2014 Fiat 500l Lounge on 2040-cars

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2022 Fiat 500X gets Yacht Club Capri special edition

Fifteen years ago, Fiat released a product roadmap identifying 10 new models to appear between 2007 and 2010 that would join seven extant models across Europe and the U.S. Today, Fiat's home market of Italy only sells five models, three of them versions of the 500, and the U.S. has just one, the 500X. As for that model, it sold 1,443 units here in 2020; based on the 980 sales through the end of September this year, Fiat won't even reach that abysmal mark. Yet the show must go on, so Fiat's got two touches of flair in store for the 2022 500X. Starting small, there will be an "Al-Fresco" retractable fabric roof available for all trims. To ensure the sprezzatura a 500X driver demands, the top can be had in four colors, three of them being black, gray, or red.  The last color, blue, is reserved for the bigger news: A new Yacht Club Capri trim, a special edition model that is also blue. The model is named for the island of Capri, not far from Naples, Italy, and the numerous yachts that stop in there. Based on the penultimate Sport trim, it comes awash in Venenzia blue paint and sits on 18-inch wheels with Venezia blue accents outside, and gets Yacht Club Capri badging. Inside, Ivory leather seats with blue piping face an instrument panel with a woodgrain insert and shift lever given a satin finish. In other markets this same model is known as the Yachting Collector's Edition and is also available on the two-door all-electric 500, the build allotment limited to 500 numbered units. Fiat didn't mention limited production for the U.S. Every 500X is powered by a 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 177 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque sending power to all four wheels through a nine-speed automatic. Fiat hasn't officially released pricing, but based on information found on auto pricing sites, it appears the automaker could have a $680 price increase in mind. Fiat says the current four trims will carry over, Pop, Trekking, Sport, and Trekking Plus. According to the info we found, only three are priced so far. Tentative pricing for 2022, including the whopping $1,495 destination charge, is: Pop: $28,120 Trekking: $29,255 Sport: $30,110 Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Recharge Wrap-up: Renault-Nissan at COP22, BMW launches Cruise e-Bike

The Renault-Nissan Alliance has been chosen to provide a fleet of electric cars for the UN's COP22 Climate Conference in Marrakesh, Morocco. The group will provide 50 passenger EVs – the Renault Zoe, Nissan Leaf, and Nissan e-NV200 – to shuttle delegates to and from conference venues. The Alliance will also provide more than 20 charging stations to support the shuttle fleet. The group provided electric shuttles for the historic COP21 summit in Paris last year. Read more from Renault-Nissan. FCA, Iveco, and gas grid company Snam have signed an agreement to boost natural gas as a cleaner alternative fuel for Italy. Under the Memorandum of Understanding, FCA and Iveco will work together to develop CNG vehicles, while Snam will invest in CNG supply facilities like filling stations to support a growing fleet. Italy leads Europe in the amount of natural gas consumed for transport, with 1 million vehicles currently on the road. Read more at Green Car Congress. LG Chem has officially announced it will build a battery plant in Poland to the tune of about $340 million. Located near Wroclaw in southwestern Poland, the plant is expected to produce 100,000 batteries a year for 200-mile EVs beginning in 2019. The plant could help Poland in its goal to reduce pollution by introducing a million EVs on its roads by 2025. "We will turn the Poland EV battery plant into a mecca of battery production for electric vehicles around the world," says UB Lee, President of LG Chem's Energy Solution Company. Construction begins in the second half of 2017. Read more from Automotive News Europe. BMW has introduced the Cruise e-Bike. Its Bosch Performance Line electric motor provides electric assistance at speeds of up to 15 mph. The battery can be either be removed or remain on the bike for charging, which takes 3.5 hours for a full charge. "BMW aims to be the leading provider of premium mobility services, and our bicycle collection furthers that mission," says BMW Accessory and Lifestyle Manager Eric Riehle. "As we enter the holiday season, these bikes make the perfect present for those wishing for their first BMW." The BMW Cruise e-Bike costs $3,430. Read more from BMW.

FCA eliminates just under 2,000 supplemental contract workers due to coronavirus constraints

Car companies have jumped in quickly to help combat coronavirus. They’re even beginning to manufacture some of the badly needed medical supplies, like ventilators and masks. However, with stay-at-home orders sweeping across the nation and folks practicing social distancing, automotive sales and manufacturing have quickly dried up in North America. That leads us to todayÂ’s news coming out of FCA. A company spokesperson told us that approximately 2,000 supplemental workers (a subcategory of the companyÂ’s many contract workers) are being laid off. HereÂ’s the official statement from FCA: “In light of the challenges created by the COVID 19 situation, and the various ‘stay at homeÂ’ orders from multiple states, a number of development projects within FCA have been temporarily put on hold. "As a result of this, subcontract companies who were providing external support to a number of these projects have been asked to temporarily suspend their activities as we reprioritize certain initiatives and projects. We will continue to monitor the situation with the intent to return to normal activity as soon as the situation allows.” FCA made it clear in our communications with the company that it is not terminating all contract workers, nor is it terminating any employees of the company itself. The rationale here is that certain development work is on pause, so those who were contracted to be a part of that work are now out. We're told that those workers are in white-collar functions, not manufacturing jobs. We asked FCA if it had plans to reinstate all of the affected workers once the coronavirus crisis has passed, but received no commitment either way. “At this point weÂ’re going to continue to monitor the situation,” a company spokesperson told us. Questions still remain when it comes to the stimulus package moving through Congress right now as it pertains to the automotive industry. FCA says itÂ’s currently studying the bill, but hasnÂ’t offered up a comment on the situation yet. We havenÂ’t heard of any similar cuts happening at Ford or GM yet, but now that FCA has made a move, weÂ’ll be on the lookout for more. Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Chrysler Fiat coronavirus