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Marchionne may stay with FCA until 2020

We might get to see Sergio Marchionne and his vast array of sweaters in the auto industry for even longer than expected. The FCA CEO suggested last year that he would retire from the automaker when its current five-year plan was complete in 2018. Now, he has tentatively extended that point out to at least 2020. "I can do this for another five years if you push me, right? Beyond that, I ain't gonna do it, and I don't want to," he said to Automotive News. That would give Marchionne a 16-year career at the top from joining Fiat in 2004 to possibly leaving FCA in 2020. Although, take the CEO's statement with a grain of salt because he has made multiple statements about the timing for his retirement. In 2012, Marchionne said he would only remain in charge until 2015, which is, well, now. Those five years might also go quite quickly because Marchionne is a busy guy with the Ferrari IPO, the attempted merger with General Motors, implementing FCA's five-year plan, and many other projects. He's already considering the next CEO, though. "My purpose in life is to find the Kuniskises of the world, the Manleys, the Biglands, the Palmers," Marchionne said to Automotive News, referencing the heads at Dodge, Jeep, FCA North America, and the company's chief financial officer, respectively. "I told them, 'One of you is going to do what I do one day. I don't know who that is, but one of you is going to do it.'" News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Paul Sancya / AP Photo Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep Sergio Marchionne FCA fca us Mike Manley reid bigland tim kuniskis

Fiat eyes droptop SUV market with 500X convertible

Fiat will add a convertible version of the 500X crossover, Automotive News Europe has confirmed. The droptop variant will retain the side structure of the hardtop version, including the doors and door frames, and will utilize a roll-bar canvas top that incorporates the rear window, similar to the design of the 500 Cabrio. The open-air crossover is due to begin production this year. There's no word from FCA's U.S. arm on whether the model will come to the United States. Fiat's U.S. dealers might very well want it, given that they just lost the 124 Spider and the 500L hatchback for 2021. This despite the unenviable sales track record for crossover convertibles. Outside of hardcore off-roaders like the Jeep Wrangler (and, by all appearances, the new Ford Bronco), the notion of a convertible SUV has proven to be a sales flop. The odd-duck Nissan Murano Cross Cabriolet, which at least made more of an effort with its two-door body and full soft top, was nonetheless an embarrassing failure that expired with the second-generation Murano in 2014. Land Rover's first-generation Range Rover Evoque already had a two-door body style when it, too, took a stab at the idea with the Evoque Convertible for 2017. The Evoque was already something of a high-end fashion statement, so maybe the beautiful people who summer in the Hamptons or the south of France would want to bop around town in a baby SUV that allowed them to show off their fabulous selves. Turns out, no. The Evoque convertible pointedly was left on the shelf (along with the two-door hardtop) when the model was redesigned for 2020. Maybe things will be different for Fiat. In Europe, the 500X convertible will go up against the only other vehicle of its type, Volkswagen's T-Roc Cabriolet. At the launch of that VW in late 2019, Volkswagen's board member in charge of marketing asserted that the idea of combining a convertible and a crossover was "a great opportunity," and yet he also said, "From a rational side, you would never go into the cabriolet market.” For Fiat — as well as for Volkswagen — it's likely that one of those sentiments will prove correct.

Ferrari to launch new model every year, keep production limited

You've no doubt perused the big news coming out of Fiat-Chrysler's headquarters in Auburn Hills, MI today. But at the end of the brand discussions, Sergio Marchionne spoke briefly about an incredibly important, low-volume part of the Fiat-Chrysler empire: Ferrari.
"You do need one of these cars in your driveway," Marchionne joked. And while other brand heads today lined out detailed plans for future product, Sergio's words about Ferrari's next five years were very simple, and very vague.
Marchionne confirmed that Ferrari will launch a new car every year between now and 2018. The cars will have a four-year lifecycle, after which, "M" versions will be produced, with a separate four-year cadence. No specific models were mentioned during Marchionne's presentation.