NF500 / new model

Continatal Tyres issued the following press release earlier in the week, and while it is not surprisingly promotional in its language, we thought it would be of interest to 500 owners and would-be owners alike.

The Fiat 500 is making its comeback on Continental tyres. The Italian vehicle manufacturer has given the Original Equipment approval for all tyres sizes - 14″, 15″ and 16″ - for the new model.

The largest proportion of tyres to be supplied by Continental will be in the size 165/65R14 T.

Roberto Zazzara, who is responsible for the Original Equipment tyres which Continental delivers to Fiat, explains:

We supply Fiat with the ContiEcoContact 3, a tyre that offers low rolling resistance and thus reduced fuel consumption, and we are Fiat’s sole supplier for this size.

In terms of 15″ and 16″ tyres, Continental is equally well-represented with its ContiPremiumContact 2, which also offers very low rolling resistance.

Thanks to its wide product range, Continental is able to meet the vehicle manufacturer’s many different requirements. In this context, the ContiEcoContact 3 is more for small and compact cars, whilst the ContiPremiumContact 2 is a good choice for medium range to luxury cars. Both models have been designed to ensure short braking distances on wet and dry roads, good lateral guidance and comfortable driving characteristics, combined with low rolling resistance.

Fiat SpA’s share of the rapidly growing Italian market for new cars fell in July compared to June, as the revitalised automaker lost ground on European and U.S. competitors. This is according to figures from Italy’s Transport Ministry released this Wednesday.

In its monthly review of car data, the ministry said Fiat, Europe’s fifth-biggest car maker by volume, registered a total of 30.5% of all Italian new cars last month for all its mass-market car brands, including Alfa Romeo and Lancia. This is down from June’s 31.7% market share, but still a healthy 10.1% higher than the equivalent month of 2006.

These figures come as no surprise as Fiat’s own product range begins to mature and new models are brought to market by competing manufacturers.

Late in January the company, regarded as a specialist in small cars, launched the Bravo, its first major new model in 17 months. The Bravo is positioned in a segment of the market in which Fiat has struggled in the past.

July, of course, saw the launch of the new Fiat 500.

In a statement issued as a response to these latest figures, Fiat said on Wednesday they had received more than 60,000 orders for the new Fiat 500 in less than a month. The vast majority of these orders are from home market customers.

Overall, the number of new cars registered in Italy, overwhelmingly Fiat’s biggest market, rose in July to 211,475 from 192,083 in the same month a year earlier.

Sales of Fiat’s eponymous brand fell to 23.2% of all new cars registered in July from 24.1% a month earlier.

Fiat have taken over 40,000 orders for the new 500 from it’s Italian dealers since order books officially opened at the beginning of June, reports Forbes Today.

Considering initial forecasts are for 58,000 Fiat 500s to be produced in 2007, and with predictions for 2008 total production already raised from 120,000 units to 150,000, you have to think that Fiat have already got a hit on their hands.

Now the careful juggling act becomes even trickier, as Fiat must consider the balance of supply and demand.  The possibility of delaying the launch of the new 500 in other markets has already been touted as a possibility if Italian hunger for the new model exceeds expectations, and then of course there are the pure logistical constraints at the plant in Poland, where further vehicles from both Fiat and production partner Ford will be in production next year.

On the other hand, Fiat must avoid over compensating in case the initial demand proves to be a fast bursting bubble, or if quality, which Fiat are pushing as paramount in their new ideology, and of which the Fiat 500 is the embodiment of, were to suffer at the expense of quantity.

Still, it’s a nice problem to have.  It’s incredible to think that just over 50 years ago there were only 40,000 registered vehicles on the roads of Italy.  The 500 certainly helped change that landscape first time around, and while the new 500 has much more modest ambitions, the initial impact has nonetheless been impressive.

Fiat have revealed they are now seriously considering how best to expand the Fiat 500 family, following a rapturous reception from the public and a vast majority of motoring media alike.

