2013 Fiat 500 Sport Turbo on 2040-cars

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Eight people injured after Fiat crashes at LA auto show

A man crashed a Fiat 500 that was available for test drives at the LA auto show Monday, according to the Los Angeles Times. He hopped a curb and struck a concrete planter, which shattered, sending shrapnel toward bystanders. The crash resulted in eight people being injured, with six of them going to the hospital. KTLA reports that one of the hospitalized people was the driver of the car. The Times reports that no one sustained life-threatening injuries. As seen in the photo above, the Fiat 500e used was a test car for visitors of the show. Fiat Chrysler is one of 11 car companies providing vehicles for guests to try out. The Times also reports that an LAPD spokesperson said the driver of the Fiat may not have had a valid license. It's surprising this wouldn't have been noticed when the driver signed up, as the LA auto show's test drive rules state that a valid license is required to drive. As of this writing, it appears that the show is continuing as normal, along with test drives. The show is open to the public until November 27. Car companies will also be offering test drives throughout the week, including the last day of the show. Related Video:

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.

Marchionne says no offers are on the table for Fiat Chrysler

MONZA, Italy (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler (FCA) has not received any offer for the company nor is the world's seventh-largest carmaker working on any "big deal", Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said on Saturday. Speaking on the sidelines of the Italian Formula One Grand Prix, Marchionne said the focus remained on executing the company's business plan to 2018. Asked whether FCA had been approached by someone or whether there was an offer on the table, he simply said: "No." The company's share price jumped to record highs last month after reports of interest for the group or some of its brands from China. China's Great Wall Motor Co Ltd openly said it was interested in FCA, but had not held talks or signed a deal with executives at the Italian-American automaker. The stock move was also helped by expectations that the company might separate from some of its units. Marchionne reiterated on Saturday that FCA was working on a plan to "purify" its portfolio and that units, such as the components businesses, would be separated from the group. He hopes to complete that process by the end of 2018. "There are activities within the group that do not belong to a car manufacturer, for example the components businesses. The group needs to be cleared of those things," he told journalists. Asked whether an announcement could come this year, Marchionne said it was up to the board to decide and that it would next meet at the end of September. He said the time was not right for a spin-off of luxury brand Maserati and premium Alfa Romeo and the two brands needed to become self-sustainable entities first and "have the muscle to stand on their feet, make sufficient cash". "The way we see it now, it's almost impossible, if not impossible, to see a spin-off of Alfa Romeo/Maserati, these are two entities that are immature and in a development phase," he said. "It's the wrong moment, we are not in a condition to do it." He said the concept of separating the two brands from FCA's mass market business made sense and did not rule out this happening in future, but not under his tenure, which lasts until April 2019. "If there is an opportunity in future, it would certainly happen after I'm gone. It won't happen while Marchionne is around," he said.