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Fiat recalls nearly 30,000 Fiat 500L models

Fiat has announced a recall of 29,500 Fiat 500L hatchbacks in the US and Canadian markets due to concerns that the roomiest member of the Fiat range features knee airbags that won't deploy unless the occupant's seatbelt is fastened.
There have been no injuries reported due to this issue, which affects vehicles from model years 2014 and 2015. Of the nearly 30,000 vehicles covered in this recall, 25,500 come from the US market, while the remaining 4,000 are from Canada. It's not clear what the underlying cause of this issue is.
Fiat knows of no injuries relating to this problem. As per usual, owners will be notified and asked to report in for a free repair.

2013 Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio

To no one's surprise, I was stoked about the Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio. I've always enjoyed the exquisitely flawed driving dynamics of the 500 Abarth hardtop, and the idea of being able to fold the top back and take it all in with some fresh air blowing around was really appealing. That super awesome exhaust note would no doubt be even more audible without a huge chunk of sheetmetal and glass in the way, and even with the slight weight penalty (33 pounds versus the hardtop), the Cabrio should still be just as tossable as ever.
So when the Fiat arrived at my door, I slid the roof back and stowed the normal press car paperwork in the glove box so it wouldn't fly about during what ended up being a genuinely spirited drive. I had a great time, and my subsequent days with the 500 Abarth Cabrio were just as enjoyable. Sunshine, Italian supercar-like rumble, and hilariously fun dynamics. Awesome.
But then I remembered my paperwork in the glovebox. And when I examined the fine print, my jaw dropped. The bottom line: $31,100, including $700 for destination. For a Fiat 500. Ouch.

Trump Administration will look 'very carefully' at FCA/Peugeot deal

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump's administration will look very closely at the planned merger between Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot owner PSA, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Friday. The deal, announced on Thursday, would create the world's fourth-largest automaker. "We will obviously look at it very, very carefully," Kudlow said on Bloomberg. "The president has not commented on the deal ... We're not afraid of doing business with international companies, Lord knows." When asked about the 12.2% equity stake and 19.5% voting stake China's Dongfeng Motors holds in PSA, Kudlow said: "With respect to the Chinese story, we obviously are alert and on guard." The deal, which would be structured as a 50-50 merger, would create the fourth-largest global automaker with annual sales of nearly 9 million vehicles. Fiat Chrysler told employees the deal could generate synergies of 3.7 billion euros but added "these synergies are NOT based on closing plants." Fiat Chrysler declined to comment. There has been speculation Dongfeng might sell its holdings, which could help ease the deal's passage through U.S. regulators, given U.S.-Chinese trade tensions. "We will welcome a good deal. We hope it will get more production in the United States, more factories and workers and employment in the U.S. And with respect to the Chinese angle, we will take a careful look at it," Kudlow said. Fiat Chrysler said on Thursday that "teams at both companies are working to finalize discussions and reach a Memorandum of Understanding in the coming weeks."