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Swatch unleashes fleet of Fiats to sell MoonSwatches across the U.S.

The Omega Speedmaster is one of the most sought-after and iconic watches ever made, so it was no surprise when parent company Swatch got in on the action with a series of unique, entry-level quartz “MoonSwatch” collaboration watches. Buying the hot-selling bio-ceramic watches has been a chore, as Swatch only offers them in its limited number of stores. To help meet demand and promote the watches, the company is releasing a fleet of Fiat Cinquecentos to select locations where theyÂ’ll sell the timepieces on the streets. The MoonSwatch retails for $260, but their limited release pushed online resale “values” over $1,000 in some cases. The planet-themed watches arenÂ’t limited, but Swatch refuses to sell them online. The Fiat fleet will feature the same themes and visit cities around the country starting October 22. Swatch's “Mission to Mars” car will start its journey in Miami and hit other cities around Florida, while the “Mission to the Sun” Fiat will tour major metro areas in California. The blue “Mission to Neptune” car will visit locations in the Midwest. Though the tour began in July, the American portion doesnÂ’t start until this weekend. In all, eleven vehicles will travel the globe selling the watch. Swatch hasnÂ’t given out a set schedule and doesnÂ’t plan to, only saying that the cars will cover three regions in the United States. If you live in one of the regions listed, your best bet to snag a MoonSwatch is to keep your eyes peeled. Swatch also hasnÂ’t detailed which watch models each car will offer, so finding one doesnÂ’t guarantee youÂ’ll get the planet/color you want. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Weird Car News Fiat watch

Merged PSA and Fiat would retain all brands, Tavares says

By Elisa Anzolin and Gilles Guillaume PARIS/TURIN, Italy (Reuters) - Peugeot maker PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler would retain all of their car brands if their planned $50 billion merger goes ahead, the would-be chief executive of the combined group said on Friday. PSA CEO Carlos Tavares, seen as the architect of PSA's turnaround and in line to take the operational helm in the Fiat tie-up, said in a TV interview that the companies complemented each other well geographically and in terms of technology and brands. FCA derives 66% of its revenue from North America compared with only 5.7% for PSA, Refinitiv Eikon data shows. Europe remains the main revenue driver for PSA. "There's no doubt it's a very good deal for both parties. It's a win-win," Tavares told France's BFM Business, in his first interview since the French and Italian companies announced plans to create the world's fourth-largest auto maker last week. Fiat Chrysler (FCA) Chairman John Elkann, who would chair the combined group, said on Friday at an event in Turin that the 50-50 share merger would help the Italian carmaker "seize great opportunities." The deal, which would help the firms pool resources to meet tough new emissions rules and investments in electric and self-driving vehicles, as well as counter a broader downturn in car markers, is still at an early stage. PSA and Fiat have said they aim to reach a binding outline in the coming weeks, but still face questions over potential job losses, as well as scrutiny over whether the transaction favors one party more than the other. Tavares said the brands that would come under the combined group's umbrella — PSA's five passenger car nameplates include Citroen, Vauxhall and Opel, while FCA has nine, including Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep — were all likely to survive. "As of today, I don't see any need to scrap any of the brands if the deal came to pass. They all have their history and their strengths," Tavares said. Few carmakers have as large a portfolio, with German rival Volkswagen Group counting 10 passenger brands, if newer Chinese ones such as electric vehicle label Sihao are included. The merger will also require approval from anti-trust authorities. Tavares said he did not expect the companies to have to make major concessions to meet competition rules, but added they were ready to do so, without giving details.

Fiat 500X may get Abarth treatment

Nissan has Nismo and Mini has John Cooper Works versions of their sub-compact CUVs, so it's only natural that Fiat is playing around with the idea of an Abarth-badged 500X. That's the rationale behind a new report from Autocar, which claims the higher-output CUV is coming in 2017. It all comes down to growing the Abarth line. Autocar reports that Fiat is very keen on scorpion-badged models. Abarth brand chief Paolo Gagliardo told Automotive News Europe, "We want to keep growing and stabilize at a certain level." We already know that plan requires a 124 Abarth, but it seems impossible to accomplish without Abarth-izing the Fiat with the most mainstream appeal, the 500X. Increasing performance in the 500X shouldn't be a problem, although it won't be quite as easy here in the US. As AC explains, the Euro-market 500X's 1.4-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder only produces 138 horsepower, a figure that would likely be bumped up to 170 hp in an Abarth model. But that same engine makes 160 ponies in the US, and it already coexists with a 180-hp, 2.4-liter, naturally aspirated four-cylinder. That almost certainly means a US-market 500X Abarth will need much more than the 32-hp bump AC is forecasting. It's not just competition within the US-market 500X line, though. The new Abarth's chief rivals, the Juke Nismo RS and JCW Countryman both produce in excess of 200 hp. The idea of a 500X Abarth is appealing, but if Fiat expects the CUV to survive in North America – which AC expects to be Fiat's main market – it'll need to take a closer look at how much power is on offer. Related Video: