Abarth News

Veronica Johns oversaw record sales at the Fiat Chrysler Group, and took a unique approach to breaking down the gender barriers.The first Australian woman to head a car company, Veronica Johns -- who earned notoriety for tearing down workshop posters of naked women, as well as record sales -- has announced her resignation as the boss of the Fiat Chrysler Group after almost two years in the role and 16 years with the corporation. Her departure at the end of the year means there will no longer be a woman as the boss of any car brand in Australia. Ms Johns earned the credibility of her industry colleagues after overseeing record sales growth, but she also quickly attracted attention from car dealers after she tore down posters of naked women in workshops during showroom visits. “It does take a certain personality type to cope with men in the car industry,” said Ms Johns. “Thankfully we’ve eradicated any gender issues in our company.” The transition didn’t come easily for some people. “When I started you could still walk into workshops with posters of naked women on the walls. “I ripped them off and threw them in the bin. The (workers) didn’t say much, and I’m sure they probably got them out of the bin after I left. “Women have to work in this environment and that’s what they’ve got to look at. Some people in the industry are blind to it. It’s just accepted as the norm and it shouldn’t be.” Ms Johns, 43, said she’d taken down posters of naked women “about four times” over the past three years, but hasn’t had to do so lately. “We’ve eradicated the gender issues from our business, but it’s still in other parts of the car industry,” said Ms Johns. The Melbourne-based executive says women are in more prominent positions in the car industry globally, but Australia is still catching up. In January 2014, Mary Barra became the first woman to become the global boss of a major car company, as the CEO of General Motors based in Detroit. Only handful of foreign women have run car companies in Australia over the past 15 years. American Judith Wheeler was the first, she ran Chrysler-Jeep in Australia from 2000 to 2003. Germans Jutta Dierks and Anke Koeckler successively ran Volkswagen’s Australian operations from 2007 to 2013. But Ms Johns is understood to be the first Australian woman to have run a large car company in Australia. At the time of her appointment in May 2013, she edged out male rivals from North America who were keen to take up the prime posting. Ms Johns said the car industry -- and car buyers -- would benefit from gender equality. “With modern technology so many cars have so many similar features these days, the biggest difference is how you treat people,” said Ms Johns. “Women are very competitive, and some can be brutal, but I believe we are still more inclined to treat people with kindness and respect. I think that, and the ability to relate to people, comes more easily to women than to men.” Car industry consultant Tony Devers, the former boss of Honda and Suzuki motor vehicles in Australia -- who accurately predicted in 2010, three years before any announcements, that the local car manufacturing industry would close by the end of the decade -- says there should be more women in the car industry. “There’s no excuse, women clearly have the skills and the drive and the passion for the business, but they typically tend to come into the car industry in marketing or human resources roles,” said Mr Devers. “The executives who rise to the top in the car industry have earned their stripes in sales, finance and strategic planning,” he said. Ms Johns will work with the her successor -- due to be announced in the coming days, and likely to come from Detroit -- until the end of the year, when she is expected to announce a new role the automotive industry. Under Ms John’s leadership, the monthly sales of Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat and Alfa Romeo vehicles increased by 53 per cent as the rest of the industry grew by about 2 per cent. So far this year, sales across all four brands are up 39 per cent in a market that is down 2 per cent compared with the same period last year. When Ms Johns accepted the role to run Fiat Chrysler Group Australia in 2013, she said: “I don’t think it makes a difference if you’re male or female in this business anymore. Good people rise to the top. The car industry is not a man’s world anymore.”

Fiat announces track-bred Abarth 695 Biposto superhatch for Australia.Abarth's fastest and most extreme performance model to date is coming to Australia.First revealed at the Geneva motor show in March, the Abarth 695 Biposto is in essence the road-going equivalent of the 695 Assetto Corse racer driven at the Bathurst 12 Hour in February by CarsGuide's own Joshua Dowling and Paul Gover.With a name that literally translates to two-seater, the 695 Biposto does gain an extra pew over the Dowling/Gover machines, but shuns the regular road Abarth four-seat layout in the name of weight reduction.The Biposto's tuned 1.4-litre turbocharged engine throws out 140kW and 250Nm – up from the 118kW/230Nm of the existing 595 models. The 0-100km/h time also drops from 7.4 seconds down to a claimed 5.9. This performance boost comes with a trade-off, as fuel consumption has jumped by 1.1L/100km to 6.5 combined over manual 595 models.While the idea of the hottest Abarth ever might have you chomping at the bit, a list price of $65,000 will quickly bring you back to reality.At this price, the Biposto is nearly double the price of the $33,500 595 Turismo and the $36,500 Competizione manual hardtops. It is however in the ballpark of Abarth's previous limited edition models, the $69,990 695 Tributo Ferrari from 2012 and 2013's $60,000 695 Edizione Maserati.An investment in the 695 Biposto does get you a performance car that oozes racing pedigree.In addition to a pretty serious cabin reinforcement structure behind the seats; Brembo brakes, Poggipolini rear roll bar, 18-inch OZ wheels, Akrapovic exhaust, BMC intercooler, Sabelt four-point seatbelts and Extreme Shoks suspension bring a high-performance motorsport flavour to the street-legal production car. The Biposto even has a data logger.You do get some more expected features of a road-going car as well with the Biposto having ABS and stability control.On the outside, the 695 Biposto an aluminium bonnet, fixed door windows with polycarbonate sliding openings, and lightweight 18-inch OZ wheels.Inside, the remaining seats are now carbon fibre with matching dash inserts, and front and rear panels. Titanium is also featured in the door handles, hub caps, wheel bolts and fuel cap.The 695 Biposto is being produced in limited numbers, and is available from Abarth dealers on a per order basis.

Fiat Abarth 595 gets 'Ferrari' engineAbarth, the high-performance division of Fiat, has produced a limited edition version of its hot Abarth 595 and the really big news is the installation of a Ferrari engine! Well, it's not a Ferrari engines as in the megabuck supercar, but the one from the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari.The Abarth 595 '50th Anniversary' celebrates the introduction of the original Fiat 500 Abarth 595 in 1963. Following on Fiat Australia's sellout success with the limited edition Fiat 500 by Gucci, the company's Australia chief, Veronica Johns, says she is proud to have scored 50 of the Abarth 595 '50th Anniversary' for Australia. Ultra-trendy Gucci and ultra-sporting Ferrari are obviously very different brands, but both are iconic Italians. You have to give Abarth's marketing guys and gals top marks for coming up with special editions based on too dissimilar, but highly desirable, products. ENGINE / TRANSMISSIONPower for the 50th Anniversary comes from a turbocharged 1.4-litre engine. In the standard Abarth it develops 118kW, in the Abarth 595 Anniversary this has been increased to 132kW. There's up to 250Nm of torque thanks to an overboost function activated by pressing the Sport button. This puts the ECU into a full-on sports map and increases turbo boost. Sadly the Abarth 595 is only offered with an automated manual gearbox. Though it has been given the grand title of 'Abarth Competizione' it's still a fairly primitive unit. While it does have steering wheel paddles for pseudo-manual control, we would much rather have a proper manual gearbox.Should you be in the Northern Territory, you will find this little Italian hotshot has a top speed of 225 km/h. In the rest of Australia you will have to settle for sprinting from zero to 100km/h in under seven seconds, or take it for a trip to a racetrack.Driving dynamics can be adjusted by Fiat's DualDrive electric power steering with 'Sport' function. Even better, the TTC (Torque Transfer Control) system juggles the amount of grunt sent to each of the front wheels to maximise driver control and enjoyment.Best of all, the engineers at Abarth have designed what they call 'Record Monza'. This system is named after the famous Italian racing circuit and uses a variable-back-pressure, dual-mode exhaust that delivers an inspiring sound from the hot Abarth when you get the engine where it belongs - over 3000rpm. FEATURESThe hottest Abarth ever has 17-inch alloy wheels in 695 Magnesio Grey embellished by a red liner. Three-layer white paintwork, is an excellent contemporary reinterpretation of the 1963 Abarth. It is embellished with graphics that look spot on.Abarth 595 '50th Anniversary' has foglights, Xenon headlights and a fold-back sunroof, the latter just like the original. Inside are red leather sports seats with white inserts and red stitching. A historical logo adorns the steering wheel that's finished in black leather with red inserts. This logo is also used on the door kick plates.Standard gear includes climate-control air conditioning with pollen filter; CD/MP3 radio with controls on the steering wheel; an Interscope Hi-Fi system; and the Blue&Me voice control system developed in conjunction with Microsoft.On the accessory list there's some good stuff: a '595' vintage car cover, special edition sunglasses and even '595 Anniversario' dedicated Tramontaro luggage.PRICEThe Abarth 595 50th Anniversary special edition has a suggested retail price of $45,000. Not cheap, but you get a lot of sporting Italian automotive heritage for your money and, who knows, it may even become a collectors' car on day. 

