace has raised questions about the testing method that German authorities are using to test diesel vehicles. And on and on and on. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Sajjad Hussain/AFP/Getty Images Government/Legal Green Fiat Diesel Vehicles vw diesel scandal diesel emissions fiat 500x 500x

Court ruling to delay Fiat's Chrysler buyout?

We've already reported on the attempts of Fiat to purchase the remaining 41.5-percent stake in Chrysler, currently owned by the United Auto Workers' VEBA healthcare trust. And while the issues still aren't resolved, Fiat has received both a bit of good news and a bit of bad news from a Delaware judge.
The good news is that the court ruled in favor on two key arguments of Fiat's, relating to what is a fair price for the Chrysler shares. The rulings essentially slash half a billion dollars off the price of the 54,000 shares owned by VEBA, according to a report from Reuters.
The bad news is that this makes the UAW an even more difficult opponent in negotiations. Its VEBA fund is meant to cover ever escalating retiree healthcare costs, so naturally, the UAW wants to get as much money as possible. Losing a big chunk of cash isn't likely to make the union more cooperative.

Fiat 500 least safe vehicle to drive according to insurance website [w/video]

When the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crashed a 2012 Fiat 500, the little car got the best scores in all categories. It's a safe car, then, right?
"If safety is a priority, you should avoid the smallest cars," advises Russ Rader, spokesperson for IIHS. "Weight counts. Smaller, lighter cars are safer than they used to be, but all things being equal, people riding in bigger, heavier vehicles get more protection in crashes."
That's why, despite its near-perfect crash-test score, the Fiat 500 is No. 1 on Insure.com's list of worst vehicles for protecting passengers from injuries. In an accident with a larger object, the Fiat's safety cage and array of air bags do what they can to protect passenges, but like eggs in a coffee can, the passengers get thrown about and smashed up.