2013 Fiat 500, 38 Mpg City With Two Full Warrantees! on 2040-cars

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In the Fiat 500X, the little things leave big impressions

When it comes to evaluating cars, we at Autoblog strive to tell you about the important things like how well they handle, how fast they are, and how comfortably they ride. These are all key pieces in the good car puzzle. The thing is, some cars also have small, but endearing details that are glossed over because they won't make or break our opinions of the vehicles. But they're features that make us smile anyway, and our long-term 2016 Fiat 500X happens to have a couple of them. The other week I had the Italian crossover for a day, and when I took off for lunch, I found the first surprise between the front seats. Unlike some other automatic transmissions with manual shift gates, this one actually uses the proper, racing-style sequential layout: pull back to shift up, and push forward to shift down. Some car companies flip that pattern, which I can only assume makes more sense to people that don't think about shifting. The 500X's other little surprise came that night as I drove home, but to properly explain why I loved it, I have to first talk about a different car. I own a 1999 Mazda MX-5 Miata, and one of my favorite things about it is that I can cruise around with one hand on the steering wheel and my elbow resting on the window sill. It's the most chill driving position imaginable. Unfortunately, as beltlines have crept higher and higher, and doors have migrated farther from the edges of the seats, the opportunity to drive this way has effectively vanished. To my delight as I drove home in the 500X, I discovered the little crossover bucked the trend. I'm not sure how, but it has window sills that are prime elbow perches. Neither of these features change my overall opinion of the vehicle, but they're worth noting because Fiat didn't have to include either of them. It's just a mass-market crossover, so a racing-style shifter and a comfy window sill would probably go unnoticed by most buyers. Yet, despite those facts, some designers decided the car would be better with these details. For that reason, I'm happy to draw attention to these designers' extra effort, and I will appreciate it every time I'm behind the wheel of our 500X. Related Video:

Stellantis reports $15B profit in first year of merger

FRANKFURT, Germany — Automaker Stellantis said Wednesday that it made 13.4 billion euros ($15.2 billion) in its first year after it was formed from the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group. The earnings nearly tripled profits compared with its pre-merger existence as two separate companies, as the maker of Jeep, Opel and Peugeot vehicles exploited cost efficiencies from combining the businesses. The result compared to a combined 4.79 billion euros for the separate companies in 2020 before the merger, which took effect on Jan. 17, 2021. Revenue for the combined business rose 14%, to 152 billion euros. CEO Carlos Tavares said the results “prove that Stellantis is well positioned to deliver strong performance" and had overcome “intense headwinds” during the year. Automakers have struggled with shortages of key parts such as semiconductor electronic components and rising costs for raw materials as the global rebound from the worst of the coronavirus pandemic brings more demand. The company said the benefits of the merger were worth some 3.2 billion euros during the year. Mergers can lead to streamlined costs as companies combine functions and spread fixed costs over a larger revenue base. The company accelerated its rollout of battery-powered vehicles, with sales of low-emission vehicles reaching 388,000 — an increase of 160%. Stricter environmental regulations in Europe and China are pushing automakers to roll out more electric vehicles with longer range. Stellantis started production of a hydrogen fuel cell commercial van under its Opel brand in December. Stellantis' other brands include Chrysler, Citroen, DS, Fiat, Maserati, Ram and Vauxhall. Related video: Earnings/Financials Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Jeep RAM Citroen Opel Peugeot Vauxhall

Petrolicious finds the cutest Zagato racecar ever

The 1949 Fiat Topolino 750 MM by Zagato must be the cutest racecar ever made. The rounded body makes the little coupe look like it still has some baby fat to lose, and it's hard to imagine this pudgy vehicle blasting through the Mille Miglia – but that's exactly what it did. Today, this is the last surviving 750 MM, and Petrolicious' new video takes along for a ride in this very rare, and very small, piece of history. Owner Scott Gauthier has an impressive collection of vehicles, but Zagatos especially appeal to him because their hand-formed aluminum bodies make each example unique. When he got the 750 MM, all the pieces came in boxes. Gauthier's challenging task was putting it back together, which his in-house crew did beautifully. If a classic car's mechanical sounds intoxicate you, then turn up the speakers when this thing hits the road. The 750 MM's interior is the perfect stage to show off the powertrain's wonderful range of sounds. It's great to see such a rare racecar still getting some use on the road, especially one as cute as this Zagato.