Fiat may currently own a 25-percent stake in Chrysler, but that’s not enough for them: by the end of the year, says Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, the Italians will increase their stake to over 51% and own more than half of Chrysler. While not an outright merger (because Chrysler is probably pretty wary of those...
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The California New Car Dealers Association is accusing Chrysler of operating a factory store illegally in the Los Angeles area. The showroom, dubbed Motor Village L.A., was designed to boost Chrysler’s profile and show off their revised product lineup, as well as the new Fiat brand. The dealer group filed a petition with the California...
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Fiat’s 900cc TwinAir 2-cylinder turbocharged engine, currently available in the European market Fiat 500, has won critical acclaim for its performance and use of advanced technology, and the motor will soon be available in both the Alfa Romeo MiTo and Fiat Punto. The TwinAir will superceed the current base engines in both cars, rated at...
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Maserati‘s new GranTurismo MC Stradale might be using a nifty new single-clutch automated manual gearbox in its home market of Europe, but North America will get a ZF-built 8-speed automatic. The ZF unit is a precursor to Maserati’s further use of the gearbox, and frankly, North American consumers of the brand will likely not notice...
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Fiat will reportedly launch the U.S.-spec version of the 500 Convertible at the New York Auto Show in late April, with the car going on sale almost immediately. Just in time for Spring, the drop-top is unique in that it retains the roof structure, but trades rear glass and a metal top for a retractable...
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Despite claims by Fiat that its not letting go of Alfa Romeo, Volkswagen is continuing to put pressure on the powers-that-be to acquire the premium brand. Most recently VW chairman Ferdinand Piech commented that under the German automaker’s ownership sales of the Italian brand would quadruple. Now comes word that Volkswagen already has a complete...
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For all the hype surrounding the Fiat 500, Ford‘s CEO, Alan Mulally, has become one of its most prominent detractors, condemning the car to failure before it’s even launched. Speaking to the Italian language magazine Panorama, Mulally remarked “I do not see large market in the U.S.A. for a smaller car than the Fiesta. Those that tried...
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Now Chrysler, thanks to its alliance with Fiat is at it again, this time looking at bringing the IVECO daily to North American shores.
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For the fourth year in a row, the overall Fiat brand has produced the lowest CO2 emissions in Europe, a continent that actually pays attention to CO2 emissions figures. The brand’s average, 123.1 grams per kilometer, dropped 4.7g from last year. And from the past four years the company’s CO2 emissions have dropped 10 percent, from...
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Some of that Fiat influence is sneaking into Jeep, and more of it than expected. The brand is planning to launch a supermini SUV to compete against the MINI Cooper and Audi A1 (and, by extension, the Fiat 500) that will be even smaller than the Wrangler, while aping its macho styling cues. “There’s definitely...
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If you were one of the legions who lusted after an Alfa Romeo 8C but couldn’t afford the six-figure price tag – or get a spot on the waiting list – will have another shot at Milanese glory as Alfa debuted their 4C GTA concept. Rather than a big Maserati V8, the 4C is powered...
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Although Chrysler initially planned for an ambitious 165 dealer roll-out for their Fiat brand, so far only 12 dealers nationwide are operational, 8 more expected by the end of the week. Fiat said in September, 2010 that it wanted to see their dealerships open by the end of February, but only 30 to 40 franchises...
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Fiat and Gucci are among the strongest brands to emerge from Italy, and now they have partnered up to bring you a special edition version of the 500 super-mini. Creatively named the Fiat 500 by Gucci, the car is customized by Frida Giannini, the creative director of Gucci. The introduction of this special edition which...
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In the Fiat auto group, typically all the new high performance technology is developed by Ferrari and it eventually moves down the ladder to the other brands. However, if the latest reports from Maranello prove to be true, there might be a change in the direction of flow for technology in the near future. According...
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Ferrari head Luca Cordero di Montezemolo denied reports that the company was planning to go public. “There are no current plans (to list the company). Perhaps in three, four or five years. There is no project now. Maybe there never will be,” he told Reuters. There was brief speculation that Ferrari would be listed on...
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While speaking to Motor Trend, Fiat USA head Laura Soave told the magazine that in addition to new variants of the Fiat 500, there will be a new subcompact car arriving sometime around 2013, with a focus on the needs of the United States market. Soave did not specify what body styles would be offered,...
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The Chrysler Group of brands is set to unveil several new models at the Chicago Auto Show later this week, with rumors pointing towards a new commercial vehicle for the Ram truck brand. According to Automotive News, the vehicle will be, “a truck aimed at carpenters, plumbers and other tradesmen.” Ram (formerly Dodge trucks) already...
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After repeatedly voicing his interest in purchasing the Alfa Romeo brand from its Fiat parent company, Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piech today received a decisive answer. It’s just not the answer he was looking for. “As long as I am CEO of Chrysler and Fiat, Mr. Piech will never have Alfa Romeo. It’s hands-off,” said Fiat...
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With the Fiat 500 already on sale in North America (if you can find a dealer), the Italian automaker will expand its lineup with the addition of a convertible model this Spring. At the recent launch of the 500, Fiat North America CEO Laura Soave revealed that the 500C will be coming in Q2 of...
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As part of the new joint venture between Fiat and Chrysler, the two companies will build 280,000 SUVs a year at the new Fiat facility near Turin, Italy. The SUVs will be produced for the Alfa Romeo and Jeep brands. The Alfa SUV, the first for the 101-year-old sports car maker, will compete with offering...
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The Fiat 500 just missed the now coveted 40 mpg mark, returning 30 mpg in the city and 38 mpg highway with the 5-speed manual, while automatic versions will net 27 mpg in town and 34 mpg while cruising. While the numbers are nothing to frown about, expectations were higher considering the car’s 1.4L four-cylinder...
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Chrysler has said it expects 2011 revenue to increase by nearly a third, to $55 billion, with projected net income between $200 and $500. If those targets are met, then it’s highly likely, Chrysler stock will become publicly traded once again before the end of the year.
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Chrysler’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, automatic transaxle and AWD, currently offered on the Journey, are slated to join the options list down the road, but given high taxes and fuel costs in Europe, the vast majority of Freemonts sold there will be diesel powered.
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The launch of the 2012 Fiat 500 may present some problems for parent company Chrysler, as only 20 percent of Fiat franchises will be ready to go in time for the vehicle’s launch in late February. In addition, the initial batch of cars will only have manual transmissions, even though Fiat expects most 500s to...
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