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Fiat Titano revealed as rugged, body-on-frame pickup for global markets

Fiat has never sold a truck in the United States, but its name has appeared on a diverse selection of pickups in global markets. The brand's latest entry into the segment is named like a Nissan, shaped like a Peugeot, and due out on at least two continents in the coming months. Product planners opened a book about Greek mythology when the time came to name the truck. Nissan has already claimed the "Titan" nameplate, so Fiat picked the Italian spelling: Titano. The pickup's ties to Greece and Italy end there. It's a badge-engineered version of the Peugeot Landtrek, which was developed jointly with China-based Chang'an and has been on sale in a handful of countries since 2020. Like the Landtrek, the Titano stretches 212.2 inches long in double-cab configuration, 75.6 inches wide, and 71.6 inches tall. These figures make it about an inch longer, almost exactly as wide, and around three inches lower than the latest version of the Ford Ranger. Buyers in some markets, like Algeria, will also have a 209.8-inch long single-cab version to choose from. The line-up also includes several trim levels ranging from basic variants with black bumpers and steel wheels to more upmarket-looking versions with alloy wheels and a touchscreen. On the Algerian market, power for the Titano comes from a 1.9-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine rated at 147 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Rear-wheel-drive and a six-speed manual transmission come standard, and four-wheel-drive is optional. The truck offers a 2,500-pound payload, though its towing capacity hasn't been published, and it features old-school rear leaf springs in the name of simplicity. Fiat singled out Algeria and Brazil as the Titano's main markets, though the model could later land in other countries. On the Brazilian market, it will join a pair of unibody models called Strada and Toro, respectively. Don't expect to see it in the United States, however.

Sergio Marchionne, the man who saved Fiat and Chrysler, dies at 66

MILAN — Sergio Marchionne, one of the auto industry's most demanding and tenacious chief executives, who rescued Fiat and Chrysler, two of its most storied brand, has died after complications from recent surgery. He was 66. The gruff chief executive spent 14 years at the wheel of Fiat Chrysler, the group he built. He was replaced as boss last weekend after his condition worsened. In Italy, where his turnaround of Fiat earned him legendary status, he was treated like a rock star. The former philosophy student and accountant almost never wore a tie and preferred casual sweaters, half-joking that it saved him time on dressing. A heavy smoker until giving up the habit a year ago, he was known for working extraordinarily long hours before falling ill. He demanded others keep a similarly grueling schedule, earning him a reputation from friends and foes alike for being stubborn and arrogant. "I feel like I live in a tunnel. He is not just demanding; he wants all your life devoted to him," said one banker who worked with Marchionne on various deals in recent years. Some could not keep up with his round-the-clock approach. Another banker who worked with Marchionne said he would receive emails from him at all hours, even in the middle of the night. In his last public appearance on June 26, wearing his signature sweater, Marchionne appeared fatigued and out of breath as he presented a Jeep Wrangler to Italy's paramilitary police, the Carabinieri, at a ceremony in Rome. Days later, he went to Switzerland to undergo what Fiat Chrysler (FCA) described as a shoulder operation. FCA has not said what happened after he left the operating theater, but according to media reports in Italy, the surgery was for an invasive sarcoma he had known about for some time but had not revealed to his boss, FCA Chairman John Elkann. The reports say he underwent a risky surgery in Switzerland but developed a cerebral embolism on the operating table that left him in a coma. In an emergency board meeting at the weekend, FCA chose the head of its Jeep division, Mike Manley, as his successor. On Wednesday, Elkann announced that the longtime CEO had passed away, saying: "Sergio Marchionne, man and friend, is gone." Marchionne has done what many thought impossible, most notably his huge gamble just over a decade ago when he set in motion the marriage between the then-ailing Fiat with bankrupt U.S. rival Chrysler. It is now the world's seventh-largest carmaker and is debt-free.

Fiat Chrysler denies rumors that Ferrari SpA is moving to London

It seems that reports of Ferrari's relocation to London have been somewhat exaggerated. The past few days have seen more than a few stories on the legendary Italian brand's decision to move its tax base out of Italy, and now Fiat Chrysler is speaking out against the scuttlebutt. "These rumors have no grounds," FCA said in a statement obtained by Reuters. "There is no intention to move the tax residence of Ferrari SpA outside Italy, nor is there any project to delocalize its Italian operations, which will continue to be subject to Italian tax jurisdiction." Ferrari's move to London was based on two beliefs. First, that the company would benefit from being located nearer the investor community, should it be listed on a European exchange. FCA, though, said a European listing was only a "possibility," according to Reuters. Instead, the company will be listed on an American market. Aside from the move to benefit investors, it was believed Ferrari was looking to relocate to escape Italy's more oppressive corporate tax rate, which sits around at 31.4 percent, compared to the UK's 20 percent, Bloomberg reports. This denial by Fiat Chrysler, though, should be enough to close the book on Ferrari leaving Italy, no matter how much sense it might make. Related Video: