Chrysler LLC Shows off Fiat 500 in New York

If this isn't a perfect illustration of the globalization that is going on in the automotive industry, we don't know what is; Chrysler LLC's Vice Chairman and President, Jim Press, arrived at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in NY for the world premiere of the all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee which is based on the underpinnings of the American automaker's former partner's Mercedes ML-Class SUV, in a brand new... Fiat 500.

Apparently Chrysler wanted to restore consumer confidence in the future of the automaker by showing off the retro-penned Fiat which could come to the States if the two companies finalize a deal to form an alliance.

Pinked Out Barbie 500 Tours Fiat's European Dealers

The one-off Barbie Fiat 500 that was created to celebrated the Mattel fashion doll's 50th birthday has been sent to London as part of a major European tour that begun with the presentation of the pinked-out 500 in Milan, Italy and Paris, France. In the rare (or so we sincerely hop so...) case that you're interested, the glitzy 500 will be on show at Fiat's London flagship dealer, Fiat Marylebone, in Wigmore Street, W1 until Monday, 13 April.

Fiat Prices 500 Convertible from £11,300 in the UK

The all-new Fiat 500C convertible will arrive on UK shores this summer with prices ranging from £11,300 for the entry-level 1.2-liter gasoline model to £14,100 for the highly specified Lounge version with a 1.3-litre turbodiesel. Interestingly, the UK will be the first country in Europe to receive the new 500 C - even before it goes on sale in Italy. The rag-topped 500 will be available in 11 colors with buyers being able to choose from three different engines, the 69HP 1.2-litre and 100HP 1.4-litre petrol units, and the 75HP 1.3-liter MultiJet turbodiesel.

There are two trim options available, Pop and Lounge. An electrically operated hood, air conditioning, remote central locking, radio/CD/MP3 player, seven airbags and electric door mirrors are standard on all cars, while climate control, ESP stability control, foglights and rear parking sensors are among the principal features incorporated in Lounge models.

1.2 Pop	£11,300
1.4 Pop	£12,500
1.3 Mjet Pop	£12,700
1.2 Lounge	£12,700
1.4 Lounge	£13,900
1.3 Mjet Lounge	£14,100

Chick Flick: Barbie gets her own special Fiat 500 for her 50th Birthday

You knew it was coming - a pinked out Barbie version of Fiat's 500 mini. Created by a partnership between the Fiat Centro Stile and Mattel, the customized Barbie 500 is a show car dedicated to famous doll for her 50th birthday and it will appear in public for the first time on Monday 9 March, when it will race through the streets of Milan's fashion district with 'Barbie' on the passenger seat and Ken behind the steering wheel.

Aside from the bright pink paintwork, Barbie's 500 also gets pink seats, an LED-decked vanity mirror, glitzy crystals on interior bezels, hubcaps, outer window moldings and antenna, as well as a glossy cover featuring the distinctive Sixties version of the Fiat 500 and a Barbie autograph.

Rinspeed's Fiat 500 Abarth E2 with Dual Power Mode

For this year's Geneva Motor Show, Swiss tuner and concept car specialist Rinspeed has developed a modified Fiat 500 Abarth study badged "E2" featuring a dual power mode system that affects the engine electronics. What this system does is, with the touch of a button, it reduces the output of the 500 Abarth's 1.4-liter turbocharged engine, from 160HP to 60HP. The 60-horsepower 'Commuting' mode, which is more suitable for city traffic, helps the 500 Abarth achieve an average consumption of around 4.0 lt / 100 km or 58.8mpg U.S.

Outside the city, the 'Highway' mode frees the 1.4 Turbo engine' 160HP. Fuel consumption in this mode is in the neighborhood of seven liters per 100 kilometers or 33.6mpg US.

"Just like the auto industry has to adjust to the demands of a new era, tuners have to look for new ways to do business as well," said Rinspeed boss Frank M. Rinderknecht.

"I don't believe too much in eco tuning. Many drivers are not willing to miss out on driving fun and don't want to drive a something that announces to the world that they do without. But the number of people who want to use our energy supply responsibly not in the least because they want to protect our environment will grow quickly," he added.

Fiat Releases New Photos of 500C Convertible

In anticipation of next week's Geneva Motor Show, Fiat released a few more photographs of its all-new 500C Convertible that will go on sale throughout Europe this spring. The 500C features a roll-back canvas top that covers the car's roof and rear-hatch section. It will be offered with the same three poweroplants as the tin top model, including a 75HP 1.3-liter turbo diesel and the two 1.2 liter 69 HP and 1.4 liter 100 HP gasoline engines, available with either manual or robotized Dualogic transmission.

Fiat 500C: Convertible Version Unveiled ahead of Geneva Show

These are the first official photos of the new Fiat 500C, a rag-top convertible version of Fiat's highly successful retro-mini due to be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in early March with sales expected to start in Europe in the spring of 2009. The 500C is said to pay homage to the open-top 1957 model, which translates to a sliding back canvas rooftop that stretches out to the rear hatch window.

Available in three colors (ivory, red and black), the soft top will be matched with several body colors, two of which have been designed specifically for the 500C in a Pearl Red and a Warm Grey.

While it may not offer the same open-sky experience as the MINI Convertible, Fiat's solution will help to keep the 500C's price down making it one of the most affordable cabriolets in the European market.

The new 500C is exactly the same size as the basic model (3.55 m x 1.65 m x 1.49 m), and as you may have already guessed, it will be offered with the the same three powerplants: 1.3-litre 75HP MultiJet Turbodiesel coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission, and the two 1.2-litre 69HP and 1.4-litre 100HP petrol engines, available with either manual or robotised Dualogic transmission.

Fiat 500 Convertible Teaser Sketches - Official Photos to be Released Next Week

Fiat has just announced that the first official photographs of its all-new Fiat 500 Convertible will be released on Monday, February 16, two weeks ahead of the car's world premiere at the at the Geneva Motor Show. But to just to keep us on our toes, the Italian automaker uploaded two teaser sketches as well as a fuzzy photos of the rag-topped 500 on its dedicated micro site. The teaser shots confirm earlier reports that 500 Convertible will not be equipped with a fully retractable rooftop but instead, it will feature a folding-back canvas top covering the roof and the rear glasshouse.

Following its introduction in Geneva, the 500 Convertible will go on sale across Europe by summer 2009, and if all goes well with the proposed partnership between the Fiat Group and Chrysler LLC, we could see it coming to North America.

The canvas-top 500 is expected to be offered with the same powertrain options as the tin-top model including 1.2-liter and 1.4-liter gasoline engines and a 1.3-liter turbo diesel.

New Fiat 500 Start & Stop with Improved Fuel Economy

Start and stop systems are becoming more of a norm than an exception these days. Fiat for example has just launched in the UK a new version of the 500 fitted with this fuel saving technology that stops the engine automatically whenever traffic conditions bring the car to a complete halt, and restarts it when the driver wants to move off again. Called 500 Start&Stop, the new variant is based on the most successful 500 version, the 69HP 1.2 Lounge with prices starting from £9,500 OTR.

With Fiat's Start&Stop system, CO2 emissions on the 1.2-liter petrol engine are just 113 g/km versus the standard car's 119 g/km, while Fiat supports that the 500's fuel consumption in the combined cycle is reduced from 5.1 lt / 100km (55.4 mpg UK) to 4.8 lt /100km (58.9 mpg UK).

	START&STOP 1.2 69 bhp	LOUNGE 1.2 69 bhp
Fuel Consumption
urban cycle mpg (l/100km)	49.6 (5.7)	44.1 (6.4)
extra-urban cycle mpg (l/100km)	65.7 (4.3)	65.7 (4.3)
combined cycle mpg (l/100km)	58.9 (4.8)	55.4 (5.1)
CO2 Emissions (g/km)	113	119