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New 2019 Fiat 500X bows with standard AWD, 1.3-liter turbo four

Fiat is unveiling the U.S. version of the new 2019 500X all-wheel-drive subcompact crossover this week in Los Angeles, and it deviates slightly from the European refresh version we previewed in August and its U.S. predecessor, with a new engine and standard all-wheel drive. Instead of the three gasoline engines on offer across the pond or the two stateside, U.S. consumers will get a standard 1.3-liter, direct-injection turbocharged engine that produces 177 horsepower and a best-in-class 210 pound-feet of torque. Those are higher output figures than either the comparable European 1.3-liter or the 1.4-liter, and they compare with the 180 hp and 175 lb-ft offered by the outgoing 2.4-liter Tigershark engine. The new four-cylinder is fitted with stop-start technology and the third generation of FCA's MultiAir valve-actuation technology, which controls intake-valve timing and opening to recycle exhaust gas to offer improved power and fuel efficiency. Also reflecting American trends — and don't let the gear shifter knob fool you — there's no manual transmission on offer, with power instead mated to a nine-speed fully electronic automatic transmission. Three driving modes are on offer: a baseline Auto, performance-oriented Sport, and Traction +, which maximizes low-speed traction. Looks-wise, the basics are the same, with sharper creases, new LED head- and taillights, and redesigned front and rear fascias. The U.S. version continues the plastic body cladding defining the grille surround, a shape echoed at the rear. There are three wheel options — 17-inch silver aluminum for the Trekking model, 17-inch matte black machined wheels for the Treeking Plus, and 18-inch matte anthracite machined aluminum for Trekking and Trekking Plus (Pop is the entry-level trim). There are also three new exterior colors: Italia blue, green and ivory. Fiat designers refreshed the cockpit with new seat fabrics, a new instrument cluster and a new steering wheel with mounted radio controls. It comes with standard Connect 4 with a 7-inch touchscreen radio with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and Bluetooth features. Safety features include blind-spot monitoring, rear cross path detection and a rear backup camera with dynamic grid lines. Adaptive cruise control is offered as an option. The 500X will start at $25,785 including destination when it goes on sale next spring. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences.

Automakers, dealers are rushing cars to Houston after Harvey

DETROIT — Houston-area car retailers and automakers are rushing to reopen dealerships and beef up inventory to replace many hundreds of thousands of vehicles damaged in flooding from Hurricane Harvey. Pete DeLongchamps, vice president for manufacturer relations at Group 1 Automotive, the third-largest U.S. auto dealer group, said the company prepared for the storm with a plan designed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. This included moving moved inventory to higher ground and cleaning roof drains to avoid cave-ins. Group 1 thus lost a "relatively small percentage" of inventory and reopened its roughly 25 dealerships in the Houston and Beaumont area by Thursday. "Things have been moving fast and furious with a large number of tow-ins already," DeLongchamps said. "Our customers have lost a lot of vehicles, we need to help them replace." Harvey brought record flooding to Houston and killed at least 35 people. The storm is expected to briefly depress already slowing U.S. auto sales but could eventually help boost demand as damaged cars are replaced. Automakers report U.S. August sales on Friday. Estimates for the number of Harvey-damaged vehicles needing replacement range up to 500,000. By Thursday, AutoNation, the largest U.S. auto retail chain, had reopened its 17 Houston stores and is moving cars and trucks from other regions, company spokesman Marc Cannon said. The company plans to move 500 to 1,000 used cars to an AutoNation USA used car store and stage a sale Sept. 21-23, when many would-be buyers should have insurance checks to replace destroyed vehicles, Cannon said. AutoNation is still assessing how many vehicles it lost, but it too moved vehicles to higher ground ahead of the storm. General Motors spokesman Jim Cain said the number of damaged vehicles at dealerships "is relatively modest." "But there are still several dealerships that are inaccessible, so the number will increase," he said. GM will move new and used vehicles to Houston, "but it won't be done until the infrastructure and our dealers are ready." Ford is still assessing damage and inventory needs, a spokeswoman said. CarMax, the biggest U.S. used car dealer, will reopen its six Houston area stores on Labor Day, spokeswoman Claire Hunter said. "We are mobilizing additional inventory to the region as we speak," Hunter said. Paul Lips, chief operating officer at ADESA, a unit of KAR Auction Services Inc., which with Manheim dominates the U.S.

Hyundai reportedly eyeing a takeover of FCA

The CEO of Hyundai Motor Group plans to launch a takeover bid for Fiat Chrysler ahead of the planned retirement of FCA Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne next spring, Asia Times reports, citing unnamed sources close the situation. CEO Chung Mong-koo will wait for an expected decline in the Italian-American automaker's shares to make his move. Hyundai isn't commenting on the rumors, unsurprisingly, but would presumably stand to benefit by gaining Chrysler's dealer network and the lucrative Jeep brand and probably Ram, too. An FCA spokeswoman in Auburn Hills told Autoblog the company had no comment. But like any story about a possible takeover, this one gets complicated with inside players — and President Trump's posturing on international trade issues. FCA has been the subject of takeover interest before, including by Hyundai, but Marchionne has denied a merger was likely, instead saying his company was in talks with the Korean automaker about a technical partnership. In 2015, Marchionne lobbied General Motors hard, but unsuccessfully, for a tie-up; he was also spurned by Volkswagen. Marchionne had repeatedly stressed the need for car companies to merge to decrease overcapacity and better afford the massive investments needed for things like autonomous and electric vehicles. In the case of Hyundai's reported interest, there is a cast of characters. One is Paul Singer, principal of the hedge fund Elliott Management, an activist shareholder with a $1 billion stake in Hyundai and a major owner of equities in Fiat's home turf of Italy. Then there is FCA Chairman John Elkann, who reportedly disagrees with Marchionne on a successor as CEO of Fiat Chrysler but has little interest in running the company himself and would prefer a merger. Compounding things is what the Trump administration would think of a further blending of Fiat Chrysler's international DNA, though a deal with a Korean automaker is thought to be more palatable to the president and members of Congress than by a Chinese conglomerate like Great Wall Motor, which has confirmed its interest in taking over all or parts of FCA. The full Asia Times piece is here. Related Video: News Source: Asia TimesImage Credit: REUTERS/Rebecca Cook Chrysler Fiat Hyundai Jeep RAM Sergio Marchionne FCA merger takeover