NF500 / auto express

In January Fiat UK Managing Director Andrew Humberstone made a pledge that he would be taking a hands on approach to bringing up the standard and reputation of the UK Fiat dealership network. Well, if a survey of around 32,000 UK motorists recently published by magazine Auto Express is anything to go by, he’s going to have his work cut out.

The Driver Power Dealer Survey canvassed the car buying public’s opinions on a range of criterea to paint a balanced picture of people’s overall dealership experience, and Fiat came a lowly 29 out of 30 overall.

This probably comes as perplexing, and certainly challenging news for new Fiat Group UK Sales Director Andrew Sproston, who took up his new position at the company this past Monday.

The broken down results show Fiat dealers as coming in the following positions:

• 20th for Value for money
• 29th for Standard of Workmanship
• 30th for Technical knowledge
• 30th for helpfulness and attitude
• 29th for Communication
• 30th Cleanliness and Atmosphere

It appears to us at NF500 that only the 20th place for “Value for money” saved Fiat’s dealerships from receiving the wooden spoon in this particular survey.

The Fiat 500, as the European wide “500% Fiat” marketing campaign reminds us all, is indented to be the embodiment of a completely fresh and revitalised Fiat. If these results really are anything to go by, along with some recent worrying reports from Fiat 500 owners and would-be owners on the new Fiat 500 forums, Fiat could do with taking a serious look at the dealership network and find out what they can do to improve their reputation “on the street”. If customers are being treated well by dealerships, word gets around, no matter how slick and polished your promotional work may be.

Credit to James on the forums for pointing this one out to us.

Auto Express, among others, are running some mock-ups produced by future vehicle imagineer extraordinaire Poblete.

Not much we can add really, as it’s pure speculation, but see what their scribe managed to twin with the images on the Auto Express website.

The new Fiat 500 has added to its extensive trophy haul by taking top honours in the Small and Compact Vehicle category at this year’s Auto 1 Awards, held in Geneva last week.

Fiat’s new city car won the class comfortably, taking votes not only from the Auto 1 organisation’s editors, experts and racing drivers, but also millions of enthusiastic readers across Europe.

Auto 1 titles are awarded by the Auto Bild Europe magazines group which is made up of 26 European-wide specialist car magazines, including the UK’s Auto Express. Voting is carried out by each magazine before short-listed cars go forward to a demanding and challenging judging process.

With a starting price of just £7,900 OTR, the new Fiat 500 represents excellent value for money and positions the car well below what Fiat consider to be benchmark rivals. At the top end of the range, a highly specified version with a larger engine costs only £10,700 – an OTR price that includes air conditioning and alloy wheels as standard.

Available with a choice of three frugal, ultra-low emissions, Euro 5-ready engines: 69 bhp 1.2-litre and 100 bhp 1.4-litre petrol, or 75 bhp 1.3-litre MultiJet turbodiesel, the new Fiat 500 can be ordered in three different trim levels – Pop, Sport and Lounge.

We at NF500 are not sure what the photos included with this press release have to do with this particular reward, but we’re always happy to share Fiat 500 eye candy, and maybe it’s the award that the women in the second photo are smiling about?!

Auto Express have given the new Fiat 500 a nice balanced first drive review, and it’s now up on their website for all to enjoy.

The short piece goes over many of the strengths and weaknesses of the new 500, making the obvious comparisons between the baby Fiat and the baby BMW aka MINI One. The conclusion seems to be the same as many have drawn, maybe not so sporty to drive or as quality overall, but better value for money and, certainly at this stage, more quirky and individual.

So says Auto Express, who’ve whipped up some photoshop images of how they believe the new Fiat 500 Abarth will shape up when launched later in 2008.

Auto Express have changed their view about the forthcoming line up from previous articles, and now seem to agree with our own predictions of a 135 hp Abarth and 155 hp Abarth SS, while their earlier predictions of a 180 or 200 hp Abarth SS version have shifted to an official tuning kit offering a power figure somewhere in that ballpark.

The piece doesn’t really say or show anything new for 500 devotees, but as you can read the article for free online there’s no harm in reading a little more 500 hype as the UK launch creeps ever nearer. You can see the photos and read the report on the Auto Express website

This time it’s Auto Express who have a collection of images of the forthcoming Fiat 500 Abarth, under disguise and in testing.

The photos show front, side and back profiles.  Through the heavy black cladding it is possible to make out panel modifications and intakes that may or may not make the final production version of the hot 500.

In the article Auto Express claim the vehicle in the photos to be the 500 Abarth SS and that we can expect “at least 180 hp” from the 1.4 litre engine.  We’ll have to wait and see on that front.  You can see all the photos and read the full article over at the Auto Express website.

According to reports which originate back to Auto Express, the Fiat 500 Abarth, due to be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show later this October will not be taking a bow in Japan after all. The official public début has reportedly been put back to the Geneva Motor Show, which will be held in March 2008.

The reason being cited is the incredible sales figures Fiat have experienced for the new 500, the demands of which they are struggling to meet, which has left bosses feeling they could not cope, nor do they require, any further clamour for orders for the hot Abarth versions of the vehicle at this stage in the products life cycle.