NF500 / fiat panda

Automotive News and AutoBlog have been talking about Fiat’s planned Multiair engine technology this week, generating more good PR for Fiat brand and the new 500 in particular.

The Multiair electronic inlet valve control system, as recently displayed in the Fiat Panda Aria concept car, has hit the press again due to Valeo announcing it is developing a new cam-less engine technology, which much like Fiat’s offering will reduce emissions by around 20 percent as well as offering improved performance.

The Valeo system, which is also being developed by both Jacobs Vehicle Systems of Connecticut and Lotus Engineering, has had its share of fits and starts. Packaging issues have caused problems for all involved, particularly on engines with three or four valves per cylinder.

The system doesn’t appear to have anything to do with Fiat’s offering, but it shows the current buzz around the brand that the 500 is making the automotive headlines, even when it’s not strictly the subject matter of the piece.

You can learn more about Fiat’s future engine plans in this previous NF500 article.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) website has been updated with details of the recommended insurance groups for the new Fiat 500, a few weeks ahead of the car’s UK debut.

The details are as follows:

FIAT 500 POP 1242cc Petrol 3 (5)
FIAT 500 SPORT 1242cc Petrol 4 (6)
FIAT 500 LOUNGE 1242cc Petrol 4 (6)
FIAT 500 POP MULTIJET TDI 1248cc Diesel 4 (7)
FIAT 500 SPORT MULTIJET TDI 1248cc Diesel 5 (8)
FIAT 500 LOUNGE MULTIJET TDI 1248cc Diesel 5 (8)
FIAT 500 LOUNGE 1368cc Petrol 6 (12)
FIAT 500 SPORT 1368cc Petrol 6 (12)
FIAT 500 POP 1368cc Petrol 5 (11)

Numbers in brackets are based on new 1-50 range ratings, bold numbers are the more familiar 1-20 ABI ratings.

These figures when compared to the 500s sister car, the Fiat Panda, are quite high. Only the Panda 100 rates as highly as five on the 1-20 system, with the other top end Pandas coming in at group three only, putting the 1.2 Pandas in the same bracket as the lowest rated 1.2 Pop version of the Fiat 500.

Beauty maybe does have a price after all?

In a broad ranging interview with Automotive News, Fiat Group Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne reaffirmed Fiat’s projected annual sales for the new 500 to be 190,000 vehicles by 2009, up from original forecasts of 120,000.

I will stick with 190,000 units a year. Let us first see what this car does after the initial euphoria.

Later in the piece Marchionne is questioned on the planned micro-car based on the platform currently shared between the Fiat Panda, 500 and forthcoming Ford Ka.

…in late 2009 we will probably launch a car that is much smaller than the 500 and built on a shortened A-platform. The only other thing I can say is that the styling model that I saw of this car is a true beauty.

Interesting. Subscription is required to read the full piece.

For those in the UK, set your alarms for 9pm this evening when leading TV car show “Top Gear” will be featuring the new Fiat 500 tackling the streets of Budapest. James May, AKA Captain Slow (and apparent fan of the Fiat Panda) will be the team member taking the new baby Fiat to task.

Generally speaking Top Gear hasn’t been much of a car review show in recent times, more a bunch of lads messing about with cars and other diverse forms of transport, while banding about petrol head banter. But it’s always worth a watch and it will be interesting to see their take on the Fiat 500, not least as it’s the most watched, and therefore most influential car show on British TV.

According to press reports in Italy (and now slowly spreading across the web), Fiat are considering increasing production of the new Fiat 500 by introducing manufacturing of the supermini to their Termini Imerese plant, situated in Sicily.

The plant currently produces the Lancia Ypsilon, and rumours suggest that Fiat may introduce one or two further models to the line in the near future, with the favourites being touted as the new Fiat 500 and Fiat Panda.

The Fiat has been voted “Auto Europa 2008″ by the Italian Union of Automotive Journalists (Uiga). This is the most important accolade awarded by the Italian specialised press.

Established in 1987, the prize is awarded to the car built and sold in Europe that offers the best combination of technology, pricing and style for the final consumer. The vote, which took place last weekend in Riccione, attributed 640 points to the new super-compact from Fiat, placing it ahead of the Kia Ceèd (408) and the Peugeot 308 (325).

The official prize-giving ceremony will be held next Spring during the annual Uiga meeting. This is the tenth car from Fiat Group Automobiles to receive the title of “Auto Europa”. Previous winners have been the Alfa 164 (1988), Fiat Tipo (1989), Fiat Cinquecento (1993), Fiat Punto (1995), Fiat Bravo/Brava (1996), Alfa Romeo 156 (1998), Alfa Romeo 166 (1999), Fiat Panda (2004) and the Fiat Grande Punto (2007).

