2014 Fiat 500l on 2040-cars

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Fiat Chrysler, GM are trying 7-year 0% loans, online buying to lift plunging sales

With auto showrooms shut during the coronavirus pandemic, Fiat Chrysler and General Motors moved to reboot demand with seven-year, no-interest loans and programs allowing customers to buy vehicles online. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' new "Drive Forward" marketing program includes online shopping tools that will for the first time allow U.S. customers to complete the purchase of a vehicle through an FCA dealer without setting foot in a dealership, a company spokesman said. The move toward online sales and home delivery breaks with a long U.S. auto sector tradition of manufacturers giving franchised dealers control of sales to consumers. Dealers have fought Tesla 's efforts to sell vehicles directly to consumers through its website. GM and Fiat Chrysler's promotions of extended, no-interest loans — made less costly by the Federal Reserve's recent interest rate cuts — echo the "Keep America Rolling" sales push GM launched to jump start a paralyzed consumer market after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. But the pandemic has been pulling auto retailing into the digital age, with dealerships shuttered across the country and sales likely to take a further beating in April as social distancing guidelines remain in place.   Related: Auto sales drop in March as coronavirus hits demand, output   FCA shares were down 4.9% to $6.84 in afternoon trading in New York after the company posted a 10% drop in first-quarter U.S. auto sales, as the pandemic hurt demand and halted production from mid-March. The company, however, did not break out sales by month. General Motors reported its first-quarter sales fell 7% because of significant declines in March, and said customers can use its existing "Shop.Click.Drive." program to find, purchase and arrange for home delivery of a vehicle. A GM spokeswoman said across the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands the automaker has seen two to four times greater online site visits and sales leads than before the pandemic. Hyundai said earlier that its U.S. sales fell 43% in March due to the pandemic. "It goes without saying that the entire world is facing a tremendous challenge that is having a significant impact on business and our normal way of life," Randy Parker, vice president for sales at Hyundai Motor America, said in a statement. Toyota said its sales were down nearly 37% in March and 8.8% for the quarter. Nissan reported a 27% drop in first-quarter sales.

2017 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth | Drivers Notes

We spent the week with a Grigio Argento Aluminum 2017 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth, known to many simply as the Fiata. As you may know, the 124 Spider is heavily based on the current ND Mazda Miata. In fact, both cars are built side-by-side in Hiroshima, Japan. The Miata has been a staff favorite for years, so we were interested to see how Fiat would handle the changes. While there are a lot of shared components between the two models like styling and suspension tuning, the biggest changes are under the hood. Fiat swapped the Miata's 2.0-liter naturally aspirated inline-four for a 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-four. In Abarth trim, the 124 Spider makes 164 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, slightly more than the Miata (though that's offset by a bit of extra weight). Associate Editor Reese Counts: I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this car. The current Miata is nearly flawless when it comes to driving dynamics, so I was afraid Fiat's alterations would undermine what is a fundamentally good vehicle. My fears were almost immediately put to rest. While I'm still not sure I would buy one over a Miata, I can totally recommend it to less performance-minded friends. The suspension is less firm and provides less body roll than the Miata, the latter one of my chief complaints about the Mazda. The transmission isn't as slick as the newer one in the Miata, but the turbo engine it's mated to provides plenty of character. The extra torque provides plenty of kick off the line thanks to minimal turbo lag. On paper, it's really no quicker, but around town it feels like it has a bit more grunt. In a canyon or on a track, I think I would still prefer the Miata. The 124 Spider's looks have grown on me a lot since the reveal in 2015. Honestly, I really didn't like it at first, maybe because I was so in love with the Miata's design. Taken on its own, the 124 Spider really is a pretty thing, with plenty of touches that harken back to the old model. Most important for me, they fixed the terrible, terrible seats in the Miata with new padding and covers. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Senior Producer Eddie Sabatini: I took the 124 Abarth Spider home two days this week, and it was two days of fun. Do I like the Miata better? Yes. For my money, the MX-5 drives better, looks better, and feels better but it's not the runaway contest I thought it would be before I got behind the wheel of the 124.

2013 Fiat 500e

Cinquecento's Electrifying One-Price Strategy Is A Gas
America's electric vehicle segment is getting crowded, but sales remain tiny compared to the overall market. Listening to EV pitchmen, a key phrase heard over and over is "no compromises." This particular EV, the seller says, offers all* the things you want in a car, without the gasoline and without compromises. That asterisk thing? Well, sure, the electric vehicle paradigm requires you rethink the "one car that does everything" mentality, but once that's out of the way, there are no compromises here. No siree.
Of course, all EVs require compromises - but the truth is that every car forces owners to make compromises. Big SUVs don't always fit into parking spaces and suck down fuel. Subcompacts can't hold a gaggle of children and dogs. High-performance sports cars compromise wallets. Once you wrap your head around the idea that choosing electric is an option just like vehicle size or color - where no one choice is right for everybody, even if it's perfect for some - the 2014 Fiat 500e, going on sale this summer, asks a simple question: when you're driving in a city, why would you drive anything except an EV?