Fiat News

Fiat has teased the first footage of the Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio, due to be unveiled at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show at the end of November.

   

Factory closures are becoming increasingly probable after European car registrations fell to their lowest level in 22 years last month. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) notes the sales slowdown is accelerating and now predicts a slump of up to 10 per cent for the year.In all, just 688,168 new vehicles were registered in August, the lowest total for the month since the EU data was first compiled in 1990. With some factories already running at 50 per cent of capacity, there is talk of Fiat, Ford and Opel closing the doors on some of their most unprofitable production lines.“Something needs to give,” Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said last week, adding that Fiat will outline a blueprint for the “European challenge” when it releases third quarter results later this year. Ford was the biggest loser in August with sales down by almost a third on the previous year, a fact it attributes to a decision not to match rivals discounts during what is traditionally the slowest car sales month on the EU calendar. “There was a lot of short-cycle business and heavy incentives that we decided largely to refrain from, Ford of Europe's marketing chief Roelant de Waard says. The Volkswagen Group's massive product portfolio made it one of the few carmakers to increase sales, led by Audi increasing its share of the luxury car segment. In contrast, Opel/Vauxhall saw a 19 per cent fall in registrations, Fiat was down 18 per cent and both Renault and Peugeot/Citroen were hit with 13 per cent drops. Registrations by country largely reflect those hurting worst from the sovereign debt crisis. Greece and Portugal lead the way with falls of 40 per cent year-to-date, Italy is down by almost 20 per cent and Spanish registrations fell by 8.5 per cent. Ominously for France, registrations this year are down 13.4 per cent, while Germany, which accounts for one in three of all cars sold in Europe, has seen its market contract by 0.6 per cent. The French Government has fiercely resisted factory closures on its turf and criticised Peugeot last month when it announced it would shed up to 10,000 jobs and close a factory in the north of the country. That's not an option for Renault, with the government holding a controlling stake in the French carmaker. 

With the Panda 4x4, Fiat has stolen the running on other manufacturers producing the only A segment four-wheel drive model currently available. The wraps come off at Paris Motor Show this month (September). Panda has been around for almost 30 years and this third-generation, four-wheel drive variant unites off-road capabilities with a refined design and compact, efficient architecture. Fiat says Panda 4x4 is “the superlative expression of the model's great versatility, a “Super Panda”,  ready to tackle mountain mule tracks and the urban jungle.” Sounds serious. The car's functional design is characterised by geometric lines on the front and rear bumpers with aluminium colour cosmetic inserts to underline the presence of metallic protection under the body. Panda 4x4 is equipped with a “Torque on demand” transmission system with two differentials and electronically controlled coupling. This is a permanent four-wheel drive system managed by an electronic control unit which, by analysing vehicle signals, distributes traction on the front and rear axle. The Panda 4x4 features the ESC (Electronic Stability Control) system with ELD (Electronic Locking Differential) function as standard. This system provides additional assistance while driving and setting off uphill on slippery terrain (snow, ice, mud etc.) Two engines are available both with Start&Stop. They are a 900cc TwinAir Turbo two cylinder and a 1.3 MultiJet II diesel four cylinder.  

The compact Doblo is one of the models being considered by the Fiat Chrysler Group after recently taking over the Australian distribution from Ateco Australia.  Fiat Professional says the new XL model expands the appeal of the Doblo. It provides a cargo area of 5 cubic metres and a payload of 1000kg. The XL has a long wheelbase and a new taller roof, which Fiat says gives it best in class dimensions.  

   

The carmaker is following the theme of Mini by expanding its baby 500 model range and Fiat Australia says it "can't wait''. Fiat sells three 500-based models here, including the hot-hatch Abarth, but gets the four-door 500L in August next year followed by the SUV version, dubbed the 500 Fouristrada, in 2014.  The 500 SUV is the equivalent of the Mini Countryman, a high-riding all-wheel drive wagon that's based on a core three-door hatchback design. "We will look at everything that is coming up with a view to establishing its suitability for the Australian market,'' says Fiat Australia spokesperson Lenore Fletcher. The 500 Gucci, a fashion-inspired special edition shown earlier this year at the Beijing motor show, is also on the cards. "Gucci represents a great partnership in style and it's on the cards. We're very interested in taking that for Australia and we see that theme extending to other partnerships with Italian companies.'' Ms Fletcher says Fiat-Chrysler Australia only has held the Fiat distributorship for three months and says business cases were still being built. But cars like a 500 SUV are "of extreme interest''. "The 500 is distinctive and very suited to city life,'' she says. "The bigger 500L is also definitely for Australia - it has great potential here.'' The 500 Fouristrada (Italian for all-road) was shown as a scale model by Fiat recently in Turin ahead of its planned production schedule. It has aggressive wheelarch cladding, a high ground clearance and stronger bumpers than the regular 500 hatch but retains the family nose. The stretched model - now 4.2m long - will be available as a front-wheel drive or an on-demand all-wheel drive and powered by a choice of a 1-litre TwinAir or 1.4-litre petrol and some diesels. The two-cylinder TwinAir engine has already been engineered for all-wheel drive duty in Fiat's upcoming Panda 4x4. A production-ready 500 Fouristrada concept is expected at next month's Paris motor show. Ms Fletcher says she hasn't heard about reports that Jeep may share the all-wheel drive 500 Fouristrada's platform to create an SUV beneath the size of the Compass. Plans for a small Jeep - to be called the Jeepster or Scamp - were confirmed last year by Fiat-Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne who said a small, Fiat-based SUV was among three new SUVs planned to debut around 2013. The Fiat 500 family may also grow with the further additions of the XL seven-seater and a coupe version, the 500 Zagato, which is based on a concept car shown at the 2011 Geneva moor show.