2013 Fiat 500 Pop Hatchback 2-door 1.4l, Automatic With 865 Miles-like New! on 2040-cars

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New Fiat 500e is coming to America, including fashion-forward one-offs

LOS ANGELES — It seems that Fiat took our advice and will bring the electric Fiat 500 to America. It will also adopt the 500e moniker like its predecessor, which happened to be only for the U.S. market. Unfortunately, we're going to be waiting a little bit for the American 500e. Fiat announced it won't be on sale until early 2024, with a full reveal of the American version coming at next year's L.A. Auto Show. While we have certainly seen a possible niche in the market for the chic hatch, we do worry a little bit about whether that will still be there in another year and some change. Fiat 500e Giorgio Armani View 4 Photos As for a quick recap of why we think the 500e has a shot in the U.S., well, it offers pretty solid value. In Europe, it's priced below both the Mini Cooper S E and the short-range Nissan Leaf. Simultaneously, it offers more range than either of those cars with an estimated 199 miles on a charge. That likely would go down in U.S. testing, but should still top the Leaf's 150-mile estimate even on the EPA test cycle. Assuming pricing still undercuts those two cars and range doesn't change significantly, it would be a great entry-level EV with oodles of style. Plus, Fiat has a single model on sale right now (the 500X), and dealers are likely begging for more options to offer. Fiat 500e Kartell View 4 Photos Speaking of style, Fiat brought a trio of custom models designed by fashion brands Giorgio Armani, Kartell and Bvlgari. They aren't new, having been shown in years past, but they're still very sharp. The Giorgio Armani has laser-etched paintwork to simulate fabric weaves, the Kartell has cool, futuristic plastic panels, and the Bvlgari has a custom 500-badge brooch in the steering wheel, which is both stylish, but also probably dangerous. Fiat 500e Bvlgari View 4 Photos We're also hoping that with a launch date in 2024, the electric 500 Abarth that will be revealed soon will also be imported. We would also love to see the convertible version that underpins the Armani car make the trip to our shores, too. We're sure to get more information in the future. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Fiat Chrysler chief still says EVs can't make money

Add Sergio Marchionne's insistence that it's impossible to make money on electric vehicle production to death and taxes among things we can all count on. The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO, speaking in an interview with UK's Car Magazine, implied that Tesla Motors was "the iPhone of cars." The metaphor may have been mixed, as iPhones make plenty of cash for Apple, whereas Tesla has never made an annual profit from its electric vehicles. But the implication was that automakers should stick to what they know, and they don't know smartphones. Forget any upcoming presidential debates, we're waiting for one between Marchionne and Tesla chief Elon Musk. As for the development of autonomous-driving features? Those are another story, says Marchionne, and an area where he's far more in line with Musk. That's because the technology required to make a car safely accelerate, brake, and steer on its own is far cheaper than making a car with an electric drivetrain that offers similar range and performance to a car with an internal combustion engine, he says. As opposed to electrification, Fiat Chrysler has been going the route of modifying conventional powertrains via wringing out more power out of progressively smaller engines, and mating them with eight- and nine-speed transmissions. As for EVs, credit Marchionne for his consistency. Fiat Chrysler has been selling the Fiat 500e since 2013. That year, Wards Auto named the 500e motor to its 10 Best Engines list, while the 500e won Road & Track's 2013 award for best electric car. Still, Marchionne has long said that Fiat only makes the vehicle for to satisfy zero-emissions vehicle mandates in California, and that the company loses as much as $10,000 for every 500e that it sells. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2014 Fiat 500e News Source: Car Magazine via Hybrid VehiclesImage Credit: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images Green Chrysler Fiat Electric Sergio Marchionne

Chrysler Uconnect gets dealer-activated navigation, new infotainment features

Get in just about any mid-level Chrysler product these days, and you'll see a touchscreen head unit that would be perfect for a navigation system. The only thing is that some of these cars equipped with the head unit for Chrysler's Uconnect infotainment system were not optioned up with navigation at the time of purchase, leaving drivers looking for turn-by-turn directions relying on either an aftermarket nav system or a smartphone. Starting on select new Chrysler products, however, customers with Uconnect will now be able to upgrade to navigation as a dealer-activated option.
Announced at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show, this new element of Uconnect will allow owners to have an in-dash navigation system installed quickly and easily; Chrysler said that this will be a major benefit for used-car buyers. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like this system will be retroactive on previous Uconnect head units, but it will launch this year on the 2013 Ram 1500, 2013 SRT Viper and the 2014 Fiat 500L. Chrysler did not announce the expected MSRP to have dealers activate the navigation capabilities.
Another infotainment option for Chrysler buyers is the Uconnect Access system that can allow WiFi, voice text messaging, emergency assistance, remote vehicle operation (such as starting the engine or locking/unlocking the doors) and limited POI searches using Bing. Also introduced at CES, the new Uconnect Access via Mobile system builds on this by allowing users to add in-car apps such as iHeart Radio, Pandora and Slacker by connecting to the system via a smartphone. This system will first be offered on the 2013 Ram and Viper.