The Fiat 500 is a great little car for anyone who is going on a solo mission, but anyone with a couple of kids in tow may need to look elsewhere. Fiat, well aware of the gap in their lineup, will be addressing this issue at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March with the 500L- an all-new model that expands the appeal of the brand’s iconic Fiat 500.
The new 500L (L stands for "Large") is a five-passenger model that expands the brand’s style and efficiency in the growing B-segment. It will be 163.0 inches long, 70.1 inches wide, and 65.4 inches tall. Under the hood, Fiat will place a choice of two petrol engines - the 101 HP 1.4 liter in-line four-cylinder engine from the standard 500 and a TwinAir version - as well as one diesel turbocharged 1.3 MultiJet II engine.
The Fiat 500L will be produced at the FIAT plant in Kragujevac, Serbia, and will arrive in the United States in 2013.
There doesn’t appear to be a sports compact car that’s been the subject of more tuning programs than the lovable Fiat 500. Now, Chrysler’s in-house tuning arm, Mopar, is joining in the fun with the 500 "Stinger."
Built as one of Mopar’s 75th anniversary models, the Fiat 500 Stinger comes to the party packed with a two-stage Mopar program that combines a unique styling upheaval with a bold, high-performance engine modification.
The Stage 1 program deals with plenty of exterior and interior enhancements. For the former, Mopar gave the 500 Stinger a more aggressive appearance, highlighted by a special "Giallo" exterior paint with a matching "whiskers and logo" face and circular Black Chrome projector headlamps. In addition, the head and tail lamps have been tinted while the bodyside was wrapped in vinyl with complimenting black checker roof graphics. Finishing off the exterior details are a new set of 17" Abarth Hyper Black aluminum wheels wrapped in wider 205/40 R 17 performance tires.
As for the latter, the interior of the 500 Stinger continues the Giallo-and-black two-tone treatment of the exterior with Katzkin leather seats. Speaking of the seats, Mopar also added Alcantara seat centers with Giallo black leather bolsters and Giallo accent stitching. A carbon-fiber instrument panel decal has also been added, as was a Mopar shifter ball finished in Gloss Black, completing an interior look that’s a far departure from the usually mild-mannered 500.
While no specific numbers were given on the 500 Stinger’s performance boost, we know that Mopar’s Stage 2 kit ensures all that and more. Included in this program kit are a cold-air intake and free-flowing cat-back exhaust and performance brakes with cross-drilled rotors, allowing the 500 Stinger to deliver even more power and torque, as well as serious track-ready brake performance.
Just like the rest of Mopar’s 75th Anniversary models, the 500 Stinger will be proudly displayed at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show this coming February.
The new generation Fiat Panda made its world debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show and, just like the previous generation, a 4x4 version is scheduled to follow. The first spy shots have captured the car testing in winter conditions and considering it will be similar to the standard version, expect to see it launched by the end of the year.
The upcoming Panda 4x4 is the perfect alternative for those who want to combine the affordability of a city car with the pleasure of driving a 4x4 model. Compared to the standard Panda, the 4x4 version will sit higher off the ground and will be offered with a different suspension and bigger wheels. For the exterior, the model will get plastic elements at all the corners, but that is where the differences will end for the standard and 4X4 Pandas models.
Just like with the standard version, the future Panda 4x4 will be offered with two TwinAir twin cylinder engines: the 2011 International Engine of the Year 85bhp TwinAir Turbo, or the brand new 65bhp naturally aspirated TwinAir. Both engines are equipped with Start and Stop as standard and a 4x4 system.
Following the 500 (Cinquecento) and the 500 Cabrio, Fiat has also brought the 500 Abarth - otherwise known as the most powerful 500 currently available - to the American market. The American 500 Abarth made its debut at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show. It brings world-class performance and precision, purposeful and aggressive styling, and high power-to-weight ratio. The model will be offered in a limited edition.
The new Fiat 500 Abarth still maintains all of the elements from its European version, designed for track-day enthusiasts and driving-purists who want the ultimate high-performance small car with the pedigree of an exclusive Italian exotic. It is powered by a 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo engine that delivers a total of 135 HP and a peak torque of 152 lb-ft of torque. The list of standard equipment includes an Abarth-tuned suspension and brake system, a race-inspired design, and technology features not traditionally included on a small car.
"Bringing the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth to the U.S. enables us to reach out to driving enthusiasts who want Italian performance at an attainable price," said Olivier Francois, Head of FIAT Brand and Chief Marketing Officer — Chrysler Group LLC. "With its lightweight, track-tuned handling and purpose-built design, the Fiat 500 Abarth brings to life the legendary racing heritage of the brand and becomes the Italian high-performance car for everyday driving."
UPDATE 12/06/2011: Before its official market launch, the new 500 Abarth made its first stop at Jay Leno’s Garage. Find out what he thinks about the car by watching the video after the jump!
UPDATE 01/12/2012: Chrysler has announced prices for the American version of the Fiat 500 Abarth. The model will go on sale at a starting price of $22,000 (not including destination). Full story
Now that Alfa Romeo is set to return to North American after a lengthy absence, Fiat is looking at a number of measures on how it plans to return to the US and Canada with a bang as well.
One option that the Italian automaker is planning on pursuing is building a ’more affordable’ sports car to compliment the Alfa Romeo 4C soon after the latter is released in 2013. Word is that this affordable sports car will be built as an Abarth, one that is being pegged to take on a market heavyweight like the Mazda MX-5 Miata. Easier as that is said than it is done, Fiat understands that the Alfa Romeo 4C might not be up to the budget of a lot of American consumers, especially considering that the car is already being touted as a possible rival to a couple of Porsche sports cars: the Cayman and the Boxster.
Should Fiat push forward and build a front-wheel drive sports car under Abarth, we expect it to carry an output of somewhere around 200 horsepower, possibly even going up north to 250. No details have been made as far as what the car is going to look like, but we’d love it if the Italian automaker brushes off an old Abarth classic - the 1968 Scorpione - and build a modern-day take on what we consider one of the sexiest sports cars of the 60’s. That or they could just make some modifications on the Abarth Scorp-Ion Concept that we saw earlier this year.
