Fiat Car Blog

The Fiat company is set to launch its compact sedan called the Viaggio during the Beijing Auto Show this year. Originally, the car is slated to be in the market by the end of the year but they have decided to push for an earlier release by making t available to China’s consumers by July.

To produce this car in China, Fiat will be working with the Guangzhou Automobile Group, and it is exceedingly important for this team up to work. This is because the company is planning to go beyond its European clientele. Sales in Europe are forecasted to decline again this year, and it has been declining for the past five years. Fiat can’t afford to be insular.

On the other hand, car sales in China have been increasing and sales are projected to grow more by at least 8% this year. Should Fiat launch the Viaggo successfully in China, they might yet be able to get a sound foothold on the world’s largest growing economy. It must be noted that Fiat hasn’t been visible in China since its 2007 collaboration with Nanjing Automotive. This proved to be a failure.

The Viaggio is not a new model. Rather, it is a rebadged version of the Dodge Dart. The cars are set to be produced in the Changsa Economic Zone in Hunan where the Ghuanzhou Company opened a new factory. The partner companies are targeting making 140,000 cars a year, and eventually let this grow to 250,000 cars in a year. The engines in these cars will be manufactured in China, but will hold Fiat’s 1.4 liter gasoline design.

If the sedan is a success, Fiat also plans to release a hatchback version of the Viaggo in the country. This car will then be exported to Europe and is slated to replace the Bravo. The Bravo wasn’t very successful because consumers found it too slow.

A small car like the 2012 500 Abarth by Fiat which gives out 160 horsepower does not necessarily mean a cheap tag price even if you have the European equivalent of Chevrolet as its carmaker. The lowest sticker on this car shows $22,000 exclusive of charges for handling and destination.

The new 500 Abarth is about $6,500 more expensive than the 101 hp Fiat 500 but it also raises brows cause it nears the tag price of the 2012 Genesis Coupe of Hyundai which gives out 210 hp and has a tag price of only $22,250. It also can be comparable to the 305 horsepower Mustang V6 by Ford fo $22,310.

The Fiat representatives of course will say everything to pacify the negativity surrounding the tag price, and they do this by pointing to the Italian heritage of the 500 Abarth. It should be clear though that while Fiat hails from Italy like the Ferrari, they are pears and apples that you can easily distinguish.

The 500 Abarth though has enough attitude to help pump some adrenaline into your system without causing a six-figure deduction from your bank account for an Italian ride.

Fiat though maybe looking into snatching some buyers of small GTIs as the price of the Mini Cooper S that produces 181 hp is pegged at $23,800.

The most potent Abarth 500 that will roll out in the will have a 1.4L turbocharged powerplant that gives out 160 hp while revving at 5,500 rpm. Peak torque is 170 lb-ft achieved from 2,500 thru 4,000 rpm. The power of the engine is transferred to the wheels via a manual gearbox with 5 speeds equipped with TTC or Torque Transfer Control system.

The 2012 edition of the Fiat 500 passed thru several hurdles this week and wins the nod of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety after besting all cars in the minicar category crash test.

The safety award goes to the Fiat 500s that rolled out of the car plants after July this year as the structure of the driver seat was modified to enhance occupant protection during rear-end and frontal collisions.

The announcement is also an added assurance to consumers who might be thinking if their money is worth it and if the car goes beyond the fuel savings it promises. The 4-cylinder, 1.4L engine of the Fiat 500 linked with its 6-speed automatic gearbox has a fuel mileage of 27 miles per gallon while cruising around the city traffic while it gets a 34 mpg if you are on the highway. The current price for unleaded gasoline is currently averaging at around $3.47 as of this week.

The IIHS has only given their thumbs up for stop afety for the Ford Fiesta and Fiat 500 in the minicar category.

The new Fiat 500 will also be one among other cars which will be subjected to a crash test by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA. The agency has been following a safety rating program using a 5-star system to gauge a vehicles safety.

The safety accomplishment of the Fiat 500 came with a good headliner on leading newspapers in the United States saying that J. Lo’s booty is safe with the Fiat 500 following the lines of their high profile marketing push tapping the services of singer-actress Jennifer Lopez.

An impressive marketing campaign goes hand-in-hand with the launch of a new car model. However, if we’re about the launch of a new model from a car maker that has been missing in action from the spotlight for more than one decade, everyone’s eyes is sure to be glued to the brains and efforts of the marketing team that will lead the brand’s reentry and the model’s launch.

