Fiat 500C Reviews

From May, the two European makes will no longer be distributed in Australia and New Zealand by the independent Ateco Group in Sydney, headed by entrepreneur Neville Crichton. Ateco also holds the rights for Citroen, Lotus and the chinese brands Chery and Great Wall. Sister company European Automotive Imports has the distribution rights for Ferrari and Maserati. The move follows the Fiat Group's takeover of Chrysler. The new Group is combining its distribution arms in all major markets and concentrating on those, such as Chrysler Australia, that are factory owned. The changes to Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Fiat commercial vehicle distribution will have no effect on the distribution of Ferrari and Maserati, which remain with European Automotive Imports. All existing Fiat and Alfa Romeo dealers will move with the brands to Chrysler, while arrangements for staff at Ateco who worked exclusively on Alfa Romeo and Fiat will be made on an individual basis. At one time Volkswagen, Audi, Suzuki and Kia have all spent periods under the guiding hand of Ateco. "There is no doubt that without Ateco, the Fiat Group could not even consider returning Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Fiat Commercial Vehicles to factory distribution," chairman Neville Crichton said. "Ateco has proven to them that all three brands have a long term place in the Australian and New Zealand markets, that there is consistent and growing demand for their products and that Australia and New Zealand have, once again, got a key role to play in the companys global aspirations." Crichton is noted for rescuing and restoring a unique part of Alfa Romeo's heritage when he purchased the last remaining Alfa Romeo G1 in the world, the model that has the distinction of being the very first Alfa Romeo. Believing that all Alfa Romeos must be a driveable, not museum pieces, Neville Crichton carried out a ground-up restoration that was so thorough the restored car won its class in the worlds leading classic car event, the Pebble Beach Concours in the USA. During Alfa Romeos Centenary Year, the G1 toured Australia successfully competing in classic car events across Australia. "Ateco is a constantly changing and evolving company," Crichton said. "As we say good bye to Alfa Romeo and Fiat we will be welcoming into our company new brands and businesses that will benefit from the unique skills and talents we have to offer." Managing director of the Chrysler Australia, Clyde Campbell, confirmed the takeover of the iconic Italian brands. "We are delighted to be named the official distributor of Fiat, Fiat Commercial and Alfa Romeo, and we look forward to re-energising these brands in the Australian market," Campbell said. Under the new agreement, the current Fiat and Alfa Romeo dealer group, which numbers 17 passenger dealerships with 22 commercial vehicle outlets across the country, will report into the Melbourne-based Chrysler Australia group. Sales for the Fiat, Fiat Commercial and Alfa Romeo brands during 2011 were recorded by VFACTS at 2,635 vehicles.

The ad campaign called 'House Arrest' plays on Sheen's reputation for fast cars, fast living, fast women and hot parties.  The advertisement also marks a return for Catrinel Menghia, the stunning model and actress who made such an impact, cappuccino foam and all, in 'Seduction' the first American Abarth TV commercial that became an internet sensation before becoming the hot advertisement during the Super Bowl. The advertisement shows Sheen blasting his Abarth 500 around the inside of a Hollywood mansion during a party full of glamorous women before exiting the Abarth wearing an ankle monitor bracelet and announcing that "I love being under house arrest," before turning to Catrinel Menghia and saying "What do I get for good behaviour?" "The Abarth 500 is the `small but wicked' personality of the Fiat family and this spot captures that attitude and spirit," said Olivier Francois, Head of Fiat Brand worldwide. "The Abarth 500 is the bad boy of the Fiat vehicle line up and Charlie Sheen personifies the edgy and fun attributes of the Abarth 500 in "House Arrest."'

The Fiat 500 has been morphed into a full-sized family car - provided the family is small and get on well. There is also a very good chance that the upcoming 500L will eventually be put to work on all sorts of European errands as the new five-door 500 wagon is boxed into a van. The 500L - which stands, predictably, for large - is being revealed next month at the Geneva motor show as Fiat grows the 500 family up from the hatch, Abarth and cabrio models. The company says is creation was inspired by the 600 Multipla from the 1960s, and not the cute little 500-based wagon - and delivery van - called the Giandinera. "The Multipla was a five-door car with six seats. The new Fiat 500L is along those lines," says Edward Rowe, spokesman for Fiat in Australia. The 500L replaces the Fiat Idea and moves into a crowded class of baby family wagons that includes the Citroen C3 Picasso, Ford B-Max and Opel Meriva. They have not worked in Australia, where SUVs are far more popular, but Fiat believes the 500L could work. "We'll wait and see what the prices and specifications will be. It won't be released for sale in mainland Europe until the fourth quarter of the year," says Rowe. "That indicates it won't be in right-hand drive until the middle of next year. We won't have final details for quite some time. But he knows Australians will not even consider the 500L without an automatic, and perhaps until there are rivals - perhaps including the C3 Picasso which would also be handed by the Fiat importer, Ateco. "Well need a self-shifting gearbox, suitable engine and suitable pricing. That market segement doesn't really exist in Australia. But by then the Citroen C3 Picasso could be available with an automatic gearbo," says Rowe. The 500L is 4.1 metres long and 1.66 metres high, will be built at the Fiat factory in Kragujevac, Serbia and will be available in Europe with TwinAir and 1.4-litre petrol engines, and a 1.3-litre JultiJet II turbodiesel.

The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show. The worldwide head of the Italian company, which also controls Chrysler in the USA, admits Australia has suffered in the past but promises immediate action on a range of fronts as well as a longer-term commitment to right-hand drive vehicles.  It could even include a change of representation for Fiat. "I think we have to be careful that we come up with an economically viable answer for Australia". "We need to make money out of selling cars in Australia to be perfectly honest," says Sergio Marchionne, the head of both Fiat and Chrysler Group.  "I think we have had relative success in some of our ventures. I know the Fiat side has struggled for a while with this and we are in the process of cleaning up our act in Australia and come up with a unified view of the work to do.  "The fact we have created the Asia-Pacific region with a CEO, Mike Manley, who is running it is now giving the proper focus to Australia. Unfortunately Australia has always been the orphan child. It was the stuff that we dealt with whenever we cleaned up something else and never got a lot of attention."

The commercial is the latest to come from Fiat and Chrysler in the US as they try to raise the profile of their brands under the combined Fiat ownership.A previous recent ad with Jennifer Lopez trying to sex up the virtues of the Fiat 500 Gucci edition looks to be easily outdone by the Abarth one with leggy runway star Catrinel Menghia.Lopez’s spot featured her driving around New York in the 500 Gucci, extolling the cars virtues – and charring on about how elegance is hard work – while one of her songs plays in the background. Menghia’s depends on almost stereotyped Italian passion, and a strategically placed drop of latte foam.The loose translation of Menghia’s script is along the lines of: "What are you staring at… are you undressing me with your eyes? Poor man, you can't resist. Is your heart pounding? Is your head spinning?”More to the point would be: “Is your wallet opening … are you buying this?” It remains to be seen whether sex and style sells for the little cars. And whether it sells to women.Fiat USA CEO Olivier Francis said that the advertisement was intended to be a viral advertisement on the internet “but I am considering running it as a TV advertisement too, but I am not sure. It may be too much.”

It’s expected to pick up most of its mechanical package from the cute Fiat 500 but there are strong hints of a hybrid Panda for inner-city electric running.

It is the first Fiat in Australia to offer the combination of Fiat's innovative Blue&Me Telematics system with Tom Tom's cutting edge SatNav technology to produce the ideal solution for the Australian market. Fiat cars equipped with the Microsoft based Blue&Me Nav system come with a small socket on the top of the dashboard. Into this plugs a dedicated arm which holds a portable Tom Tom SatNav unit designed specifically for Blue&Me. In addition to sourcing its power from the car, it also links to the Blue&Me system so that it can be voice activated or operated from the buttons on the steering wheel. Route instructions come through the car speakers, overriding audio programs or reducing volume during phone calls. It even knows when the driver is given a low fuel warning and will guide the driver to the nearest petrol station. The TomTom unit can be removed from the car and used as a free standing satnav unit or used in another vehicle.

