Sunday, November 29, 2009

Fiat 500

NEVER let it be said that little cars are born to be boring.

Fiat has proved without doubt that small is very definitely beautiful with its iconic 500 that hit the streets in 2008 exactly 500 hours after the start of the New Year.

The 500 is a nostalgic take of Dante Giacosa's iconic Fiat 500 of July 1957 and it was a very feeling strange getting behind the wheel of the new car because I can compare it to the original which I drove in the mid-1960s.

It is certainly not easy mixing the old with the new, but there are rules for success. Firstly any such interpretation must have modern handling, technology, safety, performance and ease of ownership.

It must also reflect the character of the original and just make you smile.

And that has been achieved without doubt with the 500. As soon as you see it you know that it is special.

Open the door and take in the 1950s styling cues and you know that you have a car that you will never treat as plain ordinary. This model, a basic 1.2 Pop featured a white steering wheel and trim with a painted red body colour dash. It really felt the part.

But where it does not feel like the original is in the technical department because it a benchmark in terms of safety and technology in its now highly competitive market segment.

Fiat says it represents a company blueprint for a future which embraces a modern approach, new brand strategies, radical innovations in customer relations and a lasting process of expansion.

An ambitious statement but the 500 certainly proves that Fiat means business. Its products have suddenly become much better built in addition to being far more attractive.

Fiat may get mileage from Chrysler after all

Fiat 500
While some analysts think Chrysler is unsalvageable, others are now taking the view that Chrysler is a turnaround story in the

Maybe, just maybe, Fiat Group SpA's link with Chrysler Group LLC will translate into dazzling stock market success.

While some investment analysts think Chrysler is unsalvageable, and therefore of no use to Fiat, others are now taking the view that Chrysler is a turnaround story in the making, one that could lift the Italian auto makers' fortunes.

In a Nov. 20 note, UBS said Fiat's partnership with Chrysler in the near term is worth €1 ($1.49 U.S.) a share to Fiat, equivalent to 10 per cent of the Italian auto maker's latest share price.

"We continue to see value in Fiat as an agent of transformational change and not owning Fiat is akin to a risky bet against structural change in European autos," UBS analyst Philippe Houchois and his colleagues wrote.

The most bullish endorser of the Fiat-Chrysler partnership is Adam Jonas, Morgan Stanley's European auto analyst. In a report published last month, he rated the shares a "buy" because the "current share price massively under-appreciates the substantial call-optionality that Fiat shareholders have with the tie-up with Chrysler."

Fiat, led by Italian-Canadian CEO Sergio Marchionne, owns 20 per cent of Chrysler, for which it paid nothing, and can boost it to 35 per cent under certain conditions, such as producing a car in the United States that achieves 40 miles a gallon. Mr. Marchionne and his team took management control of Chrysler in the summer.

Fiat shares, listed in Milan, have been among the industry's best performers, with one-year return of almost 108 per cent and a 6-month return of 28 per cent. The equivalent figures for France's PSA Peugeot Citroen are 94 per cent and 23 per cent. UBS downgraded Fiat to "neutral" from "buy" on Friday, not long after Fiat shares topped €11, more than three times their 52-week low. They closed the week at €10.

Mr. Marchionne's turnaround plan for Chrysler assumes the U.S. auto market will rebound to 14.5 million sales in 2014 - a figure analysts consider credible - from 10.5 million this year and that Chrysler's market share will rise to about 14 per cent from less than 10 per cent this year. Chrysler will rely on Fiat's small-car platforms to overhaul Chrysler's clapped-out fleet of passenger cars and small SUVs. The first Fiat-inspired cars are to reach Chrysler showrooms in 2011.

Mr. Jonas, of Morgan Stanley, thinks the synergies of combining the Fiat and Chrysler platforms and other business operations, such as purchasing, could average €1.7-billion a year starting in 2011.

In October, he valued Fiat's stake in Chrysler, plus the synergies, at €8.5 a Fiat share, raising his target price for all of Fiat to €16.80 a share.

Fiat Engine to Be Made by Chrysler to Increase Stake

Fiat
Chrysler Group LLC, in a step that will help Fiat SpA increase its controlling stake, plans to invest $179 million in the next five years at a Michigan factory to build the Italian company’s 4-cylinder, 1.4-liter engines.

The production of as many as 250,000 engines annually will add 155 employees, according to documents Auburn Hills, Michigan-based Chrysler filed with the state for job-creation tax credits.

The fuel-efficient engine would be used in the Fiat 500 subcompact next year and satisfy a requirement for the Turin, Italy-based automaker to expand its 20 percent stake in Chrysler. The confirmation is the first of Fiat technology being added to a Chrysler facility.

“That’s good news,” said Serge Escude, an analyst with Cassa Lombarda in Milan who has a “hold” rating on Fiat shares. “It’s rather quick.”

Fiat can acquire an additional 5 percent stake each time it reaches one of three targets, including building a fuel- efficient engine in the U.S. Fiat may get as much as 30 percent ownership by the end of March 2011 and the remaining portion at the end of 2011, said Adam Jonas, a Morgan Stanley analyst based in London.

Chrysler is under Fiat control after emerging from a U.S.- backed bankruptcy this year following a government bailout. The U.S. Treasury owns 9.85 percent of Chrysler, Canada has 2.46 percent and 67.69 percent belongs to the United Auto Workers union retiree medical fund, according to bankruptcy documents.

Expansion Targets

The other goals the U.S. government set for allowing Fiat to increase ownership are producing a car in the U.S. that gets at least 40 miles per gallon and reaching sales targets for Chrysler vehicles outside North America.

The plant, in Dundee, Michigan, builds 4-cylinder engines ranging from 1.8 to 2.4 liters. In August, Chrysler bought the stakes in the engine-plant business that it had shared with Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and Hyundai Motor Co. The operation is called the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

2010 Fiat 500C

2010 Fiat 500C
2010 Fiat 500C PICTURES

2010 Fiat 500C
2010 Fiat 500C PICS

2010 Fiat 500C
2010 Fiat 500C PHOTOS

2010 Fiat 500C
2010 Fiat 500C IMAGES

2010 Fiat 500C
2010 Fiat 500C WALLPAPERS

2010 Fiat Bravo crossover


The new Bravo is an important model in Fiat’s revamped lineup and is key to the Italian carmaker expanding into more diverse markets. The one model will not only be spawning wagon and crossover variants, but possibly a new cabrio and MPV as well. This latest rendering reveals what the crossover version will likely be styled like when it finally hits the roads in late 2009.
The crossover is being co-developed with sister brand Alfa Romeo, which is developing its own premium version to tackle the upcoming Volkswagen Tiguan and Audi Q5. Unlike its rivals, the Bravo crossover is expected to be available in both FWD and AWD configurations and could even be big enough to seat seven.
Key features of the crossover will be its raised ride height, protective underbody panels and plastic side cladding and a new front bumper with integrated fog lights. Basic styling will be very similar to the Bravo hatch on which it’s based, but a longer wheelbase and wider track will undoubtedly give it more presence.
Production of the new model will be handled by Fiat’s Miafiori plant, which is currently under utilized producing the Multipla MPV. Even with the Bravo crossover, there will be still room for further models at Miafiori, so expect to see the aforementioned convertible and MPV versions of the Bravo be given the green light.

Fiat Punto Creative with extra equipment out in Brazil

Fiat_Punto_Creative

The Creative version gets a bouquet of equipment to keep it fresh

A new variant of the Fiat Punto is launched in Brazil, in fact two new variants — the Punto Creative I and the Punto Creative II.

According to the Brazilian blogger, a new Punto with 1.6 ltr 16 valve flex engine is being tested in Brazil but the Creative I and II are the variants of the existing 1.4 ltr SAFIRE version.

MP3 CD radio, electric rear panel, knife type key, alloy wheels, rear spoiler and creative stickers are the goodies added to the Creative I.

Fiat Should Add Italian-Made Electric Cars to Plan, Union Says

Fiat_Punto_Creative

Italy’s biggest carmaker, should add electric models and hybrids in exchange for continued government incentives, the company’s largest trade union said.

While Fiat is already introducing Multi Air gasoline engines that cut consumption and emissions by at least 10 percent, it could go further, Giorgio Airaudo, a leader of the Fiom CGIL metalworkers’ union, said yesterday in an interview.

“It makes no sense for us to confirm production of old products,” Airaudo said by phone from Turin, where Fiat is based. “The government needs to link incentives to innovation.”

Unions are concerned Fiat may shift production of new models to North America following its alliance with Chrysler Group LLC. Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne has urged Italy to retain payments for scrapping older cars and buying more efficient ones to buoy sales amid the economic slump.

Airaudo, whose union is the country’s biggest, with 370,000 members, said that while Industry Minister Claudio Scajola is right to say Fiat’s plant in Termini Imerese, Sicily, should stay open, the site could be put to better use.

The carmaker said in June it plans to continue production of the Lancia Ypsilon at the factory through 2011 and then use it for “other, non-automotive, production.” The plant is Fiat’s smallest in Italy and employs 1,400 people.

“Over time a lot of investment has been made in that factory and I’m told the quality of production is good,” Scajola said yesterday in Dubai.

Workers from Termini Imerese occupied the town’s city hall on Nov. 18. Scajola visted them the next day and said he’ll take up their concerns when he meets with Marchionne on Dec. 1. to review Fiat’s production plan.

Five Plants

Fiat, Italy’s largest manufacturer and biggest private employer, runs five auto plants in the country, with the workforce totaling 31,000. Marchionne plans to cut production in line with shrinking demand. Fiat says it loses 1,000 euros ($1,493) on every vehicle produced at Termini Imerese.

The company should bring electric-car technology to Italy through its link with Chrysler, Airaudo said.

“There’s no reason to limit the development of electric cars to the U.S.,” he said. “We should be developing new technology that we can sell in Europe.

Fiat already uses electric technology for its delivery vans, a segment where it sees the most demand. Lou Rhodes, who heads Chrysler’s electric vehicle development, has been charged with overseeing the same segment at Fiat, a Fiat spokesman said.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Fiat 500 is top ten selling car in the UK

Picture 2


The Fiat 500 should be highly successful car when it launches in the USA. Sales numbers in the UK for the car have been quite favorable as the car was a top ten selling car in the month of October.

This was in accordance with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders who reported that the Fiat 500 sold 2,989 units last month. This was an improvement of 993 in sales for the Fiat 500 compared to last year.

“This is an incredible result for the Fiat 500 which we are, of course, delighted with,” says Andrew Humberstone, managing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK Ltd. “Interest in this car has been sky high ever since we launched it here less than two years ago.

“The popularity of this superb vehicle speaks for itself and, with the launch this summer of the fantastic 500C, and the option of Start&Stop bringing further environmental benefits to the range, we’re sure we will see the Fiat 500 making even greater inroads into the UK small car market.”

In relation to the USA, Chrysler plans to introduce the 500 as their first car amongst many others which will grace US roads. Chrysler made this announcement recently and the car should hit sometime late 2010.

The Fiat 500 will be a great competitor to the MINI Cooper and some could argue that it is more stylish than the BMW made MINI.

Fiat cars amongst the greenest in Australia

Fiat Ritmo


Italian motoring giants Fiat has become the first car maker to have its entire range represented in the top five greenest cars available in Australia.

The popular Fiat 500 offers Australia's best fuel economy in one version and the second highest green rating in another version, followed by the Fiat Punto in third spot and the Fiat Ritmo rounding out the top five 'Top Performers' in the Australian Government's Green Vehicle Guide with its newly launched Fiat Ritmo Dynamic 1.4.

Fiat Ritmo


Fiat's performance in the Australian Green Vehicle Guide mirrors the marque's performance in Europe - it has been the number one performer in having the lowest range average for carbon dioxide emissions across its range based on total sales for the second year running.

Andrei Zaitzev, General Manager for Fiat in Australia said: "Fiat's belief is that to make a real impact on Carbon Dioxide emissions, every model in the range has to be pulling its weight and making a real contribution,"

"It is simply not good enough to have one model in the range that has good emissions and fuel economy covering for other poorly performing models. This is why at Fiat we have choice of the benchmark JTD-Multijet diesels and the remarkable, compact Fire and T-Jet petrol engines in all our cars, so which ever Fiat a customer chooses, whether its petrol or diesel, they will be driving a car that makes the best possible contribution to cutting carbon dioxide emissions."

It is safe to say that Fiat has set the new benchmark for green vehicles in Europe and Australia.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Fiat "500C By Diesel"

Fiat 500C By Diesel Car Pictures

The Cinema Against AIDS Gala in favour of AmFAR (the American Foundation for AIDS Research), the association in charge of fund-raising for the fight against AIDS, is to be held on 21st May 2009, during the 62nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival. The charity auction, now in its seventeenth edition, will be taking place at Hotel du Cap in Antibes this year.


Bill Clinton will be the most eagerly awaited guest of this edition and will be hosting the auction alongside the event’s godmother Sharon Stone and film producer Harvey Weinstein.

A large number of significant items will be up for grabs during the most eagerly awaited Gala of the film festival: these include an exclusive Fiat “500C by DIESEL”, resulting from the joint effort of Fiat and the lifestyle brand by Renzo Rosso. This cabrio model, a one-off car that is not available for purchase, combines two apparently distant worlds: fashion and motoring. As a matter of fact, they share some important concepts, such as talent, creativity, appeal and innovation, the winning ingredients of Italian style, which is famous all over the world.

[Source: Fiat]

FIAT ABARTH 500

FIAT ABARTH 500 Car Pictures

Following the huge success of Abarth’s re-launch last year, the Fiat Group’s performance division has now created the ultimate sporting expression of the 500. As befits a car with its roots firmly ensconced in motorsport, all versions of the new small Abarth feature a zesty 1.4-litre turbocharged engine, which has been designed to be responsive throughout its entire rev range as well as being economical and gentle on the environment.

The heart of the Abarth 500 is its 1.4-litre 16-valve turbo engine. This engine develops a peppy 135bhp at 5500rpm, with peak torque of 206Nm (152lb ft) in Sport mode at 3000rpm. In Normal mode the engine’s 180Nm (132lb ft) at 2500rpm still gives it a pleasing urgency. The results are a top speed of 128mph while the 0-62mph dash is covered in 7.9 seconds.

[Source: Fiat]

Fiat Panda Cross

Fiat Panda Cross Car Picture

This Panda might be cross – but its owners shouldn’t be! Fiat has given its popular supermini a rugged makeover to create the Panda Cross. The tough-looking urban runabout – based on the existing all-wheel-drive car – has an all-new bodykit with revised headlights and contrasting side panels.

[Source: Fiat]