Fiat's Marchionne driven to succeed | detnews.com | The Detroit News
With his slightly rumpled appearance and casual manner, Sergio Marchionne seems more like a jovial professor than a hard-driving businessman. But the chief executive of Fiat SpA is in fact an inexhaustible, demanding and effective corporate boss with a string of turnarounds to his credit. Now, as Fiat prepares to take a stake in Chrysler LLC and seeks to acquire General Motors Corp.'s European and Latin American operations, Marchionne, 56, is embarking on the biggest challenge of his career. While some...

Fiat shows off interior of 500 Convertible
Fiat’s 500 will make its world debut in just a few days at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, but the Italian automaker has decided to give us a sneak peak at the drop top’s interior. The official interior shots follow closely on the heels of a series of exterior leaked images. In production form, the small drop top will wear the 500 C nameplate. The 500 C will offer seating for four, although the rear seats will be a bit tight in true convertible fashion. The 500 C will also give up some cargo...

Sneak peek: Fiat's 500 Convertible | detnews.com | The Detroit News
This Fiat newcomer will be a cabrio coach or semi-convertible that has a retractable textile roof. It is more of a targa, and these kinds of cars usually don't need a redesign of the body. We reckon Fiat is developing this semi-convertible for two reasons: first, to save costs; and secondly, to distance the 500 Cabrio from competitors like the Mini or VW Beetle convertibles. We expect to see the new 500 Cabrio at European dealerships within a few months -- and maybe eventually here in the States...

2009 Geneva Auto Show: Fiat 500C
Automakers love to tease public and media with new projects. The 2009 Geneva Auto Show is starting soon and journalists run around collecting all the information they can to be the first ones to tell about the upcoming models.Fiat is one of those who prefer to keep the new creation in secret. At the British website www.autocar.co.uk appeared the first few sketches and a teaser photo that is so fuzzy you almost cannot see a thing.500C convertible is going to be offered to the European customers this...

Fiat, unions fear 60,000 job cuts in Italian auto sector | detnews.com | The Detroit News
ROME -- Union leaders and Fiat's chief executive say 60,000 jobs could be lost in Italy's auto sector unless the government comes to its rescue. The government is to open talks this week on possible aid for the auto sector, which has been hit hard by the global economic crisis. Last week, Fiat, Italy's largest private-sector employer, reported a 70 percent drop in fourth-quarter profit. The company blamed the result on a slump in demand for its cars as the economic slowdown hit some key markets. Fiat...

Fiat Bugster Concept at Sao Paulo Motorshow
EcoFactor: Concept electric car made using renewable fibers. The electric Fiat Crossover, which we all were waiting for, will finally be unveiled at the Sao Paulo Motor Show to be held in Brazil during 30th October and 10th November. The car carries an electric engine under its hood and will be developed using renewable natural fibers. The electric Fiat Crossover, which we all were waiting for, will finally be unveiled at the Sao Paulo Motor Show to be held in Brazil during 30th October and 10th...

Fiat 500 receives Bosch’ start/stop technology
Besides Bmw, Mini and Kia, Fiat now includes Bosch start/stop technology which provides up to five percent cut in fuel utilization in the New European Driving Cycle NEDC. Bosch expects fifty percent of all new conveyances in Europe will have start/stop system by the year 2012. The start/stop technology of Bosch is being installed on more and more passenger vehicles.Early in 2009, Fiat will install its first version to highlight a start/stop system, the Fiat 500. Bosch provides the uniquely adaptive...

Fiat Phylla Concept makes its official debut
The ground-breaking Fiat Phylla zero-emission prototype, that confines solar energy to propel its electric motors and highlights wide-ranging utilization of recycled resources, has been launched to offer Turinese VIPs its first test drives.The formal procedure happened at the Environment Park di Torino, with the attendance of the Piedmontese Regional President Mercedes Bresso and Andrea Bairati, the member of the city council who is in charge of Research, Innovation and Energy. Present also were Nevio...

Fiat Abarth 500 receives Top Gear’s “Best Hot Hatch” award
The much awaited Abarth 500 is already gaining peak industry honors and it’s not yet even on sale in the UK. The Best Hot Hatch award from Top Gear magazine was recently bestowed on the 135 bhp turbocharged supermini. The Abarth is scheduled to be available in the UK outlet network in February, the powerful Fiat 500 variant has already caused great exhilaration among British buyers, while 200 units of the vehicle which were reserved for internet sale only have all been allocated, several months way...

Fiat unveils another special little Panda
You might think that Mercedes and McLaren have been busy churning out new editions of the SLR supercar like madmen you know, aside from winning the world championship, but they're just taking a page out of the Fiat playbook. The Italian automaker has once again unveiled a new version of its diminutive Panda. Called the Glam Edition, the special version starts with the Panda 4x4 and updates it with a new pearl white paint job complimented by aluminum roof rails and a new set of 15" alloys, but the Panda...