The Abarth 695 Biposto follows 50 years after the launch of the first 695. The 1964 edition 695 featured a 699.5 cc displacement to provide maximum power of 22kW helping it reach a top speed of 130 km/h.The original 695 was appreciated for its agility and versatility in town and on mixed routes. The 2014 695 Biposto features a 141kW turbocharged engine and weighs just 997kg, propelling it from 0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds.Abarth engineers shed the compromises typical of road-going vehicles such as the rear seats to give the 695 its focused, racing edge. Many features are derived straight from the race track including a gearbox with dog rings, a first for a road-going car in this category plus fixed front windows with polycarbonate sliding panels.The 695 Biposto also features a front intercooler, Akrapovic exhaust system, Extreme Shox adjustable shock absorbers, MXL digital data logger, Abarth Corsa by Sabelt seats with four-point seat belts, Brembo braking system, lightened 18-inch OZ rims and rear titanium roll bar by Poggipolini. An aluminium bonnet and carbon fibre wing mirrors also help to reduce the overall weight. 

Audi has launched a new 1.4-litre TFSI petrol four-cylinder version for its Q3 range, which will become the new entry point to the model. The new Q3 has been announced for the UK market, and is likely to reach other right-hand drive markets after mid-year, slotting in under the current cheapest variants, the $47.500 103kW/320Nm 2.0 TDI quattro diesel and the $49.450 125kW/280Nm 2.0 TFSI quattro petrol.Against their level, the new car offers only front-wheel drive -- with overseas transmission choices of six- and seven-speed dual clutch box -- and just 110kW (from 5000rpm) and 250Nm (from 1750-3000rpm).But it will be the most efficient petrol in the line-up with an official fuel economy figure of 6.2L/100km on a combined driving cycle, compared to the 7.7L/100km of the 2.0-litre TFSI and not far behind the 5.8L/100km of the diesel -- and for some buyers, the cheaper price of petrol may be enough of a trade-off to move them away from the oilburner.Audi is touting a 0-100km/h time of 8.9 seconds, which would make it a full second faster than the diesel and just 0.7 behind the TFSI in acceleration, so if true, it'll lose little to them.Prices and arrival of the new Q3 have not yet been confirmed by Audi Australia, but if you have around $45,000 in the bank by mid-year, you'll be looking prepared.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Just 499 examples of the Fiat 500 based Edizione Maserati are being produced for global markets, with Fiat Australia securing just 40 units for local customers. The Abarth 695 Edizione Maserati features exclusive style details and special technical features developed especially for the Abarth/Maserati collaboration, based on a host of shared values, including attention to detail, elegance and a passion for performance and sport. It follows the hugely successful Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari collaboration project of four years ago and confirms the authoritative presence of Abarth in the luxury sports segment, this time flanked by a brand with a long history of sporting achievements and great road cars. Heading the list of customised specifications for the Abarth 695 Edizione Maserati is the uprated 1.4-litre turbocharged engine, which produces 132kW of power and 250Nm peak torque. It is teamed with an electrically-operated manual Abarth Competizione gearbox with steering wheel-mounted paddle shift controls, which enhances the performance of the engine via quicker gearshifts, while ensuring an experience of superior comfort at the wheel. A variable back-pressure 'dual mode' exhaust also improves engine performance, delivering an inspiring exhaust note above 3000 revs and featuring tailpipes modified to assume the hexagonal shape that is a hallmark of Maserati models. Other mechanical highlights include 17-inch Maserati-inspired Neptune alloy wheels with performance 205/40 R17 tyres, Brembo disc brakes front and rear, and special Koni shock absorbers. The Abarth 695 Edizione Maserati is priced from $60,000.  

