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All Fiat 500 production moving to Poland by 2015?

With the next-generation Fiat 500 expected to debut in 2015 with more of a global presence, there is a growing possibility that production of the cute little hatchback will be consolidated to a single plant in Poland. According to Automotive News Europe, Fiat plans to end production of the 500 in Toluca, Mexico, which is expected to better fill Fiat's European production capacity, free up more North American capacity and create a single Fiat 500 design for all markets.
Currently, Fiat builds two similar but structurally different 500 models for Europe and North America, and assembling just one version at the Tychy, Poland would allow it to cut costs for development of the new car. This would also help fill some of the capacity void that Tychy has suffered in recent years, building just 300,000 units last year compared to more than double that in 2009. The report says that while Chrysler's North American production capacity is near its limit, Fiat's European plants will be used to meet increased demand before a new plant is built in North America. As for Toluca, there is no indication as to what vehicle Chrysler would replace the 500 with at this facility, which also builds the Dodge Journey.

Facelifted 2019 Fiat 500X features new lights front and rear

Jeep has been testing an updated 2019 Jeep Renegade, so it should come as no surprise that its Fiat-badged cousin, the 500X, is also going to be refreshed for 2019. The new Fiat has finally been spotted, testing alongside the Jeep, and it's going to be a mild update. Most of the changes appear to be in the lights. Up front, the headlights and the fog lights appear to be sleeker. The main headlights have been slimmed down a bit. The fog lights have shrunk all around and have lost a little bit of the roundness of the current model. At the back, the taillights retain the same shape, but they have much more depth now. Instead of having a smooth round plastic housing, the lights are concave, starting with a red outer ring. Inside that is a clear ring that may be turn signals and/or reverse lights. Then, in the center, at the deepest level, is a light we're not totally able to identify. It does appear to have lights arranged in a plus shape. It may just be a basic taillight that stays on with the headlights. We expect the 500X to be revealed sometime this year. Considering how little is changed on the outside, we're not expecting any major changes to the powertrain, which includes either a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder or a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter four-cylinder. The former is currently only available with front-wheel drive and a six-speed manual, and the 2.4-liter engine is available with front- or all-wheel drive but only with a nine-speed automatic. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Fiat 500X spy shots View 16 Photos Spy Photos Fiat Crossover SUV Economy Cars fiat 500x

Ex-Fiat exec: VW diesel scandal will hurt plug-in hybrids

It doesn't sound right at first blush, but former Fiat executive and noted diesel-powertrain expert Rinaldo Rinolfi thinks that plug-in hybrid sales may be more impacted by the VW diesel-emissions scandal than diesel sales. Rinolfi, who worked for Fiat for 40 years, told Automotive News Europe, said that the Euro 6 emissions rules that went into effect in 2015 have already increased diesel-engine production costs enough to raise prices and ultimately flatten demand. By the end of the decade, diesel-vehicle sales will settle in at a 40-percent market share of new European vehicles, and that was going to happen with or without the scandal. "Every carmaker has found ways to achieve fuel consumption and emissions results that have progressively diverged from the real driving conditions." - Rinaldo Rinolfi Makers of plug-in hybrids have more to lose, though, because every PHEV maker has figured out a way to keep emissions figures artificially low, Rinolfi said. Under New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) standards, PHEVs can be tested part of the time with the electric motor in action, meaning emissions get driven down to 30 percent to 40 percent less than real-world figures. With the VW scandal pushing regulators to use real-world figures, those PHEV emissions numbers are expected to rise substantially. To a lesser extent, hybrid emissions figures are also tested as artificially low. "Over the years, even without defeat devices, every carmaker has found ways to achieve fuel consumption and emissions results that have progressively diverged from the real driving conditions the customer experiences," Rinolfi said in the Automotive News Europe interview. Rinolfi is a little sunnier about compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, estimating that CNG emissions are as much as 25 percent lower compared to conventional vehicles. As for battery-electrics, he's not so optimistic, estimating that there needs to be at least a tenfold improvement in energy efficiency for EVs to be truly competitive with conventional vehicles. "I've been waiting for a true breakthrough for the past 25 years, but I've not seen it yet," Rinolfi said about EVs in the Automotive News Europe interview. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News Europe-sub.req.Image Credit: Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters Green Fiat Volkswagen Diesel Vehicles Electric Hybrid diesel emissions scandal nedc