2012 Fiat 500 Pop Hatchback 2-door 1.4l on 2040-cars

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The Fiat 500 hatchback and cabrio have been discontinued

The Fiat that brought the brand back to America is going away after this year. All forms of the 2019 Fiat 500 — hatchback and convertible — are being discontinued with the current 2019 inventory being sold off through 2020. This includes the electric, standard turbo and the Abarth iterations. Once the little 500 is gone, Fiat's lineup will consist of the 500X crossover, 124 Spider sports car and the 500L micro-minivan thing. The decision to cut the little 500, easily Fiat's most identifiable model, strikes us as a bit strange. Certainly it has drawbacks, and it's still basically the same car that was introduced in Europe over a decade ago. Its small size and two-door form factor also aren't particularly popular in today's crossover-consumed market, but the 500 wasn't Fiat's worst seller. In fact, as of June, the most recent month for sales data available, it was leading the Italian brand's sales. And the year before, it was the Fiat's best seller over the same time frame. The 500L has actually been the worst seller so far this year, with only 399 being sold through June, which is a drop of 56% versus last year. The 500X, a crossover, is trailing the 500 and the 124 with 1,484 sales, a drop of 54% compared to last year. Even if other models were selling better, it would seem like a decent car to still have around to show how the bigger models got their designs. And at the very least, the 500 Abarth presented a cheaper halo option to the 124 Spider. No announcements of a 500 replacement have been made. There are rumors of a next-generation model, and it might be previewed at Geneva as a full EV. It could use the modular battery system that was featured in the Fiat Centoventi concept from the last Geneva Motor Show. Having seen the Honda E and Mini Cooper SE retro chic EVs, this could be a smart decision for Fiat and give the little hatchback some fresh relevance.

Abarth 695 Tributo 131 Rally celebrates Fiat's rally history

Fiat's hugely entertaining 500 Abarth left the American market after the 2019 model year, but the plucky hot hatch is alive and well across the pond. It recently spawned a limited-edition model named 695 Tributo 131 Rally that honors Fiat's past successes on the rallying scene. It's all in the name: the Tributo 131 Rally is a tribute to the 131 Abarth, which won the World Rally Championship (WRC) in 1977, 1978 and 1980, and which was driven by highly-respected pilots like Walter Rohrl. The coupe was loosely related to the regular-production 131, which was briefly sold as the Brava in the United States. It's one of the most emblematic rally cars, and it raced for the last time 40 years ago. Although it's not as absurdly eye-catching as some of Abarth's previous limited-edition model, the 695 Tributo 131 Rally is easy to spot in a parking lot. It gets Blue Rally paint, Scorpion Black accents, an adjustable rear spoiler and 17-inch wheels. You should be able to hear it, too, thanks to a Record Monza Sovrapposto exhaust system. The 131's boxy silhouette appears on the decals added to both doors. The black and white treatment continues inside, where Abarth also added Sabelt sport seats, Alcantara upholstery on the dashboard, carbon fiber accents on the steering wheel and an aluminum-look shift knob for the six-speed manual transmission. The 131-shaped logo is found on the front seatbacks and on the passenger-side of the dashboard. Abarth notes that this is its first car with so-called Easter eggs. Power comes from a 1.4-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It's the same basic engine that powered the 500 Abarth when it was sold here, but in this application its output has increased to 180 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. Hitting 60 mph from a stop takes 6.7 seconds according to the firm, and the hatchback keeps accelerating until it reaches 140 mph. If you're more into winding roads, Abarth added Koni FSD shock absorbers on both axles for sharp handling. A braking system provided by Brembo keeps the power in check. Just 695 units of the Abarth 695 Tributo 131 Rally will be available worldwide, and it goes without saying that none will make the trip to the United States. Pricing in the United Kingdom starts at GBP32,325, a figure that represents about $39,900 at the current conversion rate. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Federal grand jury issues subpoenas to U.S. FCA dealers

Despite an attempt to clarify and backtrack, it seems the investigation into Fiat Chrysler Automobile's false sales reporting is picking up steam. According to Automotive News, FCA dealers and regional offices have received subpoenas ordering them to supply documents and testimony to a grand jury in Detroit. Of course, the dealers are objecting to the request. They claim the subpoenas are too broad and would require them to hand over too much personal information, like personal phone numbers of dealer employees going back years. The group wants to make it clear that FCA has clarified its sales reporting and that the issue is with the manufacturer, not dealers. The dealers say that FCA employee records and testimony should be enough. It's rumored that a dealer group is the one that sparked the investigation in the first place. FCA confirmed on July 18 that it indeed was under investigation by a number of federal agencies. Although they've clarified their position regarding sales reporting, the fraud investigation continues full steam. Related Video: