Autoblog

All Fiat 500 production moving to Poland by 2015?

Jeffrey N. Ross — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Plants/Manufacturing, Hatchback, Fiat

With the next-generation Fiat 500 expected to debut in 2015 with more of a global presence, there is a growing possibility that production of the cute little hatchback will be consolidated to a single plant in Poland. According to Automotive News Europe, Fiat plans to end production of the 500 in Toluca, Mexico, which is expected to better fill Fiat's European production capacity, free up more North American capacity and create a single Fiat 500 design for all markets.

Currently, Fiat builds two similar but structurally different 500 models for Europe and North America, and assembling just one version at the Tychy, Poland would allow it to cut costs for development of the new car. This would also help fill some of the capacity void that Tychy has suffered in recent years, building just 300,000 units last year compared to more than double that in 2009. The report says that while Chrysler's North American production capacity is near its limit, Fiat's European plants will be used to meet increased demand before a new plant is built in North America. As for Toluca, there is no indication as to what vehicle Chrysler would replace the 500 with at this facility, which also builds the Dodge Journey.

All Fiat 500 production moving to Poland by 2015? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Fiat 500 Abarth sold out

Steven J. Ewing — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Performance, Hatchback, Fiat

Eager to get your hands on the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth? Get in line, and be warned: you're going to have to wait.

According to The Detroit News, Chrysler has stopped taking wholesale orders on the 2012 model year 500 Abarth. According to sources within the automaker, customers who plunk down the money for the hotted-up 500 right now will be put on the 2013 model year waiting list, with those cars expected to arrive in the fall. In a statement to the Motown newspaper, Chrysler officials simply said that the number of orders received "exceeded the production run of this model for the 2012 model year."

Chrysler had originally planned to build about 1,000 Abarth models for the 2012 model year. However, those cars were all spoken for by the end of April - the Abarth's first month on sale - so the automaker upped production to 3,000 units. According to the Detroit News, this was the maximum number of units that the Fiat factory in Toluca, Mexico could handle.

2012 Fiat 500 Abarth sold out originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Final PT Cruiser to roll off Chrysler assembly line on July 9

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:39:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Plants/Manufacturing, Hatchback, Chrysler

2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser - Click above for high-res image gallery

Chrysler's long-lived PT Cruiser will finally roll off into the sunset next month after a decade in production. According to the Detroit Free Press, when the 2010 model year winds down at Chrysler's Toluca, Mexico plant on July 9, the final Cruisers will be produced. The retro-styled five door hatchback was a sensation when it debuted and inspired customers to pay a premium over the sticker price to get one. Over the years, the styling was tweaked only slightly its competitiveness declined significantly as DaimlerChrysler steadfastly refused to invest in it.

The Cruiser was originally earmarked for discontinuation a year ago, but when Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy, it needed product, so the automaker kept it alive for another 12 months. The Toluca factory will now be re-tooled for production of another retro-design small car, the Fiat 500 which joins the Chrysler lineup later this year.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser

Photos copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Report: Final PT Cruiser to roll off Chrysler assembly line on July 9 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mexico developing 'smart' speed bumps to increase safety, decrease fuel consumption

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:33:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Technology

Speed bumps are the bane of many an urban driver all around the world. We understand that the little protrusions were first installed to promote safety by getting drivers to slow down in congested areas, but we can't be the only ones that think the dang things have been getting out of hand as of late. Such is apparently the case in Toluca, Mexico, where a company called Decano Industries is working on a new smart speed bump that may both increase safety and decrease fuel consumption. Wait... smart speed bump?

Apparently, Decano's innovative devices measure the force of impact from an oncoming vehicle and immediately collapse if the car is traveling the speed limit or below. If a car is moving too fast, the speed bump stays in place, causing the familiar jarring impact we've all come to know and loathe. The government of Mexico City sees enough promise in the technology that its providing grant money to the company and helping get the system patented.

There's more on the line than just controlling speed. A 2006 study by Mexico City Autonomous University found that the constant acceleration and deceleration caused by speed bumps actually causes more pollutants and increases fuel consumption. A slow and steady speed would be much more environmentally friendly. In this instance, it would seem that dumber drivers equals smarter speed bumps. Who knew?

[Source: USA Today | Image: Flickr/boulanger.iE via C.C. 2.0]

Mexico developing 'smart' speed bumps to increase safety, decrease fuel consumption originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Future Chrysler, Alfa Romeo and Fiat product plans revealed?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:01:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, SUV, Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Hatchback, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Rumormill

Alfa Romeo Kamal concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

According to automotive consulting firm IHS Global Insight, the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep lineups are going to look drastically different over the next few years under Fiat control. No surprises there, but the report goes on the forecast which current Chrysler vehicles will be dropped and which ones will be transferred to new platforms. We've already heard that the next Alfa Romeo 169 sedan will be built atop Chrysler's LX platform in Ontario, Canada and that the Fiat 500 will be built ASAP in Toluca, Mexico, but that's only the beginning.

If IHS is right, joining the 500 in Toluca will be the Jeep Panda, which, as you may have guessed, will be a version of the Fiat Panda wearing Jeep's trademark seven-slot grille. Furthermore, Alfa Romeo may get two new SUVs that would be built in Jeep factories in Jefferson, Michigan and Toledo, Ohio - one midsize 'ute called the GTX that's based on the WL platform that underpins the Jeep Grand Cherokee and a smaller one built on Fiat's C-EVO platform, which will also underpin the next Jeep Liberty. That leaves the unloved Jeep Compass and its somewhat more likable brother, the Patriot, to die slow and inglorious death.

Fiat's C-EVO platform will also spawn the next-gen Dodge Journey, Chrysler Sebring (and presumably the Dodge Avenger if it survives past its current form), and Dodge Caliber. Moving downward in size a notch will (finally) be the Dodge Hornet, which will forgo Bad Chrysler's old deal with Nissan in order to share its Fiat 199 platform with the Alfa Romeo MiTo, both of which will be assembled in Belvidere, Illinois sometime in 2011. Thanks for the tip, Dad!

Gallery: Alfa Romeo Kamal concept

[Source: Global Insight]

Future Chrysler, Alfa Romeo and Fiat product plans revealed? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler to restart seven North American plants by end of month

Chris Paukert — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:29:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler

Hot on the heels of news that the Dodge Viper's Conner Avenue facility would be the first Chrysler plant to fire up after the company's bankruptcy proceedings/Fiat tie-up comes official word that the automaker will resume production at seven plants the week of June 29. In addition, Chrysler will bring the supporting powertrain and stamping plants online that supply the assembly factories listed below with parts.

According to Ed Garsten, Chrysler's manager of electronic media communications, the following assembly plants will resume production as part of a "phased production ramp-up" -

Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (Sterling Heights, MI) - Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger
Warren Truck Assembly Plant (Warren, MI) - Dodge Ram and Dodge Dakota
St. Louis North Assembly Plant (Fenton, MO) - Dodge Ram
Toledo Supplier Park (Toledo, OH) - Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
Brampton Assembly Plant (Brampton, Ontario, Canada) - Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Challenger
Windsor Assembly Plant (Windsor, Ontario, Canada ) - Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan
Toluca Assembly Plant (Toluca, Mexico) - Dodge Journey and Chrysler PT Cruiser

Despite the start-ups, all Chrysler plants will again idle for two weeks in the second half of July as part of a previously scheduled summer break.

Source: Chrysler | Image: Bill Pugliano/Getty]

Chrysler to restart seven North American plants by end of month originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grand Caravan to Grande Punto: Chrysler plants could be retooled to produce Fiats

Noah Joseph — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler, Fiat

Any pending arrangement between Chrysler LLC and Fiat SpA could see a huge reshuffle of Chrysler's manufacturing facilities all across North America to make way for joint production of a new generation of vehicles to be sold with Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Fiat and Alfa Romeo badges. Included among the possible sites for retooling are those in Windsor, Ontario, Canada; Toluca, Mexico; and Belvidere, Illinois.

The Windsor plant is where Chrysler currently builds its minivans, the Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan and the star-crossed Volkswagen Routan. Windsor also happens to be where Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne went to university, but there's talk of shifting minivan production away from Ontario, possibly down to Toledo, Ohio, in order to make way for local production of the Alfa MiTo and a future small Chrysler to be based on the next Fiat Grande Punto. Toluco, where the Dodge Journey and soon-to-be-discontinued Chrysler PT Cruiser are currently produced, could be retooled to build the Fiat 500 and a new Jeep based on the next Fiat Panda Cross. Finally, while Belvidere currently assembles the Jeep Compass, Patriot and Dodge Caliber, the Illinois plant could end up assembling Fiat-based replacements for those vehicles, plus a jointly developed next-gen Jeep Liberty and Alfa crossover, in addition to the replacements for the Chrysler Sebring/Dodge Avenger and Alfa 147 and 159.

Retooling the plants, however, could cost as much as half a billion dollars each. Of course, this plan is all part and parcel of the larger Fiat/Chrysler tie-in currently under negotiation, and would require greater concessions from union leaders - especially the Canadian Auto Workers who have reportedly been hesitant to budge from their position. Should the two automakers come to an agreement, however, the Federal government could consider additional loans, in part to help finance the retooling.

[Source: Automotive News - subs. req'd]

Grand Caravan to Grande Punto: Chrysler plants could be retooled to produce Fiats originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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