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New 2019 Fiat 500X bows with standard AWD, 1.3-liter turbo four

Mon, Nov 26 2018

Fiat is unveiling the U.S. version of the new 2019 500X all-wheel-drive subcompact crossover this week in Los Angeles, and it deviates slightly from the European refresh version we previewed in August and its U.S. predecessor, with a new engine and standard all-wheel drive. Instead of the three gasoline engines on offer across the pond or the two stateside, U.S. consumers will get a standard 1.3-liter, direct-injection turbocharged engine that produces 177 horsepower and a best-in-class 210 pound-feet of torque. Those are higher output figures than either the comparable European 1.3-liter or the 1.4-liter, and they compare with the 180 hp and 175 lb-ft offered by the outgoing 2.4-liter Tigershark engine. The new four-cylinder is fitted with stop-start technology and the third generation of FCA's MultiAir valve-actuation technology, which controls intake-valve timing and opening to recycle exhaust gas to offer improved power and fuel efficiency. Also reflecting American trends — and don't let the gear shifter knob fool you Β— there's no manual transmission on offer, with power instead mated to a nine-speed fully electronic automatic transmission. Three driving modes are on offer: a baseline Auto, performance-oriented Sport, and Traction +, which maximizes low-speed traction. Looks-wise, the basics are the same, with sharper creases, new LED head- and taillights, and redesigned front and rear fascias. The U.S. version continues the plastic body cladding defining the grille surround, a shape echoed at the rear. There are three wheel options Β— 17-inch silver aluminum for the Trekking model, 17-inch matte black machined wheels for the Treeking Plus, and 18-inch matte anthracite machined aluminum for Trekking and Trekking Plus (Pop is the entry-level trim). There are also three new exterior colors: Italia blue, green and ivory. Fiat designers refreshed the cockpit with new seat fabrics, a new instrument cluster and a new steering wheel with mounted radio controls. It comes with standard Connect 4 with a 7-inch touchscreen radio with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and Bluetooth features. Safety features include blind-spot monitoring, rear cross path detection and a rear backup camera with dynamic grid lines. Adaptive cruise control is offered as an option. The 500X will start at $25,785 including destination when it goes on sale next spring. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences.

The Dodge Neon is alive!

Tue, Nov 6 2018

"Holy crap! It's a new Dodge Neon! Like a new new one." Oddly, no one else on the Cancun resort shuttle seemed to notice. Or care. Ogling Mexican-market compact sedans is apparently something exclusive to automotive journalists on vacation. Yet there it was, fittingly on Dio de los Muertos, in all its resurrected glory. With a margarita in hand and an ocean in front of me, ignored, I turned my attention to my phone to get to the bottom of Neon version 3.0. Introduced for 2016, today's Dodge Neon is based upon and built alongside the Fiat Tipo/Egea, a C segment compact sedan co-developed by Fiat and Turkish industrial outfit Koc Holding. More than 125,000 were sold last year in Europe, with another 47,000 in Turkey. It's also sold in the Middle East and Africa, with Mexico alone getting the Neon version. Exterior styling is really the only difference, and then, only the crosshair grille manages to identify it as a Dodge. Then again, the same could be said for the not-so-dearly departed Dart, which belonged to the same segment. It was much bigger, though, with an extra 6 inches of overall length and 3 inches of wheelbase (which, as I just discovered, is "distancia entre ejes" en espanol). The Neon interior, not surprisingly, is pretty much the same as its Fiat siblings. The dash has two variations. A bigger, upgrade touchscreen resides in a dash-mounted, tablet-style infotainment pod, but the standard stereo head unit or 5-inch touchscreen upgrade fits into a binnacle shared with the instrument panel. It's a bit more like the Challenger, Charger, and yes, Dart in this regard, but in total, the Neon's cabin design is also less blocky and more organic in appearance. The switchgear is pure Fiat, but the steering wheel has the same control layout as Dodges, Jeeps and Chryslers. Power comes from the Challenger Scat Pack's 6.4-liter Hemi V8. No, it doesn't, I totally got you. The standard engine, dubbed FIRE, is a 1.4-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder good for 95 horsepower and 94 pound-feet of torque. So, less than the Scat Pack. The optional engine, dubbed E.TorQ, which is in no way related to the Ram's eTorque mild hybrid system and not especially eTorquey, is a 1.6-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder good for 110 hp and 112 lb-ft. Sadly, the Neon color selection is in no way neon, which probably doesn't matter since virtually every car on the Yucatan peninsula is painted white.

