Fiat Car Blog

Looking good with the scorpion badges and racing stripes Italian car manufacturer Fiat is fielding the Fiat 500 Abarth as its first car to roll off the shore of the United States. The tiny car has a very popular following in Europe and Americans fond of the ride will get a chance to drive their very own Fiat.

The partnership of Chrysler with Fiat almost guarantees an influx of European car hitting the U.S. streets in the next few years. There will be sports cars from the garage of Alfa Romeo as well.

The Fiat 500 was specifically designed to provide consumers with an easy to drive, economical, fun, small car. The Abarth variant refers to the beefed up 1.4L 4-cylinder engine that can output about 135hp. The fuel mileage of the vehicle is pegged at 36.2 mpg based on European standards.

The first 500’s were produced as early as 1957. The carmaker made the original design as the inspiration for the new release giving it the retro look. Abarth is the tuning division of Fiat which takes care of enhancing the looks and performance of the cars.

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This has to be one of the most bizarre Fiat 500’s I’ve seen to date. Inspired by the popular doll, this Fiat 500 Barbie Car is extremely high-end with a matching high-end price tag of well over $125,000. Yes, you read it right, well over one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars.

That’s a heap of cash for a micro car.

Fiat is now looking at the direction of French car manufacturer PSA Peugeot Citroen as the negotiation with Germany’s Opel is getting dimmer.

The initial move of the Italian group to get a hold of Chrysler and Opel is seen by analyst as a step to have a global presence. Experts though see the inking of the Chrysler deal as the weakest link in the chain of strategic maneuvers done recently by Fiat.

Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat, forecasts about six automakers to be out of business as the haze of the global credit crunch clears in the future. He foresees only a few European brands surviving the financial crisis. Fiat is aiming to buy out as many car industry players as possible.

The Fiat-Opel deal is among its great desire but sees the tie up with the PSA as a move with a better potential. The “better potential” translates to a combined sale of about 7 million units.

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One of the most famous of all Italian carmakers is Fiat. Those of you who love cars must have heard about the new Fiat Bravo. Though this car from the stables of Fiat has been re-launched recently, it is not entirely a new car and has been around since 1995. In fact the Fiat Bravo had been doing the rounds from 1995 to 2001. Recently in 2007, this name was revived again as the replacement for the Stilo. The Stilo will henceforth be known as Bravo and shall not have three doors any more. Some of you might recall the Brava and it is interesting to know that both the Brava and the Bravo were both versions of the same car.

The major difference is that whilst the Brava had a long 5-door hatchback, the Bravo has just a 3-door hatchback. You might be interested to know that the Fiat 131 was also known as the Brava in USA. Those who prefer cars with low pollution will love the new Fiat Bravo because of its low emission. Nowadays, every one is looking around for eco-friendly cars and for them the new Fiat Bravo might well be the best choice

Fiat officially announced the sticker price of the convertible release of the Fiat 500C. The city car will be tagged starting at £11300 when it hits dealership this coming summer in the United Kingdom.

The Fiat 500 C aims to please the sector which loves value rides and appreciative of soft-top vehicles.

Fiat will also be releasing a Lounge version which has a more powerful engine. This unit will cost £14100. Aside from the bigger engine, the Lounge will also have rear parking aid sensors, fog lights, automatic climate system, and alloy rims.

The Lounge version will also make use of Fiat’s Blue&Me which is a hands free entertainment system. It will also have the eco Drive, an advanced technology that analyzes the driving style of the occupant and gives fuel efficiency tips to help decrease harmful emissions.

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People have been boasting about the capabilities of the Fiat Panda and they are not overestimating. The legendary Fiat Company of Italy manufactures this car. One of the latest entrants from the stables of Fiat, this car is small in size but performs far more than a big car. Drive it in the city or in the villages and it will deliver whatever it promises. The weather does not pose any problems to this legendary small car and it runs with ease in ice and snow too.

Due to its small size the Fiat Panda has a small engine, which means that it is underpowered and hence driving the same on the highway is not recommended. To address these issues newer versions of this car are now being fitted with engines of 100 horsepower. This is a step in the right direction. If you are an extremely tall person, then this is not the right car for you, but what the heck.

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Fiat and Chrysler is set to roll out seven new vehicles from their assembly line to the North American market. Four of these will be under the Chrysler range and the other three will be coming from either Fiat or the Alfa Romeo line.

The new vehicles will be assembled in the North America factories of Chrysler and they will be pushed to the public through the dealerships of Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep.

The new vehicles form part of the product sharing deal between the two car manufacturers. The Fiat platform will be used for a microcar up to a mid-sized vehicle.

The companies have not disclosed any information about the schedule or volume of production of these cars. They are set to reveal the plans by the end of April.

Fiat is taking a 35% share of stakes in Chrysler and might eventually end up getting a bigger chunk of the deal.

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Alain Raymond, an auto journalist for a newspaper in Quebec, shares his love story with the 1964 Fiat Abarth 1000 TC. The love story began when he was still in a university in Lebanon. He dreamed of getting his hands on one but had to be contented with its cousin, the Fiat 600.

Year’s later the promise was fulfilled when Raymond was able to purchase his Italian love Fiat Abarth 1000 TC formerly driven by race driver Umberto Tuscano.

Raymond cannot get any Italian than the car that he was able to get hold off.

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While American continue to wait for the Fiat 500 to be available in the United States, Europeans will get another taste at an Abarth-tuned 500. The latest Fiat model is called the DA 0 A 100, created in celebration of Abarth founder Karl Abarth’s 100 birthday.

The new Fiat 500 DA 0 A 100 is built with a turbocharged 1.4L engine, which produces 160 horsepower (25% more compared with the regular 500 Abarth) and 170 lb-ft of torque, giving the DA 0 A 100 0-60 in 7.3 seconds. Maximum speed is raised from 127 mph to 131 mph.

Compared to the standard Fiat 500, the new DA 0 A 100 boasts of remarkable improvements in its overall performance. It is equipped with high performance front brake pads, perforated disc brakes, unique low springs, BMC special air filters, and 17” alloy wheels with Pirelli Pzero Nero 205/40 R16 ZR 17 tires. Some features of the DA 0 A 100 model is a representation of Karl Abarth’s passion for motorcycle racing.

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Fiat Brazil has developed a concept “car” that hasn’t stolen its name really… The Fiat Bugster Concept looks like — a buggy. The innovation of this green car is under the bonnet though!

We don’t mind quoting autobloggreen:

“The powertrain is all-electric and the body is made of natural fibers, renewable materials that minimize the car’s environmental impact.”

Some pics: