fiat

At the 2011 International Engine awards, Fiat's little 875cc TwinAir engine won three categories and took home the overall 2011 International Engine of the Year award. BMW took four categories with four different engines, while Audi, Ferrari, and Volkswagen each made good showings.

Fiat's engine ekes 85 horsepower from two cylinders using a turbocharger, and only produces 95 grams per kilometer of CO2. Fiat uses the engine in its 500 model, but U.S. versions of that car are likely to get the 1.4-liter Multiair engine.

Here are the various categories, with their respective winners:

• 2011 International … Read more

Three years ago, when the price of gasoline shot past $4 a gallon, Detroit's automakers were trapped.

They couldn't give away the boatload of trucks that had long been the bread and butter--and profit generators--of the Detroit 3. With gasoline prices rising and with scant offerings in the small-vehicle segment, Detroit's sales plunged even before the financial crisis invaded in September 2008.

Last week, oil passed $100 a barrel, and gasoline prices rose to $3.50 a gallon in some markets. This time the Detroit 3 are in a better position to make money and not give … Read more

At the 2011 Geneva auto show, this Dodge Journey sported Fiat badges on the grille and wheels. It seems that Fiat has discovered badge-engineering, using it to bring Chrysler group cars to Europe. Fiat acquired Chrysler in 2009.

Under Fiat, the Journey goes under the model name Freemont, which is intended to evoke the freedom of the open road, and is also a homonym for a name associated with the American West.

By European standards, the Freemont is a very large vehicle. It comes with third-row seating, so it can handle seven occupants, and still carry cargo. That third row … Read more

SAN DIEGO--In Laura Soave's view, the Fiat 500 appeals to the two opposite poles that drive automotive purchase decisions: the brain and the heart.

With its 38 mpg EPA highway rating and a price starting at $15,995, including delivery, the 500 will play to customers who want sensible, economical, and green transportation. And, with its Italian heritage and brio, the 500 will tug at the heartstrings.

"We can play the best of both worlds with a balance of great style and design at a great price," said Soave, Fiat's North American brand chief, at the … Read more

It's been a while coming, but it's finally here. At the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, the Chrysler Group debuted the first fruits of its union with the Fiat Group in the form of the production-spec, U.S. market Fiat 500.

Expectedly, the 500 looks and probably behaves similarly to the European market model. It features the same compact packaging and cute sporty looks. However, Fiat's engineers have tweaked a few bits beneath the sheet metal to make the ultracompact more U.S. market-friendly.

Under the hood is Fiat's award-winning 1.4-liter MultiAir engine, which uses … Read more

The Fiat 500 subcompact may be Italian through and through, but the U.S. version that arrives in dealerships late this year will cater to American tastes.

The American car will have a more powerful engine than the European version, a slightly softer ride, and-- most important-- more substantial, American-style cup holders.

Nearly 27 years after leaving the United States, Fiat returns at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week with the 500. The U.S. car will have the same 1.4-liter engine as it does in Europe but will add MultiAir, a Fiat engine-breathing system that the company … Read more

There hasn't been a lot of news from Chrysler lately, but rumor has it that papa Fiat will be sending a version of the Alfa Romeo Giuletta to the U.S., according to a article in the Detroit Free Press. The proposed model will be built on Fiat's C-EVO underbody and look similar to the Guiletta. The Alfa Romeo, which could begin production late next year, should replace the Dodge Caliber crossover in the beleaguered automaker's lineup, and Chrylser and Jeep could also get a version of the five-door Italian hatchback.

The 2010 Alfa Romeo Guiletta fetches … Read more

DETROIT--Chrysler Group, an also-ran in the crucial mid-size car segment for several years, is pinning hopes for a revival on the 2011 Chrysler 200 sedan.

The 200, a reskinned and re-engineered version of the slow-selling Sebring, reaches dealerships late this year. At a meeting in Orlando last month, Chrysler told dealers it expects to sell about 80,000 200s annually, not including fleet sales, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

Chrysler sold 33,606 Sebrings through September, fleet and retail.

The mid-size sedan segment, which includes the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and Ford Fusion, is ferociously competitive. … Read more

DETROIT--Chrysler Group has tightened the focus for U.S. sales of Fiat vehicles, choosing 119 markets friendly to small cars.

Chrysler has invited owners of about 600 dealerships in those markets to apply for a planned 200 franchises. Those dealers are invited to an Aug. 30 meeting in Detroit to discuss the Fiat plan.

The company will ask interested dealers to present proposals by Sept. 22. It will choose the Fiat franchisees in early October.

The first Fiat to go on sale will be the Fiat 500 minicar, scheduled to start production in Toluca, Mexico, in the fourth quarter. Three … Read more