2014 Fiat 500l Lounge on 2040-cars

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Abarth considering performance versions of Fiat 500L, Panda

As far as product portfolios go, Abarth is about as small as they come. The performance arm of Fiat, Abarth bases its entire line on two models: the 500 and the Punto. And even within that, only the 500 is offered Stateside. But that could change.
Speaking with MSN Cars UK, Abarth boss Marco Magnanini indicates that the Scorpion marque is preparing to expand beyond its current two-car lineup. That could include the Panda (at right), a model we don't get here, and the 500L shown above, which we do. Unlike the 500C (which is essentially a 500 hatchback with a cloth roof panel), the 500L is an entirely different model on a different platform.
If Abarth applies its go-fast treatment to the 500L, Fiat could have a challenger to the Mini Countryman Cooper S and JCW on its hands. The last time Fiat offered an enthusiast-focused Panda, meanwhile, was with the Panda 100HP, widely rated as a blast to drive far beyond its humble output.

Fiat adds Adventurer Edition package to 2018 500X compact crossover

Fiat says it will offer the 2018 500X in a new Adventurer Edition package starting this summer, adding a rugged outdoors theme to its quirky Italian subcompact crossover. The Adventurer Edition is based on the 500X Trekking model, and its more sporty front and rear fascia designs. It adds 18-inch aluminum wheels, black roof rails, crossbars, orange mirror caps and body-side graphics along the bottom of the doors. It also gets front and rear splash guards. Inside, buyers get a molded rear cargo tray and all-weather front and rear slush mats. It'll come in a choice of four exterior paint colors: a white clear coat, black clear coat, graphite grey and grey metallic. Interior color choices are black or brown. The 500X Trekking is equipped with a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter inline-four-cylinder engine that produces 180 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque and is mated to a nine-speed automatic. It's available with front- or all-wheel drive, the latter of which uses a disconnecting rear axle to improve efficiency when all-wheel-drive isn't needed. It also comes with a slew of advanced safety technologies and a Uconnect 7-inch infotainment touchscreen. Choosing the Adventurer Edition package will add $945 to the $24,680 starting price for front-wheel drive and the $26,580 floor for all-wheel-drive-equipped version. Both include Fiat's $995 destination charge. Related Video:

CEO Sergio Marchionne curses FCA spokesman for emissions cheating denial

WASHINGTON — Fiat Chrysler Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne reprimanded the company's top U.S. spokesman for issuing press releases about Fiat's vehicle emissions practices days after Volkswagen's disclosure in September 2015 that the German automaker had used illegal software to evade emissions tests, documents released Monday show. Lawyers suing Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in a securities case filed excerpts of an email from Marchionne to Gualberto Ranieri, then the company's U.S. spokesman, in a filing in federal court in New York criticizing him for saying that the company does not use defeat devices. "Are you out of your goddam mind?" Marchionne wrote in an email on Sept. 22, 2015, adding that Ranieri should be fired and calling his actions "utterly stupid and unconscionable." The company said in a statement on Monday it was "understandable that our CEO would have a forceful response to any employee who would opine on such a significant and complex matter, without the matter having been fully reviewed through its appropriate channels." The statement added that Ranieri's comments came just days after VW's emissions issue became public "and before a comprehensive internal review and discussions with component suppliers was possible." Fiat Chrysler was sued in 2015 along with Marchionne and other executives over claims it defrauded shareholders by overstating its ability to comply with vehicle safety laws. An amended version of the complaint filed in 2017 added claims about its compliance with emissions laws. The shareholders accused the defendants of inflating Fiat Chrysler's share price by hundreds of millions of dollars from October 2014 to October 2015 by downplaying safety concerns. They said the shortcomings materialized in 2015 when the automaker was fined $175 million by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and took a roughly $670 million charge for recalls. Plaintiffs filed the excerpts seeking approval to take up to 40 additional depositions, including Marchionne's. The U.S. Justice Department sued Fiat Chrysler in May 2017, accusing it of illegally using software to bypass emission controls in 104,000 diesel vehicles sold since 2014. Fiat Chrysler has held numerous rounds of settlement talks with the Justice Department and California Air Resources Board to settle the civil suit, including talks as recently as earlier this month. It faces a separate criminal probe into the matter.