Problems for Fiat as Serbian Plant Halts Production of 500L

As of Wednesday, Fiat's new Kragujevac plant in Serbia has temporarily ceased production of its 500L small MPV, only a couple of months after the car went on sale in the United States this summer.

The reason? According to a Reuters report, the lack of parts as at least one of the plant's suppliers was unable to complete deliveries of components, following an extended strike from displeased workers at a transport company who have blocked railways and roads in the region over unpaid wages.

A Fiat spokesperson confirmed the production halt, but did not say if it was due to the strike. "Production ceased on Wednesday and we still don't know when it will resume," said Fiat spokeswoman Aleksandra Rankovic.

The Kragujevac factory began production of the 500L family of small cars in July of 2012, churning out about 30,000 units until the end of the year, with Fiat expecting to manufacture up to 140,000 cars in 2013.

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Fiat Adds 105HP TwinAir on the 500, 120HP 1.6 MultiJet II Diesel on the 500L

As of today, the Fiat 500 hatchback and 500C cabriolet models can be ordered in Italy with the most powerful version of the 0.9-liter TwinAir engine developing 105 hp. Until now, Fiat 500 models were only available with the 85hp version of the two-cylinder engine.

When equipped with the new engine, the Fiat 500 hatch sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 10 seconds and reaches a top speed of 188 km/h (117 mph). Fuel economy is 4.2 l/100 km on the combined cycle, with CO2 emissions rated at 99 g/km. The new engine is linked to a 6-speed manual gearbox and adds to the existing 69HP 1.2 and 85HP 0.9 TwinAir gasoline units, the 85HP 1.3 MultiJet II diesel and the 1.2 EasyPower (LPG/petrol).

The new engine can be combined with the Lounge, S and GQ equipment grades, with list prices in Italy varying between €16,181 ($22,275) for the 500 Lounge and €21,525 ($29,620) for the 500C GQ range-topping model.

Fiat has also announced the introduction of the new 120HP 1.6 MultiJet II diesel engine on the 500L, 500L Living and 500L Trekking models. The engine uses a variable geometry turbocharger and a third-generation Common Rail system, allowing it to deliver 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) of torque at 1,500 rpm. List prices in Italy vary from €21,525 for the 500L Pop, Star and Easy trim levels to €23,894 ($32,875) for the range-topping 500L Living Lounge.

By Dan Mihalascu

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Mopar Presents Its 2013 SEMA Show Lineup

Fiat and Chrysler’s in-house tuner Mopar will bring twenty customized vehicles at the upcoming SEMA Show in Las Vegas from Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, SRT and Fiat brands. Here are some of the Mopar-modified 2013 Chrysler Group SEMA display vehicles.

The Ram Sun Chaser show truck is a leisure vehicle for surfing fans that even includes a shower. Based on the Ram 1500 Quad Cab, the vehicle features Vibrance Orange Blast, with two-tone Brilliant Black paint, a unique concept Mopar roof rack, dubbed the “surf rack,” and two adjustable support rails housed within the tracks of the truck’s bed, for accommodating a long surfboard. Hooks on the side of the rails can also carry up to four boards.

The concept’s exclusive RamBox bed-side storage features a concept water tank equipped with a hose and a portable shower head, forming a makeshift shower kit that may be clipped on to the rack for a quick rinse. The shower can be used to wash off salt water or seaweed. The Ram Sun Chaser rides on unique 17 x 8-inch beadlock wheels with color-keyed rings.

The Fiat 500L Adventurer features modifications that transform the five-seater by giving it a tough, rugged appearance. The exterior is enhanced with Bright White body paint, two-tone accent wheel flares and rockers painted in Satin Black. The roof is painted Vibrance Bright Orange and features Mopar roof rails and a large roof basket. The vehicle sits on 18 x 7.5-inch custom concept wheels embellished with FIAT logo center caps.

Other visual enhancements are the custom 500L graphics on the door panels, orange mirror caps, tinted taillights, tinted chrome exhaust tips, molded splash guards, and a chrome FIAT logo ring. On the inside, black perforated suede Katzkin seats and pearl leather seatbacks are the highlights. The interior also features a two-tone instrument panel with a white leather insert and various Mopar accessories.

The Jeep Cherokee Trail Carver is a vehicle with capabilities to handle the rugged off-road. It uses the Trailhawk 4x4 package powered by a 3.2-liter V6 engine as a starting point. The exterior is colored in Auburn Pearl paint, with low-gloss black and Granite Crystal with low-gloss clear touches.

The SUV features unique Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk hood and roof topographical graphics bordered in Crush Orange, with matching orange tow hooks. The top of the vehicle sports a concept roof basket design fitted with a front wind deflector. The off-road character of the vehicle is underlined by the aggressive tires and the rock rails.

The interior has Katzkin Amaretto leather seats, with colored leather in the center, leather wrapping on the center console, storage door and armrest, and matching color stitching on the seats.

Mopar will also display a 2014 Chrysler 300S featuring a sinister look thanks to the Phantom Black Tri-coat paint, darkened headlights and 13-bar black “Gotham” grille surround. The car also has lowering kit and rides on 20x8-inch wheels from the Chrysler 300C John Varvatos Limited Edition. At the rear, a black SRT spoiler and smoked taillights complete the exterior changes.

The interior features luxurious touches like the Katzkin “Bisque” leather on the seats and door bolster inserts.

By Dan Mihalascu

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Consumer Reports Rates Fiat 500L, Nissan Versa Note and Infiniti Q50

One has to be careful when watching many car video reviews to not lose their own views and opinions, and oust them in favor of what somebody else said. It’s so obvious sometimes that reviewers peek over the fence and end up all pointing out the same qualities and flaws over and over again, until you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s the way things are, full stop.

However, I’ve noticed that with Consumer Reports reviews, a new perspective is brought forth, on cars we already knew, by highlighting qualities or flaws that may have been (repeatedly) overlooked by others.

It may be down to the way they test the cars, or just their attitude towards them, but for instance, their freshly-uploaded quick takes for the Fiat 500L, Nissan Versa Note and Infiniti Q50 stand separately from the mainstream. According to them, the Note leaves the impression of being the best all-round car of the trio, despite at first glance seeming to be the least desirable…

The Infiniti is penalized for its vague steering that can get an optional steer-by-wire system, which makes things even worse in that respect. The Fiat wins points on style and space, but its automatic gearbox is dimwitted and the limited choice of engines (only one available) further hurts what is otherwise an enticing package for families.

Check out the videos for all three cars, below.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Official: Fiat Unveils Larger and More Versatile 500L Ahead of its Geneva Debut

Fiat couldn't wait until the Geneva Motor Show to reveal its all-new 500L so it is giving us an early preview of its all-new sub-compact model. As you may have already guessed, the "L" in the name stands for "Large", with the 500L being the latest addition to the 500 range after the three-door hatch, the Cabrio and the Abarth models.
While the name and the styling (to some extent) refer to the 500 mini, the five-door 500L is based on the platform of the B-segment Punto measuring 4,140mm long, 1,780mm wide and 1,660mm tall. It is 594mm longer, 153mm wider and 175mm taller than the three-door 500.
The Italian company says the 500L offers "MPV passenger space combined with the feel of a small SUV on the road and the restrained dimensions and efficiency of a B segment car" and that it's an alternative to the traditional B and C segments.