Fiat 500 Sport 2013 Salvage Flood on 2040-cars

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Dodge Grand Caravan to live in fleets through 2017

After a hard-working career of hauling around families for decades, the Dodge Grand Caravan name was set to retire in 2016 under FCA's five-year plan for the US. The decision would have put all of the automaker's focus behind the next-generation Chrysler Town & Country, but that original strategy might have changed. Now, Dodge's minivan may have to work just a few more years before it can finally shuffle off. There are set to be 2016 and 2017 model year examples of the current Grand Caravan, according to an internal FCA production document obtained by Automotive News. This report suggests no changes in the minivan between those two years, and there's no mention of the company's intentions deeper into the future. "While we've announced the Grand Caravan will eventually be the minivan that goes away, we're not going into more detail at this time," a Dodge spokesperson said to AN. For the next Town & Country, production would start in Windsor, Ontario, in late February 2016. This document also suggests a brief run of 2016 Chrysler minivans based on the current model from August 2015 until February 2016. Automotive News speculates that the reprieve for the Grand Caravan could allow that model to focus on fleets and the Canadian market while the new Town and Country gets up and running. The latest generation T&C will reportedly debut at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show and will possibly carry a higher price to befit a vehicle with a more modern platform and improved tech.

Maserati looking to book 13,000 sales of new Quattroporte in 2013

Europe's continuing financial woe is forcing automakers to get creative, and while Fiat may be scaling back its volume vehicles, it's looking to ramp up production of the exclusive Maserati brand. Following the debut of a new Quattroporte sedan, Fiat wants to boost Maserati sales to 50,000 vehicles by 2015. Maserati may lose as much as €7 million ($9.05 million) this year, and Fiat is betting big on Chrysler platforms and dealers to turn that around.
Currently regarded as a low-volume boutique carmaker, Maserati sold just 6,159 units last year, and 4,700 units through three quarters of this year. For 2013, Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne is targeting 13,000 in sales of the redesigned Quattroporte alone. Fiat apparently wants the brand's low volume image to change, hoping to position it closer to BMW and Porsche in the market.
The recent unveiling of the new Quattroporte will be followed by more new vehicle launches, including a crossover utility called Levante, and a long-promised sub-Quattroporte sedan, called Ghibli. The latter will share certain components with the Chrysler 300 sedan in an effort to optimize production costs. The Ghibli will be positioned to take on the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. It's all in an effort to turn the profit tide for Maserati and its parent company Fiat amidst European economic turmoil.

Fiat is quitting the minicar segment it dominates

Fiat plans to exit the minicar segment its global empire is built on. Strict safety and emissions regulations looming over the European new car market will soon make developing pocket-sized models prohibitively expensive, so the Italian firm will shift its attention to the next segment up. "In the very near future, you will see us refocus on this higher-volume, higher-margin segment, and that will involve a move away from the minicar segment," announced Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) boss Mike Manley during a recent conference call with analysts. He didn't provide a specific time frame, but industry trade journal Automotive News speculated the move will happen by 2024. The 500 and the Panda, Fiat's entries in the segment, continue to sell relatively well in spite of their age. The 12-year old 500 was the 16th best-selling car in Europe in 2018; the eight-year old Panda finished in 20th position, but it led the Italian sales chart by a significant margin. Fiat already announced the next-generation 500 -- which likely won't be sold in the United States -- will only be offered with an electric powertrain, but the current car is expected to remain in production for as long as possible. The Panda's future is murkier; the 2019 Centoventi concept hinted at an electric replacement, but Manley's statement seemingly suggests Fiat shifted the project to the back burner. The next-generation 500 will make its debut at the 2020 Geneva auto show and go on sale shortly after. While the model will live on as an electric car, Fiat will focus on slightly bigger subcompact cars that enjoy thicker profit margins, like the Renault Clio and the Volkswagen Polo, Europe's second and third best-sellers (behind the Golf) in 2018. The Italian firm left the segment when it deep-sixed the Punto in 2018; it's now looking for a way back in. The on-going tie-up with Paris-based PSA Group would give it access to the new platform found under the Peugeot 208 and the Opel Corsa. It was developed with gasoline-, diesel-, and electric-powered drivetrains in mind. Fiat's rivals on the European market have recently come to a similar conclusion. The Ford Ka+ and the Opel/Vauxhall Karl retired earlier than expected, decisions partly blamed on sluggish sales, and Volkswagen will allegedly drop the gasoline-powered variant of the Up! to focus on the electric model. Smart's ForTwo and ForFour have gone electric-only.