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.

Europe is back in business, celebrating the end of the global financial crisis that rocked the car world and drove the biggest of them all - General Motors - into bankruptcy.There were green shoots of happiness at the Frankfurt Motor Show in late 2009, but this week's Geneva Motor Show shows the same sort of excitement and promise of an early spring morning in Europe.Every carmaker has something new in Geneva, from full-blown production models to quirky concepts. The Swiss show is often dismissed as a sideshow but this time, with 25 new models as diverse as the Nissan Micra and Porsche Cayenne, there is serious action on every front.Carmakers are predictably focussed on green solutions to meet the challenges of fuel economy and CO2 emissions - with Fiat even showing a tiny two-cylinder engine for its funkoid 500 - but there is also room for fun.  How else do you describe a Honda city concept that looks like a 20th-century take on the unicycles used by Circe du Soleil acrobats?But even the green machines have turned mean as Ferrari shows its 599 Vettura Labratorio hybrid, although BYD from China balanced things with its fully-electric E6 hatch.Porsche also has its 918 supercar concept and both it and the Ferrari tap Formula One technology with KERS hybrid packs - that's Kinetic Energy Recovery System - to store energy for a quick, explosive boost of extra power.Porsche plans to put the 918 into production but, as yet, Ferrari is only using the super-special 599 - painted symbolically in green instead of the Italian brand's signature red - as a rolling labratory.  "We want to understand how to use this technology. We are not yet at the point to see it in a road going Ferrari," says Amedeo Felisa, Ferrari's CEO.The upbeat mood at Geneva is captured by the top man at Bentley, Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen, who says the reaction to his company's Mulsanne and Supersports models has filled him with confidence after a shocking 2009.  "There is a feeling that it is behind us," Paefgen says as super-wealthy Bentley buyers emerge from their GFC-proof bunkers.Walking the stands at Geneva I see green machines that are more than just concepts and plenty of choices for small-car buyers, from budget hatches to baby prestige cars like the Audi A1.  The little Audi gets a rousing reception, Volvo wins praise for the safety and styling of the new S60 sedan and the Alfa Giulietta - replacement for the 147 - raises more questions about the often-promised renaissance for the brand.Lexus shows a compact new CT200h hybrid that brings petrol-electric power to a new group of buyers, Mini has the Countryman with extra ground clearance and the basics for a World Rally Championship challenge in 2011, and the Mitsubishi ASX crossover - test driven this week by Peter Lyon near Tokyo - heads the Japanese contingent.For Alfa fans, the Giulietta is pitched at the Volkswagen Golf with a range of 1.4, 1.6 and 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engines.  BMW’s new 5 Series and a 4-litre six-cylinder X5 diesel creates a predictable buzz among SUV fans.Kia’s head of design, Peter Schreyer, lifts the wraps off the stylish new Sportage, which is due in Australia later this year, with the promise of both turbodiesel and petrol engines, as well as front and all-wheel drive.  The Sportage could be major hit for the Korean brand, matching the impact of the Hyundai ix35, when it goes on sale with an opener in the sub-$30,000 bracket.Ford leverages the first European appearance of its new Focus hatch in Geneva by unveiling the Focus wagon, which at this stage is a Europe-only car. Europeans are big wagon buyers and the wagon is expected to account for one-third of all Focus sales there.But the Focus wagon is only the halfway point - the fifth of 10 proposed models - using the same basic building blocks and the future includes a Focus electric car. Currently, the wagon, hatch, sedan and C-Max and Grand C-Max all share the same underpinnings.“We are now using our global resources to develop cars for all countries, including Australia,” says Ford's technical chief, Derrick Kuzak.  He also reveals the current Europe-only Kuga compact SUV and North American Escape will be replaced by a single global car, which could head to Australia, and hints that a hot performance Focus with a more-powerful version of Ford’s 2.0-litre Ecoboost turbo engine will also be available in Australia.Lexus uses Geneva to showcase its critically important CT 200h hybrid, which it hopes to become a volume player.  But the CT 200h is not the only car to push the green theme at the affordable end.Hyundai has the stylish turbocharged 1.7-litre i-flow concept sedan, which uses a lithium-ion battery pack with six-speed dual-clutch transmission, and it is joined by the ix35 FCEV hydrogen fuel-cell car and Opel’s Flextreme GT-E.Apart from Ferrari, Porsche shows off its GT3 R Hybrid - also with KERS - and 918 Spyder, both exploring the outer limits of hybrid drivetrains for race and road cars.  The Cayenne, along with the VW Touareg, share their hybrid debuts as Audi uses the first appearance of its baby A1 to reveal a full-electric E-tron concept that joins earlier R8-based plug-in supercars.Apart from the conventional petrol and diesel A1, Audi also adds the RS5 coupe to its A5 lineup and a hybrid A8 sedan. The RS5 gets a powerful 335kW/430Nm 4.2-litre V8, quattro all-wheel drive and seven-speed S-tronic dual clutch gearbox.Like the BMW-built Mini, Audi has several distinctly styled A1s on its stand. It says owners will have access to so much customisation that no two A1s will be exactly the same.Audi has the Mini firmly in its sights with an expected starting price around $33,000 for the A1, with a three-door car to kick of sales with a five-door and cabrio expected. The range-topper is expected to be an S version with a performance-tuned turbo four cylinder engine.Citroen springs one of the few real surprises of the show with its hot-pink Survolt sportscar while Giugiaro teams up with Proton to deliver a stylish hybrid city car.  The Survolt is a pure design fantasy with no likely production expected. The showcar did not even have an engine and Citroen says it has been designed to go electric.Apart from the sleek Citroen, two Italian styling houses - Pininfarina and Bertone - have show cars based on Alfa Romeo mechanical parts. Bertone returns to Geneva for the first time in two years with the Pandion 2+2 concept coupe and Pininfarina shows the two-seater 2uettottanta.Apart from the twin concepts, Citroen has the DS3 Racing as well as its DS High Rider three door, a pointer to the next-generation C4, which is due to be launched next year as a five-door.  The company will only build 1000 versions of the DS3 racing and the head of local importer Ateco Automotive, Neville Crichton, says he would like to bring a few to Australia but will initially focus on launching the DS range.“It certainly is a good looking thing,” Crichton says.  Mercedes-Benz continues to create a buzz at Geneva with its SLS Gullwing supercar but the F800 Style, a pointer to the next-generation CLS minus its cantilever rear doors, dominates the Mercedes stand and shares the limelight with the E-Class cabriolet.Fitting in the quirky category in Geneva is Aston Martin’s Cygnet hatch, a remake of Toyota’s iQ city car. The $50,000 makeover model will only be sold to existing Aston Martin customers.  Aston Martin boldly has the Cygnet right next to its four-door flagship sports car, the Rapide.

Well, the Geneva International Motor Show is upon us and here at carsguide.com.au, we've been busy putting together a comprehensive section to keep you well abreast of all the interesting new cars