REPORT: Chrysler will be in charge of Fiat 500 distribution
2010 Fiat 500 Abarth SS - Click above for high-res image gallery
It looks like the 300 might be joined by a 500 in Chrysler showrooms. According to Chrysler CEO and head of sales for all Chrysler Group brands, Peter Fong, the Pentastar will be in charge of Fiat 500 distribution in the States, and unlike the ill-fated Chrysler TC by Maserati, the tag isn't expected to read "Chrysler 500 by Fiat." Because of its relatively low volume, Chrysler doesn't see the need to build a separate dealer network for the retro runabout. Instead, Chrysler dealers will just be adding a Fiat 500 corner in their showrooms.
According to Autoweek, about 80 percent of Chrysler dealers are currently offering Dodge and Jeep lines as well as Chryslers, so adding Fiat shouldn't be too difficult. Chrysler will start building the 500 at their Toluca, Mexico plant in late 2010 or early 2011 according to AW's supplier source. Of the 100,000 units Chrysler plans to build in Mexico, one-third are expected to go to Brazil, who has a free trade pact with Mexico, and as production ramps up, Chrysler is expected to offer the entire 500 lineup eventually. That means we stand a good shot at seeing the hatchback, convertible, wagon and Abarth versions here in the Colonies. We'll take an Abarth SS. No, a Giardiniera. Can you build us an Abarth SS Giardiniera, please?
Gallery: Fiat 500 Abarth Esseesse
[Source: Autoweek]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Rock Singer 2:36PM (9/28/2009)
Won't last a day in California, our roads eat up cars like that for lunch
Reply
Rick C. 2:41PM (9/28/2009)
Cars like what rock singer?
Rock Singer 2:44PM (9/28/2009)
Farts (Fiats)
Sanders 2:46PM (9/28/2009)
'Roads will eat up cars like that'? What are you, one of those 'it's a 'furrin car, you got to have a raised truck to be manly' types?
Rock Singer 2:51PM (9/28/2009)
No sanders ...I wouldn't be caught dead in an SUV.
travisty 2:51PM (9/28/2009)
Whew, thank god there's no MINI Cooper S's in California, or they'd all be road-food by now.
Rock Singer 2:58PM (9/28/2009)
Hum Tavisty, Now lets see Mini's are made by who (BMW) and Fiats are made by who. My EU friends tell me that Faits aka Farts are pure crap, I have nothing again't small cars, I have one, I have something again't cars from Fiat AKA Farts.
Paul 3:01PM (9/28/2009)
Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
Sanders 3:58PM (9/28/2009)
Funny, because all of my EU friends absolutely love their Fiats, and are more than willing to tell you the stereotypes perpetuated by a few pissed off and biased souls are all wrong.
Bloke 6:16PM (9/28/2009)
Anyone with actual experience of modern Fiats will tell you that they're no different to own than any other mainstream car. Their diesels are excellent, and indeed GM used several of their JTD units in various Opels, Saabs and the Cadillac BLS over the years. Fiat have found their ground again in recent years and have concentrated their efforts on what they've traditionally excelled at - small cars. And there's no need to mention just how many times Fiat have won the European COTY award over the years.
Rock Singer's entitled to his opinions but I'd put money on the fact that he's either too young and/or too unworldly to know any different.
Rock Singer 6:21PM (9/28/2009)
Bloke...my friend #1 I'm 59, sorry to ruin your impression #2 we all speak from our experiences and I speak form mine. Thanks for giving me the room to speak from mine.
Sanders...Ditto.
jv2k 11:27PM (9/28/2009)
You yourself have said that your opinion is based on "friends" so you aren't speaking from experiences so much as you are speaking out of your ass.
Also california isn't some hardcore part of the country with terrible roads, if anything your roads are above average.
Rock Singer 11:37PM (9/28/2009)
Thanks for allowing me my right to freedom of speech. I was talking about the heat if anything regarding Cal. and how brutal it would be for a Fiat.
inline6 12:00AM (9/29/2009)
Right...because the MINI is a paragon of quality and reliability...sheesh
Also, your freedom of speech is as it pertains to the government allowing it, not this site or members of it. And judging from your series of posts, it isn't being restricted at all, as much as that might be a relief to many of us.
Unless you consider "freedom of speech" to mean "everything you say will be believed to be correct because you said it". Then I guess that is being restricted.
klitorisaurus 12:18AM (9/29/2009)
@Rock Singer--- congratulations on being the youngest 59 year old on the Internet. And I don't mean that as a compliment...
Rock Singer 12:21AM (9/29/2009)
Thanks Much !!!!
David 6:13AM (9/29/2009)
Rocksinger:
You really are retarded. Have you ever been to Italy? Their "heat" is every bit as intense and dry as California's? In fact, the climate in parts is identical. Why do you think that they are such big wine producers, such as yourselves? You don't think an Italian car company produces cars that can't survive the dry, hot conditions of Sicily, which rival much of California's?
Now, having just (as in this past week) rented a 2009 Opel Corsa, if you want to talk about cheap pieces of utter crap, well, there you are. I no longer wish for Opels to be imported to the USA en masse, and shouldn't have been surprised that Euro GM is just as worthless as American GM. The only difference is that Euro GM looks better from afar, but beneath the skin it's the same crappy car.
David 6:24AM (9/29/2009)
Rocksinger:
You really are retarded. Have you ever been to Italy? Their "heat" is every bit as intense and dry as California's? In fact, the climate in parts is identical. Why do you think that they are such big wine producers, such as yourselves? You don't think an Italian car company produces cars that can't survive the dry, hot conditions of Sicily, which rival much of California's?
Now, having just (as in this past week) rented a 2009 Opel Corsa, if you want to talk about cheap pieces of utter crap, well, there you are. I no longer wish for Opels to be imported to the USA en masse, and shouldn't have been surprised that Euro GM is just as worthless as American GM. The only difference is that Euro GM looks better from afar, but beneath the skin it's the same crappy car.
Oh, and Inline:
Yes, MINI's are very reliable and well-built, especially 2005+ m.y.'s. Do you even have one? I do! Even Consumer Reports says so, not that they are a "paragon of reliability".
Bobmarley 8:29AM (9/29/2009)
I love how they always show pictures of the Abarth 500 which to me looks 100 times better then the base model.
Wasn't Fiat rated very low in reliability ratings?
Bloke 9:13AM (9/29/2009)
"Thanks for allowing me my right to freedom of speech. I was talking about the heat if anything regarding Cal. and how brutal it would be for a Fiat.
P.S. as soon as I learn how to talk out of my ass I'll post it for you and your gay friends."
These certainly aren't the words of someone of 59 years of age - they're far too immature. Furthermore, if you were 59 you'd probably be at least aware of the popularity of Fiats around the Mediterranean in extremely hot countries such as Morocco, Algeria and Cyprus ... which only further exemplifies the fact that you're talking complete rubbish.