2012 Fiat 500 Gucci Convertible on 2040-cars

Auto blog

FCA CEO Manley says alliances are still possible but aren't necessary

DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Chief Executive has a message for Renault SA and other would-be partners: We are happy to talk, but we can go it alone. "Strategically, we have a solid future and clear plans that are being invested in and are underway now," Mike Manley said during a session with reporters the day after the company released better than expected second-quarter results. "That isn't to say if there is a better future through an alliance or partnership or merger we wouldnÂ’t be open and interested to it." Fiat Chrysler is open to re-starting merger negotiations with French automaker Renault, Manley said, but added the French car maker is not the only potential partner to gain scale or plug gaps in Fiat Chrysler's technology or vehicle lineup. "To say are they the only opportunity, the answer to that question would be a definitive ‘No,Â’" Manley said. Fiat Chrysler in June withdrew a $35 billion merger proposal with Renault after French government officials intervened in the talks and sought to delay a decision on the deal. The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Renault and Nissan are trying again to reshape their alliance and resolve disagreements that helped to derail the merger talks with Fiat Chrysler. Fiat Chrysler has a commercial vehicle partnership with French rival Peugeot SA, and the two companies discussed a broader combination before Fiat Chrysler made its offer to Renault, people familiar with the situation have said. Manley said automakers are not the only potential partners. "There are cooperations that can help in specific technologies. There are cooperations as we think about the consumer-car interface," he said. "You could see collaborations that never would be there in the past." Fiat Chrysler's North American business is strong thanks to Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs, but in other markets the automaker faces continued challenges. The company is overhauling its mass-market business in Europe, which is anchored by the Fiat brand. Fiat Chrysler's Europe, Middle East and Africa operations were marginally profitable in the second quarter and achieved 1.8% profit margin in 2018. Manley has set a goal of 3% operating margins, well short of the 10% margins the company forecast for North America.

2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year entries announced

Over 40 vehicles will compete for the 2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year awards. If that name looks a little strange, it's because the competition added a third category. In years past, pickup trucks, crossovers, SUVs, commercial vans, and minivans competed for the same award. That's why there were occasionally weird comparisons, like last year's competition between the Volvo XC90 and Nissan Titan XD. The new format separates pickups and commercial vans into the truck contest and CUVs, SUVs, and minivans into the utility competition. A complete list of eligible vehicles is below, but here are a few highlights. For one, the entire list of entries has a luxurious lean. Of the 43 vehicles, nearly half of them are from premium brands. There are two eligible Bentleys – the Bentayga and Mulsanne – the Rolls-Royce Dawn, Jaguar F-Pace, Audi Q7, and the Mercedes-Benz GLS-, E-, and S-Class Maybach. The performance ranks are lofty, too, with the Audi R8, Acura NSX, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Mercedes SL- and SLC-Class, Porsche 718, and F-150 Raptor. The mainstream entries are just as comprehensive. From the Chrysler Pacifica to the Chevrolet Cruze to the Fiat 124 Spider to the Mitsubishi Mirage, NACTOY has covered an enormous price range with this year's contestants. Of course, these are only the eligible vehicles. They'll need to run through three rounds of judging, starting in September at NACTOY's traditional Hell, MI, test drive. The Canadian and American journalists involved in the judging will announce this year's nine finalists – three in each category – on December 6. Cars Acura NSX Alfa Romeo Giulia Audi A4 Audi R8 Bentley Mulsanne Buick Cascada Buick LaCrosse Cadillac CT6 Chevrolet Bolt Chevrolet Cruze Fiat 124 Genesis G90 Hyundai Elantra Infiniti Q60 Jaguar XE Kia Cadenza Lincoln Continental Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan Mercedes-Benz S550 Maybach Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class Mini Clubman Mitsubishi Mirage/G4 Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman Rolls-Royce Dawn Toyota Prius Prime Volvo S90 SUVs Audi Q7 Bentley Bentayga Buick Envision Cadillac XT5 Chrysler Pacifica GMC Acadia Infiniti QX30 Kia Sportage Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class Jaguar F-Pace Mazda CX-9 Nissan Armada Trucks Ford F-Series Super Duty pickups Ford F-150 Raptor Honda Ridgeline Nissan Titan half-ton Related Video: Featured Gallery Bentley Bentayga View 23 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub.

Stellantis to introduce hybrid versions of Fiat 500e EV, Jeep Compass

  MILAN — Fiat owner Stellantis said on Monday it would build a hybrid version of its 500e small electric car at its Mirafiori plant in Turin, Italy, amid a slowdown in electric car sales. The announcement came after Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares met in Turin with union representatives who had long been asking the company to boost production at Fiat's historic home with a new high-volume, cheaper model. The factory currently produces the 500e model, but a global slowdown in sales of fully electric vehicles has pushed Stellantis to significantly slow production rates, introducing protracted furlough periods for the plant's workers. "Carlos Tavares recalled the importance of offering affordable and high-quality cars for Italian customers," Stellantis said in a statement. It added that developing affordable cars also depended on external factors including lower energy costs, the development of a charging network for electric vehicles, and long-term subsidies for auto purchases. The move might help the automaker improve its relations with the Italian government, which has often criticized the group for its falling output in the country and for making some of its Fiat and Alfa Romeo models abroad. Stellantis — Italy's only major automaker — and the Rome government are in talks over a plan aimed at restoring the group's production in the country to 1 million vehicles by the end of this decade from around 750,000 last year. "The shared ambition with the Italian government to reach 1 million vehicles produced in Italy by 2030, will need a supportive business environment, currently impacted by electrification uncertainties and strong competition with new entrants to the market," the automaker said. FIM-Cisl union leader Ferdinando Uliano, who attended the meeting with Tavares, said Stellantis told him and others that production of the hybrid 500e would start in the first quarter of 2026 but did not give details about targeted output figures. Automotive News Europe, which first reported the hybrid 500 production earlier on Monday, said Stellantis was aiming for total annual output of 200,000 500s, including 125,000 hybrids, compared with fewer than 80,000 last year. The Franco-Italian carmaker also said it would build a hybrid version of the Jeep Compass SUV at the Melfi plant in southern Italy, and that production of the hybrid Fiat Panda city car made in Pomigliano near Naples could be extended.