GM says it favors fuel-efficiency rules based on historic rates

Mon, Oct 29 2018

WASHINGTON — General Motors backs an annual increase in fuel-efficiency standards based on "historic rates" rather than tough Obama era rules or a Trump administration proposal that would freeze requirements, according to a federal filing made public on Monday. The largest U.S. automaker said the Obama rules that aimed to hike fleet fuel efficiency to more than 50 miles per gallon by 2025 are "not technologically feasible or economically practicable." The Detroit automaker said that since 1980, the motor vehicle fleet has improved fuel efficiency at an average rate of 1 percent a year. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said in separate comments that the auto industry is complying with existing fuel efficiency requirements by using credits from prior model years. As a result, even if requirements are frozen at 2020 levels, "the industry would need to continue to improve fuel economy" as credits expire, it added, warning if the government hikes standards beyond 2020 requirements "the situation worsens ... without some significant form of offset or flexibility." Fiat Chrysler and Ford urged the government to reclassify two-wheel drive SUVs as light trucks, which face less stringent requirements than cars. A four-wheel drive version of the same SUV is considered a light truck. Ford backs fuel rules "that increase year-over-year with additional flexibility to help us provide more affordable options for our customers." GM's comments said it was "troubled" that President Donald Trump's administration wants to phase out incentives for electric vehicles. The Trump plan's preferred alternative freezes standards at 2020 levels through 2026 and hikes U.S. oil consumption by about 500,000 barrels per day in the 2030s but reduces automakers' collective regulatory costs by more than $300 billion. It would bar California from requiring automakers to sell a rising number of electric vehicles or setting state emissions rules. The administration of former President Obama had adopted rules, effective in 2021, calling for an annual increase of 4.4 percent in fuel-efficiency requirements from 2022 through 2025. GM has been lobbying Congress to lift the existing cap on electric vehicles eligible for a $7,500 tax credit. The credit phases out over a 12-month period after an individual automaker hits 200,000 electric vehicles sold, and GM is close to that point.

Icon's 1966 Fiat Giardinetta is a quaint electric city car

Mon, Oct 29 2018

If city cars are the ideal candidates for electric powertrains, then the compact Fiat 500 is near perfect for the green technology. Fiat currently offers a brand-new 500e, but for those who like an old-school vibe, Icon 4x4 has just the number. In collaboration with Stealth EV, Jonathan Ward and his team converted a gorgeous 1966 Fiat 500 Giardinetta to full battery electric. Dubbed the Fiat Giardinetta EV Derelict, due to the maintenance of the original car's exterior, this 1966 gem was able to fit electric components while keeping its four-seat configuration. The car has six Tesla-sourced batteries, two in the front and four in the rear to keep things balanced. It uses an Orion battery management system and an AC35 motor. The suspension was bolstered up with coilovers, a bigger panhard bar was added, and the car now uses upgraded disc brakes. Hilariously, it has similar, if not better, specs than Fiat's current 500e. Icon and Stealth EV claim the car has about 80 horsepower and about 100 pound-feet of torque. Using a single-speed gearbox, it revs up to 5000 rpm, and due to the electric powertrain, has 100 percent of its torque the entire way up. The battery kit was able to achieve 120 miles of range at 65 mph in a test run, and the company estimates it could reach 150 miles on a single charge when driven in less taxing city conditions. Keep in mind, this car only has heat but no air conditioning (cold air was possible, but it would be pricey and isn't really necessary when it already has a retractable top). Extra Icon modifications included new weather stripping, new glass seals, and added Dynamat to quiet the old car down. Icon also reupholstered the seats with marine-rated vinyl and incorporated a few Italian leather accents. According to Stealth EV, similar battery modules are available for around $1,500 (remember there are six of these modules in this Fiat) and the kit is not a one-off-specific job. Now that they have the CAD specs, the setup could be replicated fairly easily. We suddenly want a completely impractical mini station wagon. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Fiat Chrysler parts firm Magneti Marelli sold for $7.1B

