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Jeep and Ram could be spun off from FCA, says Marchionne

Jeep is surely the biggest single feather left in the cap of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles portfolio. Under Sergio Marchionne's leadership, Jeep went from fewer than 500,000 annual sales in 2008 to 1.4 million in 2016, and is on track for 2 million by 2018. Add in the brand's legacy, status as one of the most recognizable nameplates in the world, and rabid fan base, and Jeep has extraordinary monetary value to its parent company. Investors and analysts have certainly noticed Jeep's inherent value. According to The Detroit Free Press, Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas asked FCA chief Sergio Marchionne if he would ever consider spinning Jeep and Ram, FCA's dedicated truck brand, into a separate corporate entity, and he responded with a simple "Yes." Jonas estimated Jeep's worth in January of this year at $22 billion. Ram was valued at $11.2 billion. Marchionne has a history of spinning off brands while keeping them part of FCA's corporate umbrella. The most noteworthy example of this value maximization was with Ferrari, which now trades on the New York Stock Exchange and rakes in $3.4 billion in annual revenue and close to $435 million in net income, reports the Free Press. Marchionne still serves as chairman and CEO of Ferrari, and Fiat heir John Elkann owns 22 percent of the Italian marque's shares. Even if the offloading of Jeep and Ram into a separate entity would amount to little more than a profit-driven ownership change on paper, it would be huge news to the brands' loyal fanbases. In any case, such a move would likely take years to actually happen and probably wouldn't mean much at all to the products that Jeep and Ram produce. In other words, Jeep fans can keep the pitchforks in the shed ... for now. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Likely Fiat 500X replacement caught in new spy photos

Fiat is testing a new baby crossover that will likely be the replacement for the 500X crossover. The 500X never set the American market on fire despite its attractive styling and nimble handling, sadly, and suffice it to say that Fiat noticed. It's likely we won't see whatever this is come stateside, at least not in the near-term. Fiat has made it clear that its future in America is limited to the electric 500e in all of its (yet to be enumerated) forms. Those who want a baby Fiat crossover will have to settle for Jeep's more rugged interpretation of the same platform, the Renegade, which seems to sell well enough to justify its continued existence even in Europe, where they've made an even smaller one they're calling "Avenger." As you can see above, this prototype screams "500X;" The ride height and proportions are dead-on. It's expected to be sold with both ICE and EV powertrains initially, but if previous Fiat efforts are any indication (the current 500X went into production in 2007; the 500x in 2014), it could very well remain in circulation long enough to still be on the market when Europe's mandate for 100% electric new-vehicle sales kicks in in 2035. That means we're likely to see the petroleum-based models phased out over the course of its lifespan.  It might seem premature to dismiss this new model as a Europe-only venture considering that the car it is expected to replace (500X) was itself branded as an offshoot of the 500. Could we not see a 500Xe? Well, that train goes off the rails in the face of information provided by our spy photographer, who says this is likely to be sold as a revival of the long-departed Fiat 600 nameplate, rather than the 500. A rose by any other name might smell as sweet, but a model number starting with a "6" appears to be where Fiat has chosen to draw the line, at least for now.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Chrysler and Fiat offering $1,000 rebates to VW owners as Marchionne gets tough

The throw-down between Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne and Volkswagen has heated up in earnest. According to Bloomberg, Fiat and Chrysler are now offering current Volkswagen owners in the US $1,000 rebates to trade in their ride. It's the latest in a series of shots Marchionne has taken at his German rival. As you may recall, the Fiat executive entered into a spat with Volkwagen board chairman Ferdinand Piëch and CEO Martin Winterkorn in October after the duo called for Marchionne's resignation from presidency of the European Automotive Manufacturers Association (AECA). At the time, the Volkswagen executives were quoted as saying Fiat would not survive the European economic downturn.
In response, Marchionne called the German executives "reprehensible," and accused Volkswagen of using a pricing strategy that has created created a "bloodbath" in the EU. Volkswagen has taken to steep discounting to carve out ever-larger slices of market share in Europe, but the company has a much smaller foothold in the US. Marchionne may be trying to hit Volkswagen where the manufacturer is weakest with the new Fiat new incentive program.
Late last week, the Fiat executive was voted to a second term as ACEA president.