Battery-Powered Fiat 500e Reportedly Sold Out for 2013

It seems that EV buyers from California see the sense made by the battery-powered Fiat 500e, which is exclusively sold in the sunny West Side state, because according to a report from Wards Auto, they have sold out the production run for the remainder of the year. However, it isn’t specified exactly how many that means – can’t be a lot, since it’s only been available since April. Read more »

Fiat Shows What Would've Occured If the Italians Had Invaded America Instead of the British

Fiat is promoting the North American launch of the 500L five-seat MPV with a funny commercial that shows “how different America might have been if the Italians had invaded instead of the British.” The ad is really funny, even more given the historical inaccuracies in the video. Read more »

Fiat Brings Backs Gucci Edition 500 and 500c for the 2013MY, Prices Start from $23,750*

If you live in the States and missed out on last year's limited run Gucci Edition Fiat 500 hatch and 500c roll-back canvas top (Fiat likes to call it a convertible, but we all know it isn't) models, we have some good news for you as the Italian carmaker is bringing them both back for the 2013MY.

The only difference with the previous model year version is the addition of a new Gucci-themed Nero (black) monotone interior environment that is offered alongside the original Gucci two-tone color schemes for the cabin.

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Is Ford Looking to Kill Off the Ka Mini?

The future of Ford’s smallest vehicle, the Ka city car, doesn't look too promising. According to a Ford senior marketing executive, the Ka has been left out of a new, brand-wide advertising campaign, which could mean the minicar will be discontinued.

"For quite a long time we have not produced new advertising. It is considered a stand-alone vehicle," Elena Cortesi, Ford of Europe's director of social media, was quoted as saying by AutoNews Europe.

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Disgruntled Serbian Fiat Employee Reportedly Vandalized 31 500Ls with a Screwdriver!

A Serbian assembly line worker from Fiat’s Kragujevac plant has reportedly vandalized 31 half-assembled 500L MPVs with a screwdriver. The worker scratched curse words and offensive messages on the cars’ bodies.

The exact content of the messages was not disclosed, but it appears the curses were aimed at the management of the plant, including the general manager and the workers’ Italian supervisors. Recently there have been tensions between management and workers as parts shortages delayed production, with trade unions saying workers had been forced to work long hours and had been denied cigarette breaks.

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1964 Fiat 500D is Pure Happiness on Wheels

The original Fiat 500 was the car that put Italy on wheels after World War 2. The name 500 came from the engine’s size of only 500 cubic-centimeters, a normal size in post-war Europe. Its miniscule dimensions – just 2.97 meters/117 inches long and 1.32 meters/52 inches wide, helped it insinuate on the narrow and crowded streets of Italy’s old cities. Read more »

Scoop: Fiat's Supersized 500L, the New 500XL, Caught Undisguised

Fiat is planning to turn around its entire range by projecting the Panda and the 500’s image on its upcoming models, just like it recently did with the 500L small minivan. The Italian carmaker is preparing to launch the 500X small crossover and the 500XL, which is a 200-mm (7.9-in) longer, 7-seat version of the 500L. Read more »

Fiat to Reportedly Model Its Entire Range Around the 500 and Panda by 2016

The bulk of Fiat brand’s sales has been made up in recent years by just two models, the Panda and its posh sibling, the 500 – both based on the same architecture.

To emulate the success of these models in the upper segments, Fiat is said to be planning to model its entire range around the two city cars, according to a Car magazine report. The first result of this strategy is the 500L minivan, which borrows styling cues from the iconic 500, but plays in the league of B-segment MPVs.

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Fiat Begins Selling 500e in California for $32,500, Lease for $199 Per Month

The electric car family has welcomed a new member, the Fiat 500e, official pricing information for which has just been released for the US state of California, where it will be exclusively sold and leased. First deliveries of the all-electric 500 will begin in the Golden State this summer, but it is now available for order. Read more »

Insane Classic Fiat with Lamborghini V12 is the Godfather of all 500s

Stuffing a 6.2-liter V12 from the Lamborghini Murcielago onto the rear axle (and much of the interior) of an old Fiat 500 sounds like a job for a very determined mechanic. Finding the necessary space to fit such a big engine inside a tiny bodywork like the 500’s can be quite a discouraging enterprise.

However, the job was nothing that the the crew at Oemmedi Meccanica couldn’t handle, with the Italian aftermarket specialists successfully turning one of the world’s most “peaceful” cars into an absolute beast.

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Fiat Boss Confirms Automatic Transmission for Sporty Abarth 500 Models

Even before automatic or dual-clutch transmissions became the norm for most automakers, any foreign company that wanted to have a moderate success in the U.S. market always offered a two-pedal option for its models. One exception is Fiat's Abarth sub-brand.