Mon, Oct 22 2018

TOKYO/MILAN — Japan's Calsonic Kansei, owned by U.S. private equity firm KKR, has agreed to buy Fiat Chrysler's Magneti Marelli for 6.2 billion euros ($7.1 billion) to form the seventh-largest independent car parts supplier. The first big deal by FCA's newly-appointed chief executive Mike Manley, who took over in July after the sudden death of long-time boss Sergio Marchionne, creates a company with revenue of 15.2 billion euros ($17.5 billion), the companies said. The newly formed Magneti Marelli CK Holdings is likely to cut costs through synergies and expand its customer base as components makers try to keep up with a shift by carmakers into autonomous driving, connected cars and electric vehicles. "This combination with Calsonic Kansei has emerged as an ideal opportunity to accelerate Magneti Marelli's future growth," Manley said on Monday of the FCA unit, which specializes in lighting, powertrain and high-tech electronics. FCA shares were up 5.2 percent at 0906 GMT as investors welcomed the hefty price tag, which will boost FCA's net cash position and raises expectations of a share buyback. "Getting this transaction completed at the price agreed is a significant early milestone and accomplishment," George Galliers, an analyst at Evercore ISI, said of Manley and his team's ability to match Marchionne's deal-making reputation. Marchionne had set in motion a process to spin off the unit and distribute its shares to FCA shareholders by early 2019, but said in June that FCA would still be "receptive" to an offer. Neither FCA nor its top shareholder, Fiat's founding Agnelli family, will have a stake in the combined business, but FCA said it would enter into a multi-year agreement to secure supplies to its plants and also to maintain operations and staff in Italy. Part of a global expansion KKR bought Calsonic from Nissan and other shareholders in 2016, saying it would help the parts maker, which relies on the Japanese carmaker for most of its sales, to expand globally. Calsonic has been in talks with FCA for months and made an initial 5.8 billion euro bid, sources have said. FCA does not break out earnings for Magneti Marelli, which sits within its components unit alongside robotics specialist Comau and castings firm Teksid. The unit employs around 43,000 people and operates in 19 countries. A takeover of Magneti Marelli had remained elusive as potential bidders were offering too little or were only interested in some parts of the business.

The mood at this year’s Paris Motor Show: Quiet

Tue, Oct 2 2018

The Paris Motor Show, held every other year in the early fall, typically kicks off the annual cavalcade of automotive conclaves, one that traverses the globe between autumn and spring, introducing projective, conceptual and production-ready vehicle models to the international automotive press, automotive aficionados and a public hungry for news of our increasingly futuristic mobility enterprise. But this year, at the press preview days for the show, the grounds of the Porte de Versailles convention center felt a bit more sparsely populated than usual. This was not simply a subjective sensation, or one influenced by the center's atypically dispersed assemblage of seven discrete buildings, which tends to spread out the cars and the crowds. There were not only fewer new vehicles being premiered in Paris this year, there were fewer manufacturers there to display them. Major mainstream European OEM stalwarts such as Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Nissan and Volkswagen chose to sit out Paris this year, as did boutique manufacturers like Bentley, Aston Martin and Lamborghini. This is not simply based in some antipathy on the part of the German, British and Italian manufacturers toward the French market — though for a variety of historical and societal reasons that market may be more dominated by vehicles produced domestically than others. Rather, it is part of a larger trend in the industry. Last year, Mercedes-Benz announced that it would not be participating in the flagship North American International Auto Show in 2019 Β— and that it might not return. Other brands including Jaguar/Land Rover, Audi, Porsche, Mazda and nearly every exotic carmaker have also departed the Detroit show. Some of these brands will still appear in the city in which the show is taking place, and host an event offsite, to capitalize on the presence of a large number of reporters in attendance. And even brands that do have a presence at the show have shifted their vehicle introductions to the days before the official press opening in an attempt to stand out from the crowd. In many ways, this makes sense. With an expanding number of automakers, with diversification and niche-ification of models and with wholesale shifts that necessitate the introduction of EV or autonomous sub-brands, there is a growing sense that, with everyone shouting at the same time, no one can be heard.

