2019 Fiat 500x Pop Awd on 2040-cars

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Lapo Elkann calls out Renault Twingo for copying Fiat 500 [w/poll]

Small cars are becoming big business, especially for European automakers that are amping up the style. But is each new Euro city car's style unique?
Lapo Elkann is calling that into question. The brother of Fiat chairman John Elkann and the grandson of his late predecessor Gianni Agnelli is known as much as a style icon as he is for his work within the Fiat Group, which he has served in various capacities. He's combined the two by birthing various special editions of the Fiat 500 like the Gucci edition (to say nothing of his own denim-clad Ferraris), but now his eye is fixed on another European city car: the new Renault Twingo.
Posting photos of both vehicles on his Facebook page, Lapo is calling Renault out for what he sees as copying the Cinquecento's design.

2017 Fiat 124 Spider First Drive

If you've been following the protracted birth of this car, you probably know the basics: The 2017 Fiat 124 Spider is a Mazda MX-5 in an Italian-designed suit. It's built in Japan, and it was engineered by Mazda but sports a Fiat engine – shared bones, different philosophies. A quick Miata aside: When we found out the latest MX-5 had less power than the NC-generation car that came before it, what got shouted down was the fact that it's significantly lighter, and it's also a damn riot to drive. It doesn't need more power, and we reaffirm this belief every time we get in one. I did just that, driving one to the airport to catch a flight to San Diego this week. With the MX-5's charms freshly in mind, I drove the 124 Spider in both basic Classica and posh Lusso trims on-road, ­and briefly sampled the sportier Abarth version at a long autocross-style cone course. What I really wanted to know is how much Fiat character found its way into the latest evolution of the Japanese interpretation of the classic European roadster. Whereas the MX-5 is stretched drum-tight over its hardpoints, the 124 Spider has an extended nose and tail; since the wheelbase is unchanged, this manifests in larger overhangs. To be generous, this body stretch increases the trunk space slightly and improves cooling to the turbocharged engine, which faces more significant heat-management challenges than Mazda's 2.0-liter. It also gave Fiat's designers some room to incorporate scallops for the LED-equipped headlights that recall the sealed beams on the original Fiat 124 Spider from 1966, those iconic twin power bulges on the hood, and an angular grille. Whether you consider the 124 to be attractive on its own, in comparison to the MX-5, or an appropriate homage to the original car is entirely subjective, but I'll weigh in with mixed feelings. Sharing a platform has its challenges, and recall that Fiat came into this development process late. This was supposed to be an Alfa Romeo, remember? How that affected the design process isn't clear, and no one would cop to it, but it seems that the Fiat-ization of the MX-5 didn't happen at a leisurely pace, nor on Fiat's terms. I think it's less handsome than the MX-5 in general, but in certain colors (and in the Abarth trim) it's a looker. The front end is especially handsome, and the character line that kicks up at the door handle adds some real interest to the profile.

FCA US under-reported death and injury claims to NHTSA

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says FCA US significantly under-reported death and injury claims due to flaws in its early warning system. The government first discovered a potential problem with the automaker's reporting in late July, and FCA US has been investigating the issue since. NHTSA claims that the problem appears linked to the way the company gathers and reports safety information. The agency is still investigating how serious the flaws are and their causes. "This represents a significant failure to meet a manufacturer's safety responsibilities," NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind.Rosekind said in a statement. FCA US admits that it "identified deficiencies" in the reporting, but in a statement the company said that it notified NHTSA of the issue immediately. The company promised that it is taking this problem "extremely seriously" and pledged to remedy the situation. In late July, FCA US was hit with a potential $105-million fine by NHTSA for the way the automaker conducted some recalls. As part of that agreement, the company also consented to more rigorous oversight by safety regulators in the future and a buy-back of some affected vehicles. Other automakers have been punished for failing to submit EWR data. Honda incurred a $70 million fine in January from NHTSA for missing 1,729 incidents over 11 years. Ferrari had to pay $3.5 million in 2014 for not sending them in for three years. Statement from NHTSA Administrator, Mark Rosekind, on Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' under-reported discrepancy in FCA's Early Warning Report data September 29, 2015 "In late July, NHTSA notified Fiat Chrysler Automobiles of an apparent discrepancy in FCA's Early Warning Report data. FCA has informed NHTSA that in investigating that discrepancy, it has found significant under-reported notices and claims of deaths, injuries and other information required as part of the Early Warning Reporting system. Preliminary information suggests that this under-reporting is the result of a number of problems with FCA's systems for gathering and reporting EWR data. This represents a significant failure to meet a manufacturer's safety responsibilities. NHTSA will take appropriate action after gathering additional information on the scope and causes of this failure." – Mark Rosekind, NHTSA Administrator. Statement: TREAD Reporting September 29, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich.