fiat

Blast from the Past: 1979 World Rally Championship

So far this week we've enjoyed World Rally Championship video from the current millennium. I think it's time we took a look at some historic footage from WRC past, 1979 to be exact. As the Beatles would say, "It was 20 years ago today..." (Well, it wasn't 20 years to the date, but I try not to miss a chance to make a silly pop culture reference.)

This Web video appears to be taken from a television broadcast of WRC, with its outdated TV graphics showing the drivers and vehicles. Here we got everything from … Read more

Open source vs. Microsoft: Automotive battlefield

The competition between Microsoft and open-source software reaches into the automotive space with the announcement of a new alliance among automakers and technology providers called Genivi. The goal of the alliance is to build a Linux stack that will provide a common architecture for automotive infotainment systems.

At the same time, Microsoft announces version 4.0 of its own automotive platform, on which Ford's Sync and Fiat's Blue & Me systems are based. The new Microsoft platform now supports Intel chip architecture and includes what Microsoft calls "common head unit functionality," meaning that the platform comes with standard modules for integrating CD playback and ripping, along with other applications.

Version 4.0 supports a common voice command structure that works for typical car applications, such as navigation and Bluetooth cell phone integration, so users won't have to go back to a top-level tree structure to issue commands for different in-car applications. … Read more

Fiat drops the top of the 500C

Fiat released this preview of the new Fiat 500C before the unveiling at the 2009 International Motor Show in Geneva, and before its launch throughout Europe in the spring.

The Fiat 500C's soft top is fully motorized and features a glass rear window. The top is available in three colors (ivory, red, and black) and will be matched with several body colors, including two exclusive cabriolet-only colors: brilliant Pearl Red and special Warm Grey.

Aside from the new soft top, the 500C is exactly the size as the basic model, which is just fine by us. The convertible offers … Read more

The plan: 7 Fiat vehicles for U.S.

Chrysler LLC and Fiat S.p.A. will bring seven new vehicles to North America under their alliance--four with Chrysler brands and three as Fiats or Alfa Romeos.

The vehicles will be built at Chrysler plants in North America and sold through select Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealerships, according to sources who have seen the product-sharing agreement.

The plan includes vehicles on four Fiat platforms--in the microcar, or A, through the mid-sized, or D, segments. The two companies have not decided on timing or volumes. Teams at both companies are hammering out details of a plan they hope to make final by April 30.

The two companies said last week that Fiat would take a 35 percent stake in Chrysler. Under terms of their tentative agreement, Chrysler will make the Fiat 500 at Chrysler's Toluca, Mexico, plant for sale in North America, according to sources familiar with the plans.

Chrysler will retool the Toluca factory, where it currently makes the Dodge Journey crossover and Chrysler PT Cruiser. Chrysler announced last week that it would quit making the PT Cruiser this summer and put the line up for sale, making room for another vehicle.

Speaking with reporters at the Automotive News World Congress on Wednesday, Jan. 21, Frank Klegon, Chrysler executive vice president for product development, said teams from both companies were working on a plan.

Referring to Chrysler's current lineup, Klegon said, "We don't have an A-segment vehicle, and we don't have a B-segment vehicle, and our C-segment vehicle [Dodge Caliber] is in the next stage of renewal. That creates some opportunities for us." … Read more

102: Chrysler picks up an Italian accent!

Chrysler picks up an Italian accent, Ford does a dual-clutch gearbox for the U.S., the EDAG Light concept may steal the Geneva auto show, and a ride in the Hyundai's game changer.

Listen now: Download today's podcast SHOW NOTES

• Hyundai Genesis V8 review

• EDAG Light concept car

• Audi Q5 hybrid on the way to the U.S.

• What does the Chrysler + Fiat deal mean for us?

• Hacking electronic road signs

What does the Chrysler-Fiat deal mean for us?

Chrysler LLC and Fiat S.p.A. recently announced that they've entered into a strategic alliance that Chrysler believes "provides significant strategic benefits that support our viability and long-term competitiveness." Translation: When the ink dries in April, Fiat will have bought a 35-percent stake in Chrysler.

The partnership will benefit both companies through platform and technology sharing. Fiat gets a boost from Chrysler in gaining a foothold in North America, and Chrysler gets a healthy infusion of cash. But the actual ramifications of the deal are unclear and subject to speculation.

Here's a taste of what … Read more

Fiat takes a chunk of Chrysler

Today, Chrysler announced it gave Fiat a 35 percent stake in its company, initiating a partnership that gives both companies access to new markets and technologies. Chrysler has suffered over the past few years because of its model line-up of trucks and SUVs, which haven't been selling well, and its lack of presence in international markets. Fiat wants to reenter the U.S. market, and could benefit from Chrysler's dealer network. We might soon see Dodge Challengers ripping across Europe, and Chrysler Dodge Jeep dealerships in the U.S. adding Fiat and Alfa Romeo to their signs.

The … Read more

Fiat's eco:Drive teaches efficient driving

In the world of racing, everyone knows that the easiest way to get more speed out of a car is not to upgrade the car, but to upgrade the driver. The same goes for green driving. A driver trained in efficient driving can extract better fuel economy from a Honda Fit than a driver with poor technique in a Prius hybrid. Auto manufacturer Fiat thinks it may have found a way to teach drivers to get the best fuel economy out of their Fiat vehicles with the new eco:Drive program.

The eco:Drive program consists of a downloadable Adobe … Read more

Fiat revs up new free fuel tool

We've all heard the recommendations by now.

Proper tire pressure, removing the roof rack, closing windows above 50 mph, and using a car's air flow system before going straight for the AC can all lead to lowering a car's overall fuel consumption.

But exactly how bad are drivers when it comes to abruptly starting and stopping? And are they really shifting their manual transmission car correctly for optimizing fuel?

Fiat's new optional Eco Drive software will let its drivers know, the company announced earlier this month at the 2008 Paris Motor Show.

All Fiat drivers need … Read more

Fiat 500 gets size-conscious

Last year Fiat built a mammoth version of its new Fiat 500 mini car for the Frankfurt auto show, and now, in a fit of more size-conscious advertising, Fiat put up a mammoth advertising display for the tiny car in Berlin. This giant display is 3,100 square feet per side, and it is set up near Checkpoint Charlie, the former Berlin wall gate between West and East Germany. The cool feature of this advertising monument is that you can text it. According to Fiat, if you send a text to 84000 with the password Fiat 500, the message will … Read more