Of course, beyond the three engine types offered for the new Fiat 500, a hot new Abarth version will be unveiled to the public at the Tokyo Motorshow later this year, and a Cabriolet is already under development to be premièred next year. Although it remains to be seen if the 500 Cabrio will sport a full cabriolet soft top, or perhaps be more like the traditional 500, with a full length canvas roof peeling back, leaving the side-pillars and cross section in place.

Beyond these variants, Fiat will decide “by the end of the year” on how viable SUV and Wagon versions of the new 500 would be. Fiat has indeed already shown a station wagon concept, which appeared in a video shown at the 500’s media introduction last week. Like the original 500 Giardiniera launched in 1960, the new model concept shown in the video was a three-door wagon.

So the Fiat 500 family could quite possibly end up consisting of the hatchback, including Abarth and 155 hp Abarth Super Sport, Cabriolet, Station Wagon and SUV.

The SUV could potentially utilise the body of the station wagon, and AWD system from the Fiat Panda.

Yet talk of all these future possible configurations feels somewhat premature, as demand for the hatchback alone as exceeded all expectations, with Fiat Automobiles CEO Luca De Meo telling Auto News Europe

If Italian orders continue at this pace, we might delay the new 500 introduction outside Italy.

If you were concerned that as much as you love the new Fiat 500, it’s just outside of your grasp, or your planned budget has been blown out of the water after being tempted by the impressive array of options available, then Fiat may have come up with the answer.   Fiat have announced a series of unique finance, maintenance and support packages exclusive to the new Fiat 500.  Details are given below:

‘500 cents’ and ‘50to500’: innovative solutions from Fiat Group Automobiles Financial Services

In perfect harmony with the many ways of customising the new model, Fiat Group Automobiles Financial Services has developed two innovative solutions that also underline the strategic nature of the Financial Services, and its role of captive finance company.

For Fiat Group Automobiles, ‘500’ is both a name and a brand, and the two formulae offered by Financial Services are based on this principle: ‘500 cents’ is the ideal product for the customer who purchases with a loan, while a motorist who usually uses cash, will be able to try out the new ‘50to500’ financial formula.

The new products were designed with the ‘advantages for the customer’ firmly in mind, and the loans include ‘additional services’ offered by Parts&Services, a Fiat Group Automobiles company that specialises in after-sales services and loyalty programmes.

Both financial products include a 5 year/500,000 km warranty and the ‘500 Free’ package at a discount price.

These two products will be available on all European markets, starting in Italy through Sava, and in France through Fiat Crédit, namely in the first two markets where the Fiat 500 will be launched.
With ‘500 cents’ the customer can customise his car with over 500,000 variants but the instalment remains the same: ¤ 5 a day to buy any version, engine, option or accessory. In Italy the Sava proposal is based on instalment payments (even with no down payment) varying in length up to a maximum of 5 years. In France on the other hand, the Fiat Crédit proposal is based on a leasing agreement with a final repurchase value.

With ‘50to500’ the customer collects the car, paying just 50% immediately, and the remaining 50% after two years, with no intermediate instalments (in Italy this is an instalment agreement with a large final instalment, while in France it is a leasing agreement).

The concepts of the two proposals took their inspiration from the positioning of the new 500: extreme customisation to reflect one’s own personality. It is the concept of ‘mass exclusiveness’, a car for the people that should be accessible to everyone.

‘500 Free’ from Fiat Group Automobiles Parts & Services

Fiat Group Automobiles Parts & Services has developed ‘500 Free’ for the new car, an exclusive package whose very name evokes a sense of freedom. In fact, the customer does not have to worry about anything: a mobile workshop will be at his disposal 24 hours a day to guarantee complete roadside service, even if he runs out of petrol or fills up with the wrong fuel, has a puncture, a flat battery or forgets his keys; and when it is time for periodical maintenance, the car collection service will pick the car up from his home, and his mobility will be guaranteed by the reimbursement of any taxi fares (bonus up to ¤ 50). To use the service the customer only has to call a freephone number. ‘500 Free’ will be available on all European markets for the customers who choose it, and will be included in the range of financial solutions dedicated specifically to the Fiat 500.