More News on 5-Door Fiat 500 (UPDATE)

*UPDATE: Fiat has jsut released a pic of what the 500L is going to look like. Click past the jump to check it out.

If the Fiat 500 is just a tad too much on the small side for you, stay tuned because there is actually a five door coming.

Dubbed as the 500L, the five door version will get a taller roof line than the three door and will ride on the same chasis of the Fiat Punto. The 500L is expected to be slightly wider as well.

Likely to power the 500L is a 1.4 litre Multi-air four cylinder to make about 105 horsepower. A diesel option is expected as well, but whether or not that makes it to Canada is anyone’s guess. And if you’re a gambler I’d suggest betting against a diesel version gracing our shores.

The 500L will officially debut at this year’s Geneva Auto Show and will go on sale in Europe in July. North American sales will probably begin in the fall.

The 500L joins an already various 500 line up with the three door, cabriolet, and Abarth. An all electric version is planned down the road as well.

[Autoblog Canada]

Read the rest of this entry »

Official: 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth

Fiat released an official image of the 500 Abarth a  while back and now we have even more images and official specs to digest.

The 500 Abarth will, as speculated, use a 1.4 litre Multi-Air engine that is both intercooled and turbocharged to 160 horsepower. 16 inch wheels are standard with 17′s optional (it’s also optional to have them painted either white or black) along with an upgraded rolling stock, suspension and brakes.

Inside you’ll fine highly bolstered bucket seats, a flat bottomed thick rimmed steering wheel, turbo boost gauge, shift light and sat-nav.

No price has been mentioned yet which I suspect will be the main factor of whether 500 Abarth sales keep an upward trend. And you know Fiat 500 Abarth vs. Mini Cooper S comparos are just itching to get underway so this should make for a very interesting segment.

Head over to Autoblog for more pics.

[Fiat]

Fiat 500 Abarth Confirmed for Canada

The adorable Fiat 500 has officially been on sale in Canada for a few months now and is selling relatively well. And while the little Italian bug is fairly impressive in its current form, it’s leaving us performance enthusiasts begging for a hotted up version like Mini has with the John Cooper Works edition of the Mini Cooper. Abarth is Fiat’s main tuning company and they are mostly famous for injecting performance in the 500. Fiat has hinted for a while that the 500 Abarth will come to Canada, but now it’s officially confirmed.

There are few details about what the North American version of the Abarth 500 will look like, but it’s confirmed that a new 1.4 litre MultiAir turbocharged 4 cylinder will be the unit of choice from Abarth. It’s estimated that it will produce anywhere between 130 horses to 160. That may not sound like a lot but considering the 500’s size and weight, there will be no shortage of elevens it could produce on the tarmac. In addition, the 500 Abarth will get upgraded brakes, a fully revised suspension along with a host of performance enhancing technologies complete with a more aggressive look. The pic above is what our North American version will look like.

The 500 Abarth will officially make its North American debut at the LA Auto Show this year and we’ll likely have a better sense of the specs then.

In addition to the Abarth, there will be three other versions of the 500 that will be made available for Canada: a cabriolet, a five door and an all-electric three door.

[Fiat]

Fiat 500 vs. Mini Cooper Canadian Sales Numbers Are In

The Fiat 500, a relative newcomer and arguably the only true competitor to the Mini Cooper, has been for sale on our shores now for the past few months. It is also Fiat’s first model for sale in North America in decades and it takes aim squarely at the offering from Britain Germany. The Mini Cooper has been for sale in Canada for close to a decade now and has been doing well since its introduction. It’s no secret that Canadians love hatchbacks and we love micro hatchbacks even more. So the question is, who is the sales leader so far?

Well the Fiat 500 has sold 889 units. The Mini Cooper’s sales over the same period were 475. Looks like the 500 has taken an early lead. This is likely due to the hype surrounding the return of Fiat, its low starting price and the strong marketing campaigns. In fact, it’s reported that the 500′s success in North America is so important that it’s delaying (possibly indefinitely) Lancia badged Chryslers from crossing the pond.

Chrysler is heavily relying on our market specifically for the 500′s success and it looks like it’s paying off as the 500 even beat U.S 500 sales by 7 units. That doesn’t seem like all that much, but it’s extraordinarily rare that any model from any brand outsells the U.S sales.

Things are looking good so far. Will Chrysler be able to maintain those sales once the hype dies down? I’ll have to get a review of the 500 up quite soon. Getting one to drive seems to be easier said than done, however. Stay tooned.

[BMW Canada, Chrysler Canada]

No Lancias Coming to Canada?

With the Fiat 500 officially on sale on our shores, it’s just the first of Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne’s plan of an Italian invasion. We will see many more Fiats, the return of Alfa Romeo, and even some Lancias. Or will we?

According to reports, the idea to bring the Lancia Ypsilon (pictured above) and the Lancia Delta has been shelved. The latter was even shown off at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show badged as a Chrysler. So, what gives? Well, apparently the launch of the Ypsilon was too close for comfort to the launch of the Fiat 500. There was a fear of the Ypsilon stealing the 500′s time to shine in the spotlight and cannibalizing 500 sales.

I can buy that, but why not just stagger the launches? Why cancel the plans all together?

Plans to sell the Chrysler 200, 200 convertible, 300 and Town & Country are apparently still on, however. They will be badged as Lancias.

So, not the greatest news, but I guess we should thank our lucky stars that we’re getting any Italian cars in the first place.

[Italiaspeed]

First Fiat 500 Models Already Sold Out

If you wanted to be among the first to own a Fiat 500 in Canada, bad news. They’re all gone. Chrysler Canada announced today that five hundred models of the 500 Prima Edizione sold out in 12 hours.

Reid Bigland, president and CEO of Chrysler Canada had this to say about it:

“I don’t think Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Leafs and the Canadiens would sell out this fast”

What a moronic thing to say. While 12 hours is pretty impressive, why don’t you call up Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini to find out how fast their limited models sell out. We’re talking minutes here.

So far as I can tell, the 500 Prima Edizione only has special edition badging so if you didn’t get one, it’s probably not a big deal. Just wait until early 2011 for get your hands on a regular one.

[Canadian Driver]

First Fiat 500 Sold In Canada Goes For $85,000

And it wasn’t even the Abarth edition like the one pictured above!

The first of undoubtedly many Fiat 500′s in Canada was sold at auction in Windsor, Ontario at the anual Venetian Ball. What is the Venetian Ball? Well it’s a charity dinner that helps support elderly Italian-Canadians. So it seems quite fitting that the premium the Fiat sold for was for something Italian.

Chrysler says the $85,000 bid for the 500 is proof that there is lots of “enthusiasm” and “excitement” for the 500 to officially go on sale. For once, I actually agree with Chrysler. I genuinely believe they have a winner on their hands.

The $85,000 500 itself was a limited-edition model which features Prima Edizione badging. My Italian is rusty, but I’m pretty sure that just means “limited edition”.

The Fiat 500 will be available for all to buy by the end of 2010. And the good news is, it will be much cheaper than $85,000.

[Canadian Driver]

Toronto Street Graced With Fiat Goodness

The good folks over at Auto North apparently got a quite a treat in the neighbourhood of Kings West, Toronto as they spotted a Fiat 500 parked on the street! Fiat is apparently hyping up the upcoming release of the lovable lil’ hatch in our market. If you live in Montreal you may see a similar sight as well as ciaofiat.ca is claiming some promotion there too. How about some promotion down in Halifax, Fiat!

Also spotted was a Nissan Micra which was filming scenes for a commercial for its UK market. It’s still up in the air whether the Micra will be offered in our market, but Autoblog Green is reporting that the next generation Micra will indeed come to the USA next year. And there’s no way Nissan would ever sell a small hatch in the U.S and not here in Canada where it’s likely to sell better anyway.

[Auto North]

Chrysler Counting on Canada

Of all the Amurrican manufacturers, it could be argued that Chrysler has the least competitive portfiolio save for the Caravan and the Ram. Ford and GM have recently stepped up their game and we’re patiently awaiting for Chrysler to do the same.

We have high hopes for the brand now that Fiat is at the helm, especially since they have promised to bring over the adorible and highly entertaining Fiat 500 to our shores.

But Fiat is apparently really depending on us Canadians specifically to help give Chrysler their boost.

Counter to our neighbours down south, we Canucks love small cars, and we love our small hatchbacks even more. As a result, the sub compact segment here is expected to be the top segment to compete in, and there is definitely some tough competition from already established players like the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris. Ford will throw the Fiesta and Mazda2 into the fray very soon, Volkswagen is strongly toying with bringing the Polo over, and GM is promising that the new Aveo will be nothing like the old one (meaning it will actually be a decent car).

Therefore the Fiat 500 is imperitive for Chrysler.

The 500 was one of the most popular cars showcased at this year’s Toronto Auto Show, and Chrysler smells a winner by bringing it over.

“Chrysler Group LLC’s alliance with Italy-based Fiat Auto SpA likely spells payoff for the Pentastar company’s Canadian-market sales,” said Reid Bigland, Chrysler Canada’s CEO. If the 500 does well, it will set good precedent to bring over other Fiat models to Canada.

Expect the 500 at Canadian Chrysler dealers near the end of 2011.

All Electric Fiat 500 to See Production, USA Bound

At the Geneva Auto Show this year, Chrysler was showing off some models of its newest owner such as the little Fiat 500. There was also an electric version showcased, but Chrysler assured everyone that it was just a concept.
Well concept it ain’t no more as it has been officially announced that Fiat will indeed build the 500EV and it will see US showrooms via Chrylser dealerships.

There are very few details that are being released at the moment, but right now we know that the 500EV will be powered by an ‘advanced’ lithium-ion battery, a high power electric powertrain as well as an EV power control unit.

This new 500EV will surely be direct competition for BMW’s all-electric Mini Cooper E, which is currently undergoing the pilot phase in the States as you read this.

No word on whether or not the 500EV will see itself on our fine soil, but it’s pretty likely.

This is More Like It, Chrysler

Instead of pushing pink Challengers, this is the type of product you should be investing your time in if you really want to get your brand out of the gutter.

The adorable little Fiat 500 is reported to be coming to Canadian shores at the end of this year as a 2011 model, though it could be badged as a Chrysler, or more likely as a Dodge. That’s okay though, whatever it takes to get it here.

This car is immensely popular in Europe as it is fun to drive, cheap to own and buy and great on gas. With Ford’s Fiesta, the Mazda2 and King of the Hill Honda Fit, Chrysler is going to need a product like the 500 to truly be competitive in one of the fastest growing segments in our market.

It’s unlikely that the Abarth version (pictured above) will make it to our shores, sadly enough. But again, we’ll take whatever iteration of the 500 we can get at this point.

Hit the jump to watch the 500 Abarth SS review by our idol Jeremy Clarkson

Read the rest of this entry »