New Fiat Chrysler CEO picks management team to tackle industry in flux

Mon, Oct 1 2018

MILAN/DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler's new boss unveiled his management team on Monday, seeking to revive the automaker in Europe, forge ahead in North America and keep the group in contention in the industry's race to develop self-driving and electric cars. Mike Manley took over in July after long-time chief Sergio Marchionne fell ill and later died after succumbing to complications from surgery. British-born Manley has since pledged to carry through a strategy Marchionne outlined in June to keep FCA "strong and independent." "The next five years will continue to be extremely challenging for our industry, with tougher regulations, intense competition and probably slower industry growth around the world," Manley said in a letter to employees on Monday. "Nevertheless, with a laser focus on execution and a continued flexibility that allows us to adjust as circumstances change ... we have a clear line of sight to achieving our five-year ambitions." Manley appointed Pietro Gorlier, thus far chief operating officer of FCA's components business, as FCA's next European chief to tackle a region where profitability is below that of peers, many workers are stuck in furloughs and various plants run at below capacity. The carmaker's previous European chief Alfredo Altavilla left after FCA appointed Manley as Marchionne's successor. As head of the components unit, Gorlier has also led Magneti Marelli, the parts unit that FCA may either spin off or sell. He will be succeeded at Magneti Marelli by the parts maker's lighting division head Ermanno Ferrari. Japan's Calsonic Kansei has been in talks with FCA about buying the unit, sources familiar with the matter have said, but no binding agreement has been reached and the deal could still fall apart. Choosing an Italian as head of Europe might soothe some fears in Italy that FCA could weaken its link to Fiat's roots. In his last strategy unveiled in June, Marchionne vowed to convert Italian plants to churn out Alfa Romeos, Jeeps and Maseratis instead of less profitable mass market vehicles to preserve jobs and boost margins. Europe will also become a big part of the company's electrification drive. FCA will copy in Europe what worked in the United States, where it retooled plants to build pricier SUVs and trucks in a move since emulated by bigger rivals Ford and GM. Manley also named new managers to succeed him at Jeep and RAM, the two brands which have been driving profits in recent years and remain at the core of growth plans.

Fiat brings back throwback 1957 Edition for the 500

Thu, Sep 27 2018

Fiat is bringing back its retro-styled 1957 Edition treatment for its 500 cabrio and hatchback models, an homage to the original 500, which debuted in 1957 as the Nuova Cinquecento. It's like a Vespa-ization of the little Italian subcompact. For an extra $995 and based on the Lounge trim, the 1957 Edition brings a new, retro fascia with throwback Fiat badging, white exterior mirrors and a choice of white, green or blue 16-inch retro-inspired wheels. You get a two-toned paint job with a white roof on hatchback versions and a black soft top on cabrio models, plus choice of three retro-inspired paint colors: celeste blue, chiaro (light green) and bianco ice (white). Inside, designers have contrasted a mostly ivory interior with marrone brown leather seats decorated with ivory accent stitching on the setbacks, perimeter and cushions. There are also ivory door-trim panels and a marrone brown leather shift boot with manual-transmission models. The steering wheel is wrapped in leather and continues the ivory-brown theme. It's accented with a retro Fiat badge. The Fiat 500 comes standard with the new 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo engine, which boost output to 135 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque and features a sport-tuned exhaust. It's paired with a standard five-speed manual transmission or an optional six-speed automatic. The 1957 Edition was last available for the 2016 model year in a slightly different guise and price point. You can once again retro-pimp your 500 at dealerships starting this fall. Related Video: Featured Gallery Fiat 500 1957 Edition Image Credit: FCA Fiat Convertible Hatchback

Fiat Chrysler working on an inline-six to replace the Pentastar V6?

Fri, Sep 21 2018

Get out your Skeptics Hat for this one and keep it close by. Allpar cites "reliable sources" to write that Fiat Chrysler appears to be working on a new inline-six engine to be slotted into company products around the globe. The purported engine would be based on the 2.0-liter Global Medium Engine inline-four. Allpar first reported on the potential development in February 2017 and has filed a few updates since then, one citing "internal communications referring to a GME T6" — the "T" meaning turbocharged. It's said that some engineers have changed their online resumes to reflect their focus on the new motor. Apparently, FCA tried adding forced induction to the Pentastar V6 but didn't like the results. The new direction then turned toward a "compact straight-six." In at least one guise, the GME I-6 would come in at just under three liters in order to escape taxes on engines 3.0-liters and above in certain European markets; the 2.0-liter four-cylinder has an actual displacement of 1.995 liters. The present V6 Pentastar comes in 3.2-liter and 3.6-liter guises; a turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six should be able to replace both as far as output. Hooking up to the company's eTorque system used on the 3.6-liter Pentastar and 5.7-liter Hemi would make things even more punchy. With the trend in truck engine downsizing, it wouldn't be crazy to see such an engine head straight to Ram. The four-cylinder GME unit serves in the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio, and Jeep Cherokee, Wrangler, and Grand Commander. The big Alfa Romeos and full-size Jeep and Ram models shouldn't have any problem with a longer inline engine. Maserati, which doesn't use the Pentastar engine, could be a candidate as well should it choose to step away from its Ferrari-developed engine cred. Speaking of Ferrari, the Italian brand is working up a new V6 based, in its words, on "a very, very particular architecture." It isn't clear where it will go or if one of the other Italian brands will get access to it, but the Allpar piece says the Ferrari V6 will be based on the core GME architecture for Maserati. Chrysler gave up its last inline-six 11 years ago when the 4.0-liter I-6 retired alongside the JK-series Jeep Wrangler. The engine format is back in vogue, and its reincarnations have received good reviews. But inline-sixes are generally longer, hence FCA's focus on a compact unit, and that could limit the purported engine's placement options.

Mike Manley and Louis Camilleri appointments confirmed after shareholder votes

Sat, Sep 8 2018

AMSTERDAM – Fiat Chrysler shareholders held a meeting yesterday to officially vote on the appointments of Mike Manley as CEO of FCA and Louis Camilleri as the CEO of Ferrari. Manley and Camilleri were announced as the replacements for Sergio Marchionne following the former chief's sudden death. At the same time, FCA announced that it would place John Elkann in the role of Chairman. A minute-long moment of silence was held at the start of the meeting in honor of Marchionne. According to reports, 99 percent of shareholder votes were in favor of Manley's appointment at FCA, and 98 percent were in favor of Camilleri taking the CEO role at Ferrari. Manley said at the shareholder's meeting that he will announce his organizational plans for the automaker by the end of September. "When we learned Sergio Marchionne could not return to work the board decided to appoint Mike Manley, who was the only candidate," Chairman John Elkann said. The chairman added the decision was based on succession plans the board was working on with Marchionne for his planned departure in 2019. Of Camilleri's direction at Ferrari, Elkann said, "Sergio Marchionne strengthened the foundations of Ferrari, now we can build on that for the future, which will be a bright future."Reuters contributed to this report.Related Video: Image Credit: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Chrysler Fiat Sergio Marchionne FCA Mike Manley