Fiat cars

2014 Fiat 500e

The continuous evolution of the Fiat 500 and all the subsequent iterations it has had this year are about to welcome another member to the family: the 500e.

With the standard 500, the 500C and the 500L already making their debuts in their respective niches, the 500e is set to fill the vacant electric-power niche in the 500 lineup. It will make that will make its own debut at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show.

With the launch of the all-electric Fiat 500e, environmentalists can now drive the iconic Italian car without aguilty consciousness. With an impressive range of116 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) city and 100 MPGe highway, it aims to electrify the gasoline-powered 500 series.

The all electric Fiat 500e has been unveiled at the 2012 LA Auto Show. Being the first electric powered Italian in North American market, Fiat has confirmed that it will arrive in California Studios during the second quarter of 2013.

So, is the Fiat 500e an alternative worth considering among the 500 series, or is it too early to adopt an electric and expensive shoe? Find out in our review of the Fiat 500e.

Update 4/16/2013: Fiat has revealed the pricing information and an innovative exchange program for the all-new 500e. Check out the "Prices" section, after the jump for more details.

Click past the jump to read our full review on the 500e

Castagna Milano Bringing Fiat 500 Tender2 to America

The Fiat 500 isn’t exactly what you’d call a sexy car; far from it, actually. Cute, yes, but not sexy…

But even with its rather simplistic design, the 500 is still an attractive car. In fact, it’s attractive enough for Italian design house, Castaga Milano, to build a unique, beach-ready design called the Tender2.

First introduced back in 2008, the 500 Tender2 is now headed to the U.S. and it has a number of new updates to go with the unique set of features it already had.

As the first car Castagna Milano is shipping to the US in almost 60 years, the one-off designed 500 Tender2 is quite a doozy of a compact hatchback. It’s been chopped up and rebuilt to look like a beach comber, complete with a yacht-like wood veneer, champagne cooler, narrow wood decks in place of doors, a pair of touchscreen units and, apparently, a shower.

It also features an electrically operated ladder in the rear and a bespoke luggage set, ensuring that this one-off creation remains as such: a dynamic one-of-a-kind.

A big congratulations to the man, Bert Dewik, who decided to have this 500 built. He reportedly paid quite a pretty penny for it to the tune of $104,000. But for the chance of owning a car nobody will ever have, we’d say that’s a pretty good deal.

2013 Abarth 695 Record

Rounding out the four Abarth 695 ’fuoriserie’ models that will be in attendance at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show is the 695 Record.

As with the rest of its kind, the 695 Record comes with the usual digs that Abarth is offering to its customers as customizable options dedicated to ensuring top-level uniqueness and exclusivity that you won’t normally find in any other Abarth 695.

The 695 Record belongs in the fuoriserie’s New Heritage Collection with the 695 Scorpio and was built to target a market that understands the homage paid to the Abarth 750 Record Bertone.

The silver body paint of the 695 Record may look a little plain to the eyes, but once you add the red-and-silver checkered roof to the equation, as well as he polished interior trim bearing the same colors, you begin to see the customization angle attributed to Abarth’s fuoriserie program.

Plus, the 695 Record also features the 180-horsepower, 1.4-liter 16v Turbo T-Jet of the standard Abarth 695. A powerful engine plus a classy personalization program always equates to a sweet ride, and the 695 Record is no different.

2013 Abarth 695 Black Diamond

Abarth’s booth at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show will feature a cavalcade of finely dressed vehicles and a quarter of that belongs to the automaker’s new “fuoriserie,” a program devoted to customers who prefer the exclusivity typical of custom cars together with top performance levels.

One of these models is called the Abarth 695 Black Diamond, a special-edition model from the “New Wave” collection, one that also includes the Abarth 695 Hype. Built and designed to cater to the customer seeking refinement and style on his Abarth, the 695 Black Diamond is arguably the most finely dressed of the four special-edition ’fuoriserie’ models.

The two-tone black and polished grey 695 Diamond was carefully designed to adhere to its name as a sparkling example of the fuoriserie’s exclusivity. Add the checkered roof bearing the same two-tone finish and you have one special edition Abarth 695 that definitely reflects the company’s inspired attention to ensuring that its customers can get the best things out of Abarth.

All four fuoriserie Abarth 695 models will come with the standard 1.4-liter 16v Turbo T-Jet that produces an impressive 180 horsepower.

2013 Abarth 695 Hype

Abarth’s fuoriserie lineup that’s headed to the 2013 Geneva Motor Show comes with four pretty desirable models, all of which come with their own share of merits.

We couldn’t pick our favorite one so we decided that we loved all of them. Parity...you gotta love it!

One of these models is the Abarth 695 Hype, an aptly named creation, considering that it more than lives up to the hype of being part of the Italian brand’s fuoriserie program. That’s hard enough on its own, considering that individualistic nature of Abarth’s program.

But the 695 Hype pulls it off, remarkable considering the car it shares the stage as part of the New Wave collection - the 695 Black Diamond - is no slouch either.

The former is aimed at younger customers interested in cutting-edge trends, while the latter satisfies those seeking refinement and style.

The 695 Hype’s two-tone livery features a grey finish on the lower part of the vehicle, and a matching olive green color on the hood and the Abarth scorpion-adorned roof of the car, separated only by a yellow strip that goes around the entire length of the car.

Inside, it’s more of the same treatment, which particularly finds its way into the seats, adding a distinctive styling cue that fits in well with Abarth’s fuoriserie program.

The Abarth 695 Hype is powered by a 1.4-liter 16v Turbo T-Jet that develops 180 horsepower, giving the car even more reason to be as desirable as it should be.

2013 Fiat 500 GQ

The Fiat 500 has become so popular in the eyes of many that the model has been treated to numerous collaborations between Fiat and a host of other companies.

At the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, we’re going to see another one of ’em, in the form of the 500 GQ. Yep, that “GQ” stands for the popular Gentlemen’s Quarterly men’s magazine. If you needed an authority on style and culture trends among men, GQ is the Holy Grail.

The 500 GQ is a limited-edition model that’s set to hit dealerships in June. It’s been dressed in a refined two-tone matt grey and carbon black livery that really makes the 500 stand out like a finely-tailored suit would on Ryan Gosling.

That sounds appropriate, considering that Fiat is specifically targeting the 500 GQ for what it describes as the "metropolitan man of the third millennium.” In short, somebody with the style and panache of Gosling.

In addition to the two-tone livery, the 500 GQ also comes with chrome-plated mirror covers, a ’GQ’ logo on the pillar, orange 500 logos on the hub caps, orange brake calipers, a grey aesthetic liner and a set of 16-inch wheels.

The interior also gets bequeathed with its own share of fancy digs, particularly the exclusive orange Fiat 500 GQ logo fitted on the dashboard and leather seats with matching stitching. A sports pedal unit with aluminum effect and a leather gear knob round out the cabin upgrades.

The 500 GQ is available for both the coupe and convertible versions and a variety of powertrain options, including the 69-horsepower 1.2-liter, the 85-horsepower 0.9-liter TwinAir, the 100-horsepower 1.4-liter petrol, and the 95-horsepower 1.3-liter MultiJet.

2013 Fiat 500 “Cattiva” Concept

The 2013 North American International Auto Show - or you can just call it the Detroit Auto Show - is replete with concept vehicles, special-edition models, and world debuts.

Italian automaker Fiat, by way of sister-company Chrysler, is preparing a pair of concept 500 vehicles tagged as the 500 Abarth Tenebra and the 500 Turbo Cattiva.

The latter of those two models is the subject of these pages and if we’re going to throw a compliment its way, it’s that it’s a lot more attractive to our eyes than its monotone co-debutante.

We’re not saying that there’s nothing appealing about the Tenebra; it’s just that we’d much rather be driving the Cattiva out and about on the road. We don’t know if Fiat has any production plans for this model seeing as they tagged it with the “concept” label, but if given a chance, we’d love to see the Cattiva in dealerships in the future.

Find out more about the Fiat 500 Turbo Cattiva Concept after the jump

2013 Fiat 500 Abarth “Tenebra” Concept

Ever since the Fiat 500 rolled back into our lives a few years, we’ve been inundated with plenty of concepts and special edition models for the lovable little hatchback.

That trend appears to be continuing with the North American International Auto Show debuts of two new 500 concepts, the 500 Abarth Tenebra and the 500 Cattiva.

The Tenebra, in particular, is based on the high-performance Fiat 500 Abarth. Fiat certainly didn’t pull any punches, giving this concept a unique aesthetic upgrade with hopes of highlighting the unique sportiness of the compact hatchback.

The new goodies you’ll find in the 500 Abarth Tenebra will show you how a 500 Abarth can be accessorized to stand out from the crowd. Who knows, you might find these concept versions find their way in dealerships sooner than later.

For now, though, check out all the upgrades Fiat did to this 500 Abarth after the jump.

Video: Jay Leno Reviews the Fiat 500L

For the latest episode of his show, Jay Leno has turned his attention from the supercars he usually reviews and reviewed the latest addition to the Fiat lineup: the 500L. Alongside Jay, you will see Tim Kuniskis, head of Fiat North America who is offering us a few more details on the car.

The 500L is two feet longer than the standard 500, but it offers 42 percent more cabin room and is just as fun to drive, according to Fiat. What do you think, does Jay Leno agree with this statement? Watch the video and you will find out!

As a reminder, the 500L will be offered with two petrol engines - the 101 horsepower 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.

In the same episode, Leno announced he will update his Abarth with the Esseesse kit and will bring it next week in Detroit.

2013 Fiat 500 Sportivo by Hamann

Body-kit-bearing vehicles are usually a little too tacky for our liking, but German tuner extraordinaire Hamann Motorsports was able to create a program for the Fiat 500 that is centered around a body kit that actually looks pretty good.

Actually, the program is much more extensive than just slapping on those new body panels. You’ll notice that there’s also a new front bumper unit that comes with a pair of LED daytime running lights, a welcome addition to the 500, if you ask us. There are also new side skirts, new fender extensions, a new rear bumper unit, a set of 18-inch Design "Largo Forged" Anodized wheels wrapped in FA 215/35R18 and RA 225/35R18 tires.

Our inquisitive minds also found out that the program also comes with a new Sportivo suspension-lowering kit, a sport rear muffler with quad tail pipes, and an engine upgrade that involves ECU remaps for both the 1.3 Multijet 16V Diesel model and the 1.4i 16V that increase the output from 75 horsepower and 107 pounds-per-feet of torque, and 101 horsepower and 97 pounds-per-feet of torque to 90 horsepower at 4,000 rpm and 136 pounds-per-feet of torque at 1,750 rpm and 112 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 108 pounds-per-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm, respectively. To rein in this power, Hamann added in a set of 11-inch rotors squeezed by a set of four-piston calipers.

For the more powerful 500 Abarth, Hamann is offering a Power Kit HS I engine upgrade that bumps up the output to 160 horsepower at 4,900 rpm and 210 pounds-per-feet of torque at 3,700 rpm.