Italian carmaker Fiat has just recently made its reentry into the United States market through the launch of two models—the 500 and 500C Convertible whose tagline reads “Simply More.” According to the press release materials, the tagline “Simply More” pertains to the school of thought that one’s self expression can make life rich and full. Moreover, it also reflects the saying that the “simple things” in one’s life can be considered treasures such that the new model, Fiat 500, has everything you need.

Fiat 500’s new tag line “Simply More” sounds, well, simple. It sure helped that someone from the marketing team explained the though behind its simplicity that added to its fine flair. Moving on, the marketing team behind the carmaker’s re-entry alongside the launch of its two new models is working vigorously to make this crucial marketing campaign come to life through above the line and below the line advertising. We are all expecting to see the tagline pop up in most social networking and digital ads and events and of course, on television as the brand recently aired its first TV commercial. Here’s a short clip of that ad:

Fiat puts the spotlight on the famous 21.7L Mefistofele at the Goodwood Speed of Festival which kicks off today. The automobile regarded as a classic and a record breaker in its prime was based on the SB4 Corso of Fiat in 1908. The Mefistofele will be displayed at the Cathedral Paddock and marks its return to Goodwood after ten years.

The Mefistofele was the product of the hard work of Sir Eldridge and his team to make a record breaking vehicle. Eldridge used parts of a bus to stretch the chassis of the SB4 Corsa that was purchased for the product.. He also made use of a modified six cylinder 21.7L engine from a Fiat A12 airplane that has four carburetors and can output 320 horsepower at around 1,800 RPM.

The Mefistofele actually got its name from the smoke and bangs that came during the testing of the vehicle. On July 12 in 1924, the Mefistofele became the fastest car in the world that time pegging its top speed at 234.980 kilometers per hour. The car was bought by Gianni Agnielli, owner of Fiat, in 1964. The car was restored thru the years and it is now in tip top shape and is part of the wonderful car collection of the car manufacturer.

Fiat will also display the Fiat 500 by Gucci which is a version with interiors and body works customized by Frida Giannini, creative director of Gucci, and the Style Center team of Fiat.

Aging. No appeal. These are the words that will cross your mind when you look at the Seicento by Fiat. Ofcourse, about 1 million people who rides the Seceinto will beg to disagree. The Fiat Seicento is after all a ride built for a particular purpose. It is the basic car which can get you from point A to point B.

The Seicento is equipped with a small 0.9L engine that is capable of giving out  39 horsepower. The car is not designed to win races or leave other cars behind but is a very frugal vehilce that will not hurt your pocket. And maybe, that is the secret to its success.

The Seicento is schedule for some updates and the engineers of Fiat are currently on the drawing boards to give Fiat lovers their new practical city ride. Fiat wants to keep the car as a low cost ride that does not guzzle up fuel. They plan to give the car a design overhaul though to give it a more appealing urban look.

Fiat aims to inject some features that are not usually found int he Seicento’s market segment, and hopefully attract more consumers. Fiat has no plans of releasing the new version of the Seicento in the United States.

Insiders added that the Topolino has been axed by the car manufacturer from its lineup. The Topolino is another city car designed for the upper scale of the urban market but this car did not get the green light of the Fiat bosses. The original plan was to position the Topolino under the Fiat 500 and the Panda for their developing markets and some of the high end markets of Western Europe. Fiat has already declared that the 2-cylinder Topolino will not come to the United Kingdom.

Fiat engineers and designers are working on an entry level hybrid powerplant that may bring down the carbon dioxide emission levels of their petrol dependent city cars to 80 grams for every kilometer.

The concept hybrid powertrain matches the upcoming dual clutch transmission of Fiat and their new TwinAir 900cc turbo 2-cylinder petrol engine.

The engineers of Fiat were able to come up with a working design so they can integrate the electric motor to the body of the transmission. The small motor that relies on a battery pack will be able to turn the shaft and gears of the gearbox so it can run the car while the petrol engine is in idle.

The hybrid set up will most likely be offered as option for the upcoming Panda and the 500. It might also find its way into the design of the future Puntos.

The function of the small hybrid setup will be to power the vehicle from idle and jack up the torque at the low end revs while the turbo spools up.

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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