2014 Fiat 500l Trekking on 2040-cars

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1960s Fiat 500F becomes 960-piece Lego Creator Expert kit

Properly restored, the rear-engined Fiat 500 released in 1957 is worth more than most late-model front-engined examples. Lego is making it more accessible by adding a 1960s 500F model to its Creator Expert line of kits. This isn't the first Lego Fiat 500 we've seen, but we're not sure if this official one is related to the unofficial one we last saw back in 2018. The 960-piece set measures about four inches high, nine inches long, and four inches wide, meaning it will take up quite a bit of space on your desk. Lego recreated the 500's proportions with surprising accuracy, and its designers included details like the round headlights, the chromed emblem on the front fascia, the dish-shaped hubcaps, and the vented rear decklid. It's not as realistic as a die-cast model, but it's recognizable as a 500. Opening the hood reveals the gas tank and the spare tire — just like on the real car. Lego has thankfully left out the rust that tends to develop in the battery tray, which is right behind the front fascia. Both doors open to reveal a three-spoke steering wheel with a Fiat logo, a moving gear selector, a handbrake lever you can raise and lower, as well as a folding soft top — again, just like on the actual 500F. Lower the decklid to find the Danish firm's best rendition of Fiat's air-cooled twin, which in real life develops 18 horsepower and 22 pound-feet of torque in the 500F. Zero to 60 mph (its top speed) optimistically takes about a minute if you're on flat ground with a favorable tail wind. The replica's zero-to-60-mph time depends on what you're carrying it in. It totes a suitcase on its back everywhere it goes, and the kit includes a painting of a 500 in front of the Coliseum propped up on an easel. Lego will release its Fiat 500 on March 1. Sold online and through authorized retailers, it's priced at $89.99, which makes it a bargain compared to a vintage one. The catch is that you can't take it out for gelato. If you'd rather invest in one you can drive to cars and coffee, there's a 1967 500F just like the one Lego offers in its kit listed in the Hemmings classifieds for the princely sum of $29,500, or about $27 per pound — yikes. Related Video: Featured Gallery Fiat 500F Lego kit View 14 Photos Toys/Games Fiat

The Fiat 500X packs 2.4 liters of disappointment

Our long-term 2016 Fiat 500X is a fine little crossover that's nearly undone by a underwhelming and often frustrating powertrain. The 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder/nine-speed automatic combo can be found in a number of FCA products. In every single application I've used this engine, the takeaway has been the same: It's a boat anchor. I like our 500X, I really do. I haven't spent as much time behind the wheel as I would like, but I've put thousands of miles on its platform twin, the Jeep Renegade, and two vehicles are essentially the same underneath. The Tigershark 2.4-liter makes 180 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque, good numbers on paper, but in practice the engine is buzzy and slow to rev. The engine feels dated. In contrast, the base 1.4-liter turbocharged engine feels much more lively despite being down 20 horsepower. The low-end grunt is owed to the 9 additional pound-feet of torque the engine makes over the 2.4-liter. It may not match it on the top end, but not many people are running a 500X to redline. The issue I have is that the 2.4-liter is the only available option on the higher-spec models like our Trekking Plus, so if you want some options you're stuck with this engine. The 2.4-liter is exclusively paired to a 9-speed automatic transmission that's built by ZF. As great as some of ZF's other gearboxes are, this 9-speed is varying degrees of bad in every application that I've used it, including the Honda Pilot, Acura TLX, and Jeep Cherokee and Renegade. Shifts can be abrupt, and the manic transmission is constantly hunting in an effort to find the most fuel-efficient gear. More than once I've been left waiting for a kick down in order to move with some gusto. Don't let my harping about the powertrain warp your vision of the 500X. It's a fun little vehicle and arguably Fiat's best product (the 124 Spider is mostly Mazda), but it's frustrating when a pleasant little crossover is brought down by such a lackluster powertrain, made worse by knowing the 1.4-liter is so much better. There's an easy fix, Fiat: Offer the 1.4-liter in all engine trims. And to be fair, it's almost kind of fun around a racetrack. See the video below. Related Video:

Maserati planning second smaller SUV?

Maserati's product plans have taken a few wild turns, but as we get closer to production dates for the long-awaited offerings things are getting a wee bit clearer. The the sixth-generation Maserati Quattroporte is here, and a quick recap according to a report in Car and Driver has the smaller Ghibli sedan on Chrysler's LX/LY platform next, then the next-generation GranTurismo coupe and cabrio on a Maserati platform, then the Kubang SUV concept (pictured) that, for production, will become the larger Jeep-Cherokee-based Levante SUV.
All of which gets us to 2015. That same year, according to the report, the Levante will get a brother: a smaller SUV or crossover, perhaps sized like the Kubang concept, to challenge the Audi Q5 and the Porsche Macan. It is predicted to use the Compact US Wide platform, built for front-wheel and all-wheel-drive vehicles, that supports the Dodge Dart and 2014 Alfa Romeo Giulia. In addition to giving the premium brand a competitor in what is a very popular segment, a Maserati move slightly downmarket can help fill a gap while Fiat brass figures out what to do with Lancia.