The red $70,000 pocket rocket has a top speed of 225km/h and does the dash from 0-100km/h in less than seven seconds. It's been built as a tribute to the historic performance links between Ferrari and Abarth. The Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari is fitted with a 1.4 Turbo T-Jet 16v, tuned to develop more than 132kW of power. This is combined with an MTA (Manual Transmission Automated) electromechanical gearbox with race-inspired steering wheel controls that enhances engine's performance by reducing gearshift times. It rides on 17" alloy wheels featuring a design inspired by Ferrari wheels. Ride and braking systems have also been strengthened to cope with the extra power: modular Brembo 305mm disc brakes with fixed four-piston calliper disc and special shock absorbers that let you enjoy performance in total safety. And of course there is a "Record Monza" variable back pressure "dual mode" exhaust, designed to improve engine performance and deliver an inspiring sound over 3000 revs. Still, it's a lot of money for a tiny car. The Tributo Ferrari is finished not just in classic Modena Red, but also in the brand-new shade of Modena Yellow, with carbon fibre door mirrors and B pillar trims.  Details such as the wheels and front air intakes are in Racing Grey. "Abarth Corsa by Sabelt" carbon fibre racing seats are fitted and finished in black leather and Alcantara with a shell and seat base in carbon fibre. The list goes on ... but it's a lot of money for a tiny car. The interior is embellished with other details too, like the special kick plate passenger footwell, door sill trim and a plate bearing the vehicle series number. The Tributo Ferrari comes with a special pack to keep it safe and clean. The safety pack includes a dedicated travel bag with an emergency triangle, work gloves, emergency lights, and an Abarth yellow safety vest.  The cleaning kit includes Abarth Leather Cleaning Fluid, Abarth Body Wax and Abarth Interior Cleaning fluid. It even comes with its own personalised car cover. The standard Abarth Travel Pack comprises of a set of "stone washed" black leather luggage designed specifically for the luggage compartment of the Abarth 695 "Tributo Ferrari". The Abarth 695 "Tributo Ferrari" has a recommended retail price of $69,990 excluding statutory charges, delivery and dealer costs. The bad news is that all 45 of the cars destined for Australia and New Zealand have been sold.

The Fiat Strada Sporting is the mini-ute for all reasons and most seasons and the only downside is that you have to go to Brazil to drive it.  The ute, based on the platform of the Strada and built in Brazil at one of Fiat's South American factories, is made only in left-hand drive. Fiat importers for Australia, Ateco Automotive, says there's "no chance" of it getting here.  "It is a left hand drive only vehicle and has never been engineered for right hand drive," says cold water specialist Edward Rowe of Ateco. The ute is based on the Strada Extended Cab and is powered by a 97kW/249Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder driving the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox. It is on sale at $BRL46,270, equivalent to about $27,000. Though that sounds expensive, it is hit with Brazil's high taxation regime.  By comparison, a Toyota Corolla in Brazil is equivalent to about $52,000 - a car that in Australia sells for $21,000.

It becomes Fiat SpA through a demerger effective January 1. That leaves all the Fiat truck, tractor, industrial and marine businesses to create Fiat Industrial SpA, also to be listed as a public company. Both companies will adopt new logos. Fiat SpA will include Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Fiat, Ferrari, Lancia and Maserati, as well as Fiat light commercial vehicles, along with the division of Fiat Powertrain Technology (FPT) responsible for cars and commercial vehicles, and the component companies Magneti Marelli, Teksid and Comau. Fiat Industrial will contain CNH (which includes the Case, New Holland, Steyr and Kobelco), Iveco commercial vehicles (which include Iveco, Iveco Magirus, Iveco Astra and Iveco Irisbus brands) and the Industrial and Marine division of FPT. It may appear a book entry but the split cleans up the Chrysler deal, putting all the cars into one basket and - hopefully - forming a unit that will swim on its own merits. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne will be CEO of the new Fiat SpA and will also become chairman of Fiat Industrial. Fiat SpA forecasts revenue of about $90 billion in 2014, up from $45 billion expected this year. Fiat Industrial predicts revenue of $40 billion in 2014, compared with about $27 billion expected this year. The demerger immediately prompted the new Fiat SpA to announce it will join Chrysler in building Alfa Romeo and Jeep models at Fiat's Mirafiori plant in Turin. The plant will be retooled at a cost of about $1.5 billion to make models for global markets.