fiat
First Look: 2013 Fiat 500 Turbo
Slotting in neatly between the standard Fiat 500—or Cinquecento for the full-blooded Italians in the audience—and the “Look at me!” go-fast 500 Abarth is this, the new 2013 Fiat 500 Turbo. The Turbo arrives sporting the same 1.4-liter four-cylinder turbocharged MultiAir engine that is found under the hood of the Abarth.
Rumors: Industry Report—Jeep Gladiator Pickup For 2015?
In a recent interview with Australian automotive website CarAdvice, Mike Manely, president of Jeep, hinted at the company being excited about the idea of Jeep pickup and that Jeep would make a decision to build such a vehicle “pretty soon”, potentially for 2015 when the next generation Wrangler appears.
Rumors: Spy Shots–2013 Suzuki SX4 SportBack
The spy cameras over at MotorAuthority caught what appears to be the next generation of Suzuki SX4 during testing in Spain.
Rumors: Industry Report—New Ferrari Engines Imminent
According to a new report from Motori Online, Ferrari is in the process of creating several new engines that will appear under the hoods of new vehicles from Lancia, Maserati, and Alfa Romeo.
List: Involvement Index Giant Killers For Under $30,000
In particular, the middle of our index is populated with some extremely affordable performance machinery, which can be every bit as involving as cars that cost double or even triple the price. Perhaps the most exciting thing about this list is how it’s set to grown in the coming months. With cars like the Scion FR-S/Subaru BR-Z, Ford Focus ST, and Hyundai Veloster Turbo all set to arrive before the end of 2012, there should be no shortage of affordable involvement options.
Quick Drive: 2012 Fiat 500C
Regardless of history or tradition, this is not a convertible in the classic sense. It’s more of a targa top. Now, there’s nothing really wrong with that, but it shouldn’t be sold and marketed as a convertible. Call it a 500T. Don’t get my hopes up and then crush them via a glorified cloth sunroof.
Car Audio Test: 2012 Fiat 500 Sport Hatchback
Testing Notes: As Bose systems go, this is one of the better ones, though a glance at our ratings will perhaps convey that this is faint praise indeed. That’s because this system still takes the life out of music by sanding off the nuances and details. In addition, the spatial presentation is disconcerting with sounds coming from the dash and shifted away from the driver. Unfortunately, one’s listening pleasure is further reduced because the Fiat 500 is far from the quietest car on the road and the single DIN head unit offers but a minimalist user interface. Still, this leaves this stereo in the “not bad” category much more than in the “outright offensive” zone.
Driven: 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth
Because, from the moment we slotted ourselves behind the flat-bottomed steering wheel, outside of the Hard Rock Hotel on the Las Vegas strip, to the last turn of the last hot lap we ran for the day, we loved driving this car.
First Look: 2013 Dodge Dart GTS 210 Tribute
Dodge showed the 2013 Dart GTS 210 Tribute at today’s Chicago Auto Show. The car is part of Mopar’s 75th anniversary celebration, and is meant to evoke the spirit of the original Dart from the heyday of muscle cars.
Question: Can Fiat Be The Next Mini?
Fiat’s first year in the United States was a tough one. Of the 50,000 expected sales, only around 20,000 were sold. So with the 500C starting to arrive in greater numbers, and the upcoming release of the 500 Abarth and 500L, can the newly diversified Fiat become the sales success that Mini and the Prius family have been?
Review: 2013 Dodge Dart
Dodge has pulled the wrapper off of its all new 2013 Dart compact, revealing a car with truly interesting design language and interesting powertrain options.
First Look: 2013 Dodge Dart
Dodge has pulled the wrapper off of its all new 2013 Dart compact, revealing a car with truly interesting design language and interesting powertrain options.
List: Top Ten Concept Cars Of 2011
There are few things that get us going like a major international auto show. The sheer level of excitement that comes with new production models is trumped only by the concept cars that preview advanced technologies, new design directions, or near-future models. There have been more than a few concepts over the past 12 months, and we’ve gathered together ten of our favorites. Also, keep an eye out for the next issue of Winding Road, where we’ll be breaking down our outright favorite autos of 2011.
2011 Winding Road Involvement Index Awards
Involvement matters. That’s the heart of the sermon we’ve been preaching for the last six years now. To drive fast is fun, to go around a corner neatly is admirable, to be luxurious is lovely; but to do all of those things and more in a way that enhances the driver/machine relationship is special indeed. When we first started Winding Road, we made it clear that we wanted to have a conversation with readers about the vehicles that we found to be exciting, not because they measured well, but because they inveigled many of our senses most of the time we were driving.
Quick Drive: 2012 Fiat 500 Sport 6AT
For starters, the automatic gearbox isn’t a bad one, shifting appropriately up and down on its own most of the time, and quick-but-not-jarring when used via the “Auto Stick” lever. Considering that the five-speed manual isn’t a terrific gearbox as far as these things go, the “loss” in terms of enthusiastic driving for the auto isn’t as great as it might be.
Comparison Test: 2012 Fiat 500 Sport vs. 2011 Mini Cooper
When we reported our first drive experience with the 2012 Fiat 500 back in February, the response we got to the review was remarkable. Hundreds of you felt moved to write comments directed at our assessment of the car, about the history and future of Fiat in America, and in response to one another. Of course a massive number of you also questioned, both with genuine curiosity and with already-entrenched bias, how the 500 would stack up in a head-to-head duel with the Mini Cooper.
List: The 15 Most Involving Cars Per Dollar
We came across an interesting statistic while working on the Quick Drive of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X SE last week. By cross referencing the Evo’s score on the Involvement Index, we discovered that each point of involvement would cost about $411. Compare that to our Index-topping Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sports, which with a $2.58-million price tag will cost approximately $26,000 per point, and you see the bargain that the Evo represents.
2011 EyesOn Design Displays The Classics For A Cause
Started in 1987, EyesOn Design was born as Eyes On The Classics, a car show backed by the heads of design at GM, Chrysler, and Ford, to judge cars not on their presentation quality, but on their design. Besides putting some beautiful cars on display, EOD also serves as a fundraiser for the not-for-profit Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology.
Driven: 2012 Fiat 500C
We liked the hardtop Fiat 500 when we drove it a few months back. We aren’t the only ones, as the new Cinquecento has been subject of rave reviews across the internet and newsstands. So with the 500 Convertible, Fiat is aiming to keep the brand’s positive buzz going by creating the first true competitor to the Mini Cooper in the four-seat drop-top market.
Ask It: Fiat 500 Sport
The day has finally arrived, where we welcome the 2012 Fiat 500 into our test fleet. Our tester, a Mocha Latte (no joke) Sport, is fitted with Fiat’s 1.4-liter MultiAir I-4. Shifting duties are handled by a six-speed automatic, with a do-it-yourself manual mode.
Driven: 2012 Fiat 500 Sport
The success of BMW’s Mini brand in the US (about 45K units sold in North America in 2010—a record number) has relied heavily on selling the notion that the cars fit into the “premium” category, despite their small size. That’s significant because we Americans have long had difficulty reconciling the fact that a small car needn’t always be a very cheap car. Fiat seems to understand this market position pretty well, if we’re to judge by the US-specification 500s that we drove in sunny San Diego.
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