The first condition is that 90 percent of Fiat's Latin American dealers must offer Chrysler vehicles as well. To satisfy this request, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne plans to sell Chrysler models rebadged as Fiats in Brazil, Latin America's largest market, where the Italian brand holds the number one spot.
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The new V6 diesel engine is built by VM Motori and has been developed together with Fiat Powertrain, which is a subsidiary of the Fiat Group. The 3.0-liter unit features Fiat's MultiJet II system which enables up to eight injections per cycle, with the possibility of managing the two main injections in a single modular profile (IRS – Injection Rate Shaping). It is also fitted with a single Garrett VGT 2056 turbocharger with variable turbine geometry.
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The sports coupe is named Abarth Scorp-Ion and it was designed by seven IED students who worked under the supervision of designers Luca Borgogno from Pininfarina, and Luigi Giampaolo from Maserati.
The goal was to design a bespoke compact-sized sports car with lines that evoke the scorpion (the official symbol of Abarth) without any references to the Fiat brand, with which Abarth is often identified.
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At the Detroit Motor Show, Fiat Group execs revealed that along with the Chrysler 300-based Thema flagship, Lancia will also unveil its own version of the Chrysler 200. The mid-size model will be offered in both sedan and convertible body styles, and is destined to replace the Sebring in the European market. “The new Chrysler 200 will come – cabriolet included – to Europe as a Lancia, and Flavia is a very good hint as its possible name,” Fiat Group CEO Sergio Marchionne said on the sidelines of the 2011 Detroit Auto Show.
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Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne agreed with Mr. Berlusconi saying that the future of the company in Italy could be at stake and he might be forced to move all production to lower-cost countries.
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Once it's made available to the public, the 500 will be available as three models (Pop, Sport, Lounge) providing a total of 14 colors and 14 "unique seat color and material combinations". The 2012 Fiat 500 will start with an MSRP starting at $15,500 before the usual dealer mark-up. It will also come with a 4-year / 50,000 mile warranty no matter which trim level you choose.
The convertible version of the 500byDIESEL gets the same distinct features as the tin top model including the unique 16-inch alloy wheels and the denim fabric interior, plus a new Midnight Indigo Blue exterior color, which Fiat claims is reminiscent of stone-washed denim jeans.
Only 152 examples of the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari will be available in right hand drive form in Britain, each carrying a steep price tag of £29,600, which comes to around €35,500 or US$46,900 at today's exchange rates. That's roughly what you'd pay for a BMW 135i Coupe M Sport (£30,675) in the UK.
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Created by Paris-based maker, Atomik Cars, the Fiat-500 based model gets two electric motors, one up front producing 80kW and 840Nm (619 lb-ft), and one at the rear that makes the same power but a whopping 1,710 Nm (1,261 lb-ft) of peak torque.
The new Fiat 500 is sold in 83 different countries around the world, from Italy to Brazil, and South Africa to Japan.
Fiat's response: "Media speculation about the plan's contents [is] 'premature and groundless.'"
Part of the supposed shift involves a decrease in models built, from fourteen to nine, while ramping-up production of the survivors.
Hit really hard will be Fiat's plant in Mirafiori, Turin. "Mirafiori builds the Fiat Punto Classic, Idea and Multipla models, the Lancia Musa and Alfa MiTo. Fiat is remodeling the plant to use a single line to build the Alfa Romeo MiTo and two new small minivans to replace the Idea and Multipla."
Based on the 1.2 Pop specification, the 500C Pink features a unique pink finish for the body combined with a black canvas top, 16-inch alloy wheels, chrome trim and body-colored mirrors.
Automotive News indicates that Chrysler is looking to get its vehicle portfolio up to snuff for Fiat's upcoming product merger.
This means that Chrysler will be throwing its new V6 into just about anything with wheels while redesigning, re-engineering, and renaming just about all of its vehicles (while also making use of a Fiat-developed dual-clutch transmission... about time, guys).
Fiat's performance division has sourced a larger turbocharger from Garrett in order to lift output to 165-horsepower and 250Nm of torque (at 2,250 RPM). 100 km/h rolls by you in 7.9 seconds, meaning there's got to be more than just a power boost to make this worthy of the Abarth name. And there is.