If you visit the Italian carmaker's U.S. website and select the "Powertrain" section from the "Choose Options" menu, the only choice you get is an "Engine Block Heater", as both the Abarth 500 Coupe and Cabrio are offered exclusively with a six-speed manual gearbox.

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An American Paid $104,000 for Chopped Fiat 500 Tender2 by Castagna Milano

Have you ever wanted a Fiat 500, which was modified by a renowned Italian coach builder specifically for beach use, complete with a shower, champagne cooler and yacht-like wood veneer? If the answer is no, then shame on you for not thinking outside the box, and if the answer was yes, well, just keep on reading. Read more »

Fiat 500 Abarth Tenebra and 500 Cativa Concepts on Display in Detroit [Live Photos]

It may not be a standalone brand yet, as reports have suggested, but the 500 family is nevertheless expanding rapidly with five-door minivan and crossover offsoots.

That’s not to say that Chrysler’s Italian partner has left the standard, three-door 500 alone: after introducing the 160HP 500C Abarth and the all-electric 500e at LA last November, today it unveiled two design concepts at the 2013 North American International Auto Show.

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Did You Notice Something Out of Place in this Picture?

Here's a hint; unlike the original Fiat Cinquecento produced from 1957 to 1975, which sported a two-cylinder, air-cooled engine positioned at the rear end of the car turning the wheels right below it, its spiritual successor, the Nuova 500 of the 21st century, features a traditional layout with the engine mounted up front driving the front wheels.

Well, as the crew from Jalopnik eloquently put it on their posting, "someone is living in the past"…

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Nissan Says “Look Who’s Talking” After Fiat Implied that the Leaf is a Visual Pollution

It seems that “green” vehicles are the new field of confrontation between big automotive groups. After Ford attacked Toyota’s Prius claiming it’s inferior to the Blue Oval’s C-MAX Energi, Nissan and Fiat got into a fight about their EVs' designs.

Before the launch of the all-electric 500e at last week’s LA Auto Show, head of Fiat product marketing Matt Davis told Bloomberg News: “Let’s be honest, ugliness is probably one of the worst forms of pollution. The Fiat 500e proves that you do not have to give up on good looks to deliver an electric car.”

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Fiat 500c Abarth's New Topless Ad with Catrinel Menghia is Wickedly Cheeky

If there's one thing Fiat has proven to do well in North America, is capture viewers' attention with its ads - well, at least after it learned its lesson with those out of touch commercials starring Jenifer Lopez.

Exactly a year after the Italians launched the 500 Abarth “Seduction” spot with supermodel Catrinel Menghia at the 2011 LA Auto Show, at the same event this year, Fiat released a new commercial for its 500c Abarth, which is the partially open-top version of the series.

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Open Up and Say… Abarth: Fiat 500C’s Spicier 160HP Version Debuts in LA

The three-door 500 Abarth hatchback that is already available in the U.S. will be joined by its open-top sibling in early 2013.

Just like the hatch, the 500C Abarth that made its North American debut today at the LA Auto Show is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder. Its 160HP and 155 lb-ft (210), which rise to 170 lb-ft (230 Nm) in overboost mode are enough to accelerate the sporty city car from a standstill to 60 mph (96 km/h) “in the low seven-second range”, in Fiat’s own words.

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2014 Fiat 500e is a “Retro-Futuristic”, All-Electric Version of the Chic Italian City Car

The battery-powered iteration of Fiat’s 500 premium city car is finally here – and by here we mean the LA Auto Show, where it will make its world premiere and the state of California, where it will initially go on sale.

The 500e features a number of changes compared to its internal-combustion siblings. For example, its new bodywork has been shaped in the wind tunnel, resulting in a 13 percent reduction in drag thanks to improvements like the dot matrix front fascia, the restyled side sills, side mirrors, rear spoiler, flush-fitting 15-inch wheels and the underbody panels.

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Fiat Won't Offer its Pure-Electric 500e in Europe

At the 2012 LA Auto Show that begins with the press days on Wednesday, November 28, Fiat will display a trio of new models for the American market including the 500c Abarth with a foldable cloth top, the 500L five-door minivan, and the battery-powered 500e. Read more »

1 Millionth New Fiat 500 Leaves the Production Line 5 Years After launch

Fiat has reached a new milestone in the production of its "Nuova" (which is Italian for "New") 500 as the 1 millionth example of the retro-styled city car has just rolled off the manufacturer's Fiat Auto Poland assembly line.

The milestone model is a Lounge version finished in a three-layer Funk White color and fitted with Fiat’s 69HP 1.2-liter engine.

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