This award adds to the already impressive array of prizes under the Fiat 500’s belt, namely: “Car of the Year 2008″, “EuroCarBody 2007” and “World’s Most Beautiful Car”. The COTY award was secured with a total of 385 points attributed by a panel of 58 specialist journalists representing 22 European countries. This is only the second time that an A-segment model has won this award – the first being the Fiat Panda in 2004. The title of “EuroCarBody 2007”, the most important prize worldwide for car bodies, is attributed by a total of approximately 600 specialists from 15 international carmakers, all of them experts in bodywork engineering, materials, processes and production. Lastly, the “World’s most Beautiful Car” award was given to the Fiat 500 by an international panel of design and visual arts experts. With the maximum score possible of 18 points, the Fiat 500 won the “City cars and small cars” category for expressing “a return to the sculptural values of the golden age of car design”. The same prize was also awarded to the Fiat Bravo, in the “medium saloon” category.

These prestigious accolades for the Fiat 500 join two other important prizes recently awarded by the international press to the Fiat Grande Punto and Scudo. Just a few months after its Latin American launch, the Grande Punto was voted “Auto Interamericana 2008” by the Interamerican Federation of Automotive Periodicals (FIPA), consisting of 63 journalists from 19 American nations, including Brazil and the US. Similarly, the Scudo has also been enjoying an extraordinary success, and has been voted “International Van of the Year 2008” – with 108 out of a possible 140 points – by a panel of journalists from 20 European nations specialised in light commercial vehicles.

Well, it is now officially official, the Fiat 500 IS Car of the Year 2008, and here is the official Fiat press release to mark the occasion…

The international jury presiding over the Car of the Year award, made up of 58 specialist journalists from 22 European countries, has elected the Fiat 500 Car of the Year 2008 with 385 votes, ahead of the Mazda 2 (325 votes) and the Ford Mondeo (202).

In addition to winning the Car of the Year 2008 award outright, the super-compact Fiat distinguished itself by obtaining votes from most members of the jury: 57 out of 58 included it in their short-list, and 33 made it top in their personal rankings.

This is the second time – the first was the Fiat Panda in 2004 – that an A-segment model has won the most prestigious award in the world car industry. This extraordinary record brings total Fiat Group Automobiles wins to twelve: the Fiat 124 (1967), Fiat 128 (1970), Fiat 127 (1972), Lancia Delta (1980), Fiat Uno (1984), Fiat Tipo (1989), Fiat Punto (1995), Fiat Bravo/Brava (1996), Alfa 156 (1998), Alfa 147 (2001), Fiat Panda (2004) and the Fiat 500 (2008).

Launched on 4 July this year, the new Fiat 500 immediately aroused huge interest and very favourable comments made by more than 7,000 people from 63 countries (more than 1,000 journalists were accredited) who homed in on Turin for its début: institutional authorities, financial analysts, businessmen and celebrities from the worlds of entertainment, fashion and sport.

Critical acclaim was immediately confirmed by intense customer interest. More than 105,000 orders were taken in just four months in only two countries (Italy and France), while interest continues to grow in the rest of Europe, (for example: 6,300 orders have already been placed in Germany where the car went on sale just a few weeks ago). As of today, in Europe, the Fiat 500 stands second in the A-segment with a share of 14.1% (behind the Fiat Panda with a 21.2% share).

The Fiat 500 is the manifesto of ‘new Fiat’, a model that is in all respects the physical demonstration of the company’s new approach, the renewed strategies of the brand, a different way of interpreting the car. That is why the Fiat 500 has set new benchmarks in its segment. For example, this is the first time that a car barely 3.55 metres long has been awarded a 5 star crash safety rating by Euro NCAP, and this is the first time that a car in this segment has seven airbags fitted as standard (it is also the only super-compact to fit a knee-bag), with the advanced ESP available on all models (standard on the 1.4 16v 100 bhp).

In addition, this is the first time that a model has been launched with the entire range of power units (1.2 69 bhp, 1.3 MultiJet 75 bhp with DPF and 1.4 16v 100 bhp), built to respect emissions limits set by Euro 5, and all this more than two years in advance of the legislative deadline.

This is also the first time that a ‘small’ car like the Fiat 500 has been able to boast such a broad range, which is made possible by choosing from: four trim levels, three engines and 12 colours (among these are six vintage colours that evoke memories of the ’50s and ’60s, and the three-layer white, a sophisticated paint process that up to now has only been adopted on supercars).

Customers can also choose from 15 interiors including the prestigious Cordura and Frau Leather, nine types of road wheel, and 19 sticker treatments, for a total of more than 500,000 variations.

In addition, 100 original accessories have been designed for the Fiat 500 – among which the most surprising are an electric aroma diffuser and colour-coded key fobs – along with the most advanced infotelematic systems: for example a multifunctional portable navigator from the Blue&MeTM platform.

The Car of the Year award started in 1964. To enter, new cars must go on sale in at least five different European markets in the course of the year. Judgments are expressed on the following parameters: design, comfort, safety, economic operation, driveability, performance, practicality, respect for the environment, price and value for money. A first selection is made from all the new models marketed in the course of the year (this year 33 cars were involved) and seven are shortlisted. Each member of the jury has 25 points to distribute among the seven cars, with a maximum of 10 points going to their first choice.

The award ceremony for Car of the Year 2008, organised by the German magazine Stern, will take place in Berlin on 28 January 2008.