Fiat 500

[nikita]

Fix It Again Tony

Review: Fiat 500C | The Truth About Cars

If this is what Chrysler is going to use to compete in the US, they are doomed.

[iamz]

Originally Posted by nikita

Fix It Again Tony

Review: Fiat 500C | The Truth About Cars

If this is what Chrysler is going to use to compete in the US, they are doomed.

I think the regular hard top version will do well here. But I'd have to take a wait and see attitude before looking at buying a Fiat in order to see how reliable they are.

[golf strom]

I think the FIAT Punto would be more of the competition for the Fiesta as they are in the same class. "subcompact" class

The Ford Ka is the 500s natural competitor and in most ways the 500 cleans its clock. "super mini" class

[mrbirdman330]

Don't count the 500 out, its got a good fan base here in the states. I'm quite sure its sales will be solid. Fiat is even going to be punching out an electric version as well for the states and a 5 door version. Fiat/Chrysler know what they're doing.

[golf strom]

The 500 Abarth is one heck of a super mini....think of a modern vehicle about the size of the old MKI VW Golf (Rabbit GTI) with tons more performance!!!!!!

Actually FIAT is going to introduce a new Fiesta size car using the name UNO once again sometime in the next year to so.

[FiestaFan]

Originally Posted by golf strom

Actually FIAT is going to introduce a new Fiesta size car using the name UNO once again sometime in the next year to so.

In fact they already have:

Fiat Uno supermini leaks out — Autoblog

Not exactly a Fiesta killer, but I think it's aimed at developing markets anyway. Plus the Punto Evo is already Fiat's Fiesta rival

[golf strom]

Just viewed the little Uno, and it looks remarkably like the Kia Soul and Nissan Cube vehicles....I actually don't see why they couldn't sell it here as long as the put a slightly larger engine in it...

FiestaFan..isn't the current Punto (not the Punto Grande) due for a redesign about now?

[FiestaFan]

Originally Posted by golf strom

FiestaFan..isn't the current Punto (not the Punto Grande) due for a redesign about now?

The Grande Punto just got a fairly major facelift, now known as the Punto Evo, and AFAIK the regular Punto has been discontinued, since it was the budget companion to the Grande Punto but now the Grande is the budget companion to the Evo. Or something like that...

[mrbirdman330]

I've got a buddy in the UK boosting up a Punto as his project car. Says it's really great.

[golf strom]

Originally Posted by FiestaFan

The Grande Punto just got a fairly major facelift, now known as the Punto Evo, and AFAIK the regular Punto has been discontinued, since it was the budget companion to the Grande Punto but now the Grande is the budget companion to the Evo. Or something like that...

I've heard really good things about the Grande Punto over the past couple of years .....

I really hope that Sergio Marchionne (CEO of FIAT Group and now Chrysler Corp) can pull off the resurrection of the Chrysler company in the USA...I have a feeling that if folks in the US can get a taste of what FIAT has to offer from Europe (incl Alfa and Lancia) they WILL buy in large numbers.

The most important thing he can do is to build a competent sales service infrastructure for the European brands so that the ownership experience will be first rate....FIAT reliability is really pretty good now about on par with most mainstream brands offered in the USA today. It will be the competence of the support the customer gets that will make or break FIAT, Lancia, and Alfa in the USA, not the desirability, performance or, quality of the product