2012 Fiat 500 Cabrio Review and Photos

Fiat released a few details and photos of the U.S. version of 2012 Fiat 500 Convertible, 500 C, or as known in Europe. Open-top Fiat 500 Cabrio promises Italian style, more effective and new technologies that the United States of the market. Do not expect the new cabriolet 500 with the roof that canvas come the original version. The 2012 Convertible has a double layer premium 500 powered soft top car use throughout the year. Or at least that is what said Fiat.

The convertible top Fiat 500 of 2012 can be removed by pressing a button while driving at speeds up to 60 kilometres per hour to the. The plate is folded in the rear spoiler.
Fiat offers a wide range of their convertible 500 new customization options. It has 14 different body colors, the three colors for the canvas roof and inside 12 combinations.

Fiat did not announce the price for the 2012 500 Convertible options list, or its engine and transmission

2012 Fiat 500 Cabrio  Picture gallery

2012 Fiat 500 Cabrio

2012 Fiat 500 Cabrio Interior View

2012 Fiat 500 Cabrio

2012 Fiat 500 Cabrio

New Chrysler 200 May be Rebadged as a Lancia in Europe

Chrysler's redesigned / facelifted Sebring, which will go on sale in the U.S. later this year as the new 200 sedan, was only just released on Tuesday, yet we already have news that it may be sold in mainland Europe as a Lancia and as a Chrysler in the UK and Ireland (the Italian firm has withdrawn from these markets). The Fiat Group is considering the move not so much for retail sales as to help boost fleet sales in key markets such as Germany and the UK.

"We are running numbers to see if it could become a profitable business case," Olivier Francois, CEO of the Chrysler and Lancia brands told Autonews Europe.

The news site reports that a major drawback to this move is that no diesel engine will be available on the 200 in the United States, where the car will be offered with 2.4-liter 4-cylinder and 3.6-liter V6 gasoline engines. However, the report doesn't mention that the current Sebring [Convertible] is offered with a 2.0-liter CRDi turbodiesel engine in certain European markets.

The main problem is the cost and the fact that the 200 would be sold for less than three years in the European market since the Fiat Group is planning to replace the car with all-new model for both Chrysler and Lancia brands in late 2013. The relatively short sale timeframe would make it difficult for the company to recover the investment.

On that note, industry sources state that the Fiat Group will have to spend around €50 million ($70 million) to modify the 200 for Europe. This number is said to include adapting the car for diesel engine(s) as well as redesigning certain parts such as bumpers and lights.

If the Fiat Group makes a business case for the Lancia-badged 200, expect to see the car arriving in the market in the second-half of 2011.

Source: ANE [Sub. Req]

*The opening picture is a Carscoop photoshop

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Fenice Milano Blings-Out the Fiat 500C to create "La Dolce Vita"

After seeing Fenice Milano's Rolls-Royce Diva, would you expect them to do any less to a car like the Fiat 500? No, of course not, which is why you see all the gold trim covering the Italian company's 500C-based "La Dolce Vita".
The rag-top La Dolce Vita is powered by a 1.4-liter engine from Fiat that puts out 101 ponies and is connected to an automatic transmission. Other than the excessive gold inserts, teak paneling will be crafted by Fenice Milano for the interior in order to better harmonize the city car with Fenice Milano's other offerings.
Within the potentially attractive interior is teak, gold, and leather, as well as a redesigned dashboard (check it out for yourself below and let us know if you like the Mini-esque central info pod).
As with the Diva, FM's 500C will be offered with the usual round of optional performance upgrades in the form of an ECU/intake/exhaust tune-up and suspension tweaks. Available colors will be a "chromium" Deep Red on the Sportiva model, or a more "sober and refined" (...) white golden pearlescent on the Classica.
Personally, I kinda-sorta like the "La Dolce Vita" when compared to the slightly tacky Ghost. Now, I'm no baller and have no need for the 24k gold treatment, but if some of that gold were removed the car could make an interesting competitor to the Aston Martin Cygnet.
By Phil Alex

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Fiat Panda and Lancia Ypsilon Replacements Pushed Back for 2011

Following CEO Sergio Marchionne's comments at the 2010 Paris Motor Show (see here), Autonews Europe has uncovered new information regarding the Fiat Group's future product launches.
One of Fiat's most important models in Europe, the third generation Panda, was originally due in summer 2010 but its launch had already been pushed back to September 2011. Now, sources inside the company told the news site that the introduction of the small five-door hatchback will be further delayed until January 2012.
The third generation Lancia Ypsilon supermini has also been delayed more than two years, as have the replacements for the Fiat Idea / Lancia Musa small MPV twins and the Fiat Multipla 3+3 seater people carrier, which has been in production since 1998. The latter two launches were scheduled for December 2011 but have now been postponed until the second half of 2012.
Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne froze his company's spending in 2008 as the financial crisis hit Europe. Spending was set to return to normal this year, but has now been postponed indefinitely in light of what Marchionne perceives as an unimproved European new car market.
He now predicts a weaker Q1 2011 than Q1 2010, due to the ending of scrappage schemes in many European countries. The rest of 2011 is expected to be no better sale wise for Fiat, Marchionne predicts.
Analysts are predicting that Fiat's new car sales are likely to continue to decline without any new products; sales in Europe fell 13.9% to 723,356 vehicles in the first eight months of 2011 in a market that declined only 3.5%, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA).
Stuart Pearson, an auto analyst at Morgan Stanley in London, says: "Fiat is playing a dangerous game and by delaying key models risks missing any European Union recovery if they are wrong on the timing. Customers are only paying for brand new metal."
The report did not mention any plans on future Alfa Romeo cars.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: ANE [sub.req]

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Fiat UK Prices New Abarth 500C 140HP and Punto Evo 165HP

The new Abarth 500C will cost from £17,500 OTR and the Abarth Punto Evo from £16,500 OTR, Fiat's UK arm announced. Both models will make their UK public debuts at this weekend's Goodwood Festival of Speed, before going on sale in Britain from Saturday 17 July.
The semi-convertible Abarth 500C is motivated by a 140HP 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which provides a top speed of 127mph and a 0-62mph (100km/h) time of 8.1 seconds, while returning 43mpg UK on the combined cycle.
The feisty city car is equipped with seven airbags, xenon headlights, TTC (torque transfer control), parking sensors, Blue&Me hands-free telecommunications system, leather steering wheel and 16-inch alloy wheels plus a six-speed automated manual gearbox with paddle shifters, as standard.
The facelifted Abarth Punto Evo is powered by a 165bhp 1.4-liter Turbo, which can accelerate the car from 0-62mph (100km/h) in 7.9 seconds, and on to a top speed of 132mph, while delivering more than 47mpg UK on the combined cycle.
Standard equipment includes six airbags, TTC, Eco Gear Shift Indicator (EGSI), performance sport switch, Start&Stop tech, 17-inch alloy wheels and Blue&Me hands-free telecommunications system.