U.S. Fiat Dealers Disappointed by New Decision to Delay Alfa Romeo's Return

American fans of the Alfa Romeo brand are not the only ones to be upset by the Fiat-Chrysler alliance's most recent decision to delay the scheduled return of the Italian automaker to the States. So are the company’s newly launched Fiat dealerships that were expecting the brand to launch in late 2012.

While Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne never put it in ink, the company had told its 130 Fiat dealers in the USA that they would likely get Alfa Romeo cars as part of their franchise.

The Fiat-Chrysler alliance appointed a total of 130 Fiat dealers across the States, most of which already had a Chrysler store. The company gave dealers the permission to incorporate temporary showrooms in their existing Chrysler facilities, but required them to build separate and permanent stores by the end of 2012.

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The Manchurian Candidate: Jeep capitalizes on Fiat’s Chinese Operations, Wants to Build SUVs locally

Now that Sergio Marchionne has consolidated Fiat-Chrysler management into a smaller, leaner unified team, its members are working full force to maximize the group’s capabilities.

Jeep CEO Mike Manley travelled to China last Wednesday to negotiate the local production of Jeep models with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co Ltd., which already has a joint venture with Fiat.

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Video: Jennifer Lopez Shakes it for the New Fiat 500C

While we were busy bringing you all the news from the 64th International Auto Show in Frankfurt, Fiat USA released their latest commercial for the newly launched in the States, 500C open-top city car, starring Jennifer Lopez.

This is the first but not the last ad to show the hot 42-year old pop star as Fiat has enlisted Lopez to promote the new 500 in more commercials that will appear gradually throughout the year. If you try hard, you may notice the 500 taking a backstage role in the promo...

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Another Month, Another Delay: Alfa Romeo Won't Come to the States Until 2013, Cancels SUV Plans

In what has become something of a joke for those closely following the Fiat Group's plans to re-introduce Alfa Romeo to the States, the Milanese firm's CEO Harald Wester told journalists in Frankfurt that the company has once again pushed back the U.S. presentation of several key models.

Wester also said that Alfa Romeo has canceled plans to build a mid-sized SUV at Chrysler Group's factory in Ohio. Read more »

IAA 2011: Abarth Turns Fiat's 500 City Car into the 695 Competizione

A new version of the 500 city car was Abarth’s most important model at the 64th IAA. As you can probably tell from its name, the Abarth 695 Competizione is a hardcore version of the normal Abarth 500, and it also pays homage to the company’s race-tuned cars of the past. Read more »

IAA 2011: Fiat Ready to Conquer the City Car Segment with All-New Panda

The most important debut from a sales point of view for the Fiat Group at the Frankfurt Motor Show is the brand-new, third generation Fiat Panda city car. With more than 6.5 million sales spread over two generations and 31 years, the Panda is one of Fiat's most successful models.

The 2012 Panda has been completely renewed and comes with a larger body, fresh looks, improved versatility and a new range of engines.

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Official: VW Says Suzuki Violated Agreement by Purchasing Diesel Engines from Fiat

It's no secret that Volkswagen's business relationship with Suzuki after the Germans acquired a 19.9 percent of the Japanese manufacture's shares in December 2009 under a strategic cooperation has been a deeply troubled one. However, up until now, the two sides tried to keep the problems "in house".

But today, following recent comments from the Japanese firm's chairman Osamu Suzuki that the two companies "aren't even talking", the Volkswagen Group decided to make these problems public with an official announcement.

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Fiat 500 by Gucci Makes Chic Debut at Italian Firm's Manhattan Store

The limited edition Fiat 500 by Gucci made its way to New York city and Gucci's fashion store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

Appropriately, the two Italian brands brought over fashionistas, tastemakers and catwalk models including a couple of ladies that were disturbingly anorexic skinny (like the one pictured on your right), to create some fuss around the Fiat 500 trimmed by Gucci.

"In the ‘50s, the Fiat 500 created a style revolution when it first hit the road. It quickly became the must-have car of its time," said Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini.

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Chrysler to Sell Fiat Doblo in the U.S. and Canada under the Ram Brand

In a move that perhaps shows more than anything else how intertwined the automotive industry is today, the Fiat and Chrysler Alliance announced today plans to sell the Fiat Doblo van in the U.S. and Canadian markets under the Ram brand.

You may recall that GM's European division Opel, will debut its own rebadged version of the Fiat Doblo called the Combo at next week's Frankfurt Motor Show .

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Abarth to Unleash Punto SuperSport and two Special Editions of the 500 in Franfkurt

The Fiat Group’s Abarth division will display three “specialties” based on the firm's Punto supermini, the 500 and 500C softop models at September's Frankfurt Motor Show.

First up is the Abarth Punto SuperSport featuring a “Grigio Campovolo” two-tone color scheme with silver bodywork and a matte black bonnet and roof, along with “SuperSport” decals on the side, the tailgate and the mirrors, plus a set of 18-inch alloy wheels with red brake calipers.

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Report: Fiat Group Mulling to Build Jeep and Alfa Romeo SUVs in the U.S. Instead of Italy

If there's one car company that's notorious for making promises and/or premature announcements on decisions only to have the projects cancelled, delayed, altered, or even postponed for years (Alfa Romeo's return to the U.S. is a typical example), it's the Fiat Group.

In late 2010, the Italian company that also controls the Chrysler Group, revealed plans to update its Mirafiori plant in Turin, Italy, in order to produce larger segment passenger cars and SUVs for the Jeep and Alfa Romeo brands.

Less than a year after the announcement, Bloomberg is now reporting that Fiat is considering moving planned production of the upcoming Jeep and Alfa Romeo SUV models from Turin to a factory in North America, due to the strengthening euro against the dollar.

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Fiat’s Frankfurt Carmageddon: AWD Freemont, 500 “by Abarth” and 500C “by Gucci”, Plus Two New Editions of the Qubo

If you think that Fiat would be content with two premieres at the Frankfurt Motor Show, both of which belong to important segments for the European market, you wrong. Apart from the Nuova Panda and the revised, MultiAir-equipped Punto, the Italian company has a bunch of other models as well.

The Dodge-derived Freemont, which was initially available with front-wheel drive only, now gets an all-wheel drive. It utilizes an on-demand AWD system with an electronically controlled coupling that sends power to the rear wheels only when its slip sensors detect a loss of grip at the front axle.

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2012 Fiat Punto gets 85HP 0.9-liter TwinAir and 1.3 Multijet Engines

The Nuova Panda may be Fiat's star attraction at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, but the Italians will also show a subtly revised version of the Punto supermini.

The most important change is the introduction of the two-cylinder MultiAir turbocharged gasoline engine. It’s the same unit used in Fiat's 500 and Panda, as well as the Alfa Romeo MiTo, producing 85HP and 145 Nm of torque at 2,000 rpm.

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Fiat’s 2012 Nuova Panda to Fight for City-Car Supremacy

Replacing a car with a 31-year long history is never an easy task. Especially if it has become one of Fiat's most successful city cars offering ample interior space and practicality for its size.

The first generation of the model introduced in 1980, was the first city car to offer a diesel engine (1986), four-wheel drive (1983) and one of the first electric variants (the Elettra in 1990), while the second generation Panda that was launched in 2003, managed to keep Fiat afloat and formed the base for the successful 500.

Now it's time for Fiat to lift the wraps on the third iteration of the Panda that will make its world premiere in Frankfurt. The “Nuova” (that’s Italian for new) Panda has grown in dimensions compared to its predecessor measuring 3,650 mm long (vs 3,538), 1,640 mm wide (vs 1,578) and 1,550 mm tall (vs 1,450).

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Lancia Flavia Cabrio Coming to Frankfurt Show, Sedan Plans Axed

The Fiat Group may have exhibited both the sedan and convertible variants of the Chrysler 200 re-branded as the Lancia Flavia at the Geneva Salon in March, but at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Italians will only bring the open top model.

Citing inside sources from the Fiat Group, Autonews reported that only the convertible version of the Flavia will make it into production as the cost of adding an essential diesel engine wiped out the business case for the sedan model in Europe.

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Marchionne Says Fiat “Will Meet its Targets for 2011 – For Now”

Watching your capitalization lose half of its value is never a good thing – even more so if your company is in the middle of a serious restructure. But that’s exactly what has happened to Fiat S.p.A., and investors are worried, given the weak European market and the problems that the U.S. is currently facing.

However, the automaker's CEO, Sergio Marchionne, remains optimistic that, despite the stock’s poor performance, profit and sales target for 2011 will be met: “We won’t be reviewing 2011 targets until we close the third quarter. For now, we confirm the targets,” he told reporters at Rimini last Wednesday.

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Rumors: Chrysler to Kill Dodge Caliber in Late November

It’s been a bumpy road for the Chrysler Group's Dodge Caliber compact crossover that was introduced in 2006 as a replacement to the Neon, under the supervision of Mercedes-Benz's parent company Daimler, which then controlled the U.S. automaker.

But the end appears to be near as the usually well informed on Chrysler Group matters Allpar site is reporting that production of the Caliber will end on November 23, 2011, according to "documentation recently sent to dealers".

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Fiat 500: Brings back old memories

Even though many people would have forgotten about Fiat, the launch of Fiat 500 is likely to revive the memory of the car. The new Fiat 500 will be launched by Gucci in New York Fashion Show on 8^th September.

With the launch of the car in the New York Fashion Show, the company plans to increase the aware level of the product.

Fiat Abarth Girls Dance it Off on Camera

Leave it to the Fiat Group to turn a vehicle presentation into a girls gone wild part – not that we are complaining, mind you…

We don’t have any information regarding the clip that popped up on Youtube other than a vague description that says "FIAT girls dancing at FIAT Grande Punto ABARTH S2000 LIVE!", so if you happen to know more, just leave us a comment below.

And if you're looking for something a bit more spicier from the Italians, you may want to check out this video from the Fiat Group presentation at the 2006 Poland Auto Motor Show.

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Will the Jeep-based SUV Turn Maserati into the New Porsche?

[The above photo is an independent rendering, not the actual Maserati SUV Concept]

Most Italian sports car lovers believe a Jeep-based Maserati SUV will be a disgrace to the company's history, while pragmatists and analysts alike that it is a possible way to revitalize the brand. And those who remember our recent story concerning the soon to be launched Maserati SUV can strike the word “rumor” from the title.

Sources from within the company confirmed today that the Italian company will indeed launch a Jeep Grand Cherokee-based SUV concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. What’s more, the same insiders said that the luxury SUV will be manufactured not at Modena, like all other sports cars bearing the trident badge, but at Chrysler’s Jefferson North plant in Detroit.

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