Fiat screwing up their chances in the US

[mdrburchette]

Must be the blonde in me, but I'm afraid to ask the local dealer if they'll have an Abarth to test drive. I'm already on Ron's hit list if I show up with another Fiat.

[Kent124]

I'm already on Ron's hit list if I show up with another Fiat.

The key work is "another". Simply trade in your 500 for an Abarth and Ron should be fine

[wachuko]

I'm already on Ron's hit list if I show up with another Fiat.

The key work is "another". Simply trade in your 500 for an Abarth and Ron should be fine

She has a 2012 500 Prima Edizione #19, can't trade that, she just can't. Must add the Abarth!

[mdrburchette]

She has a 2012 500 Prima Edizione #19, can't trade that, she just can't. Must add the Abarth!

Got that right!

[SergeantSavage]

Is Fiat messing up their chances in the US? Who cares?

Fiat had a bad rep way back when they sold these Spiders that we hold so dear. Personally, I'm having trouble making a conection between my Spider hobby and anything that Fiat is doing today. Sorry to say it like that. There's just such a buzz about Fiat's new products in this Spider community, when in reality we are quite far from their target market. Fiat will do what they do, and in the end, win or lose, WE will still be here keepiong their old junk running.

Just my humble opinion..

[wachuko]

I really hope the get their act together and do well in the USA. Engines made here, car assembled in Mx, fun car to drive (after finally driving one, I kick myself for missing the opportunity to jump on the Prima Edizione), cars have maintenance included, good on gas, sound, looks, tested in Europe so I am hoping reliability is there... I am really looking forward to having some fun with the Abarth. Can't wait!

And yes, we will keep looking after our beloved Spiders... talk about a sexy, sensuous looking body!

Is Fiat messing up their chances in the US? Who cares?

Fiat had a bad rep way back when they sold these Spiders that we hold so dear. Personally, I'm having trouble making a conection between my Spider hobby and anything that Fiat is doing today. Sorry to say it like that. There's just such a buzz about Fiat's new products in this Spider community, when in reality we are quite far from their target market. Fiat will do what they do, and in the end, win or lose, WE will still be here keepiong their old junk running.

Just my humble opinion..

[narfire]

At least you have a chance for an Abarth. I poped into Clemente's in Vancouver yesterday and we got onto the topic of the Abarth 500"s. He did up a 500 sport with a kit much like Mark can/does, lower,skirts ect and mentioned the dealer he did this for was getting 2 (TWO) abarths... thats it. Only a few dealers in Vancouver (population in the lower mainland is upwards of 3 mil) that sell the cars.... Geo mentioned the people he has talked to love the cars so far. Driving back to the okanagan , I was cruising along with traffic around 120 kph + and a 500 flew by. Looked stable in the rain and did not want to slow down. I'd be guessing he would still be getting great fuel milage at that speed as well.... just hope stays out of an accident.
Neat little cars
Chris

[SergeantSavage]

And yes, we will keep looking after our beloved Spiders... talk about a sexy, sensuous looking body!




Well said! Sorry to sound negative about the current outlook for Fiat in the U.S. I'm not trying to take away from anything. I guess I'm just one of those guys that looks to the past without alot of thought for a car company's future.

Fiat as a whole could be gone the way of others and I'd still be having a blast with my Spider. And yes, the body lines are a large part of the attraction for me!

[htchevyii]

No Fiat "studio" within a few hundred miles of me. I have only seen a couple around and when I waved from inside the Spider I got no reaction. I doubt they even knew it was a Fiat.

[vandor]

That said, still wish the base model had about 20 more HP and foot pounds torque.

Supposedly later this year there will be a mid-level engine with ~130 HP.

[AndyS]

I don't understand it when a car company wants to enter the US market or bring over a brand new line, and then brings their "B grade" car the first year, and then the better more desirable variants the next year. How is this good for business in the long run? Why not bring the best and most desirable car you can make and sell as many as possible to get the brand established again? They should have had all three versions available fromthe get go--160HP Abarth, 135 HP Sport, and 101 HP standard/ economy. That is what Mini did.

This happened to me when the Honda CRX first came out in 1984. For its intro the US market, they sold an outdated version of the car that still had a carburetor and came with steel wheels and no sun roof, when in Japan they already had a FI version that made 20% more power, and had factory alloys and a sunroof standard. we got that model the next year (the SI) after i had already bought mine . I was not pleased with Honda. I'd be mad at Fiat if I bought a 500 "Sport" and then I find out the next year, the Sport comes with a 135 HP engine.

[mdrburchette]

It may have been wise if they brought over more engine options the first year, but I've been well pleased with the performance and fuel economy of my Sport.

[sptcoupe]

I'll also add to Denise's commnet that I have been absolutely tickled with my Sport 500 over the past 14,000 miles - great mileage, zero prpoblems, and great fun as well. And we must be lucky here in Houston, because at least two of the dealers that I am famailair with are great. Service has been terrific (they even made special arrangements for me to drop the car off on a Sunday and take me to and pick me up from the airport to accomodate my insane travel schedule, and have picked the car up and delivered it back to our offices when I couldn't get it to them during a busy week), they are involved with the club in local car events, have well-trained and enthsiastic sales people, and there is no mark up on the pricing (at least at the dealership where I go). The manager at the dealer I use is a former BMW sales guy who is a motorhead to boot, and his sales team reflects his enthusiasm. Two of the folks on our team here at work have bought 500s, and they are equally pleased with the car and the service.

But I agree they should have had the 135 HP and 160 HP versions in the showrooms much sooner, and Ms Soave was told that by a lot of us fanatics on this site. And they really balled up the process of getting dealerships stood up in a timely manner. There were too many people in too many markets who saw the (awful) J-Lo ad, but couldn't find a car for weeks - those are lost sales. The problem FIAT has had IMHO goes right back to the CEO's desk. She didn't get the organization stood up properly, and she positioned the car as a chick car, just like she did when they brought the VW Bug back. That alone alienated a good part of the (especially) young male market, and the last time I checked, males are about 50% of the car-buying population

I'm hoping they get more models to the market quickly, and I am encouraged by what I have seen with the Abarth as it relates to how they are posiitoning the car - except that they are still weeks away from being in the showrooms - again! By the time the cars arrive, the buzz around the Scorpion ad and the car's introduction in LA and car shows around the country will have been mostly lost. The dealer emailed me yesterday to let me know that he still doesn't know when the Abarth I have on order will be delivered. Ouch! He is just as frustrated as we are. There are some great cars on the way that I think will compete very well in their segments, but in the end, the market will be the real truth teller. In my mind, the issue is not with the cars or their competitiveness in their segments, but rather with FIAT NA's management talent.

[AndyS]

you guys say your delighted with your current 101 HP Sport, but tell me the same thing after you have driven the 135 HP version. and would you have opted for it if it was available when you got your car?

[So Cal Mark]

as you all know, I've got 2 500s. They are both modded the same with the white car having a lightweight flywheel. The white car is at 120hp and it's a blast to drive. The difference in the two cars is 9hp and I drive the white car almost exclusively because of the extra hp.
Poor dealers were the biggest problem for Fiat in the 1980s, and no matter how good the cars are, dealers will kill it again.
As for bringing the "A" car the first year, no mfgs do that. Mini didn't bring the bigger hp cars until later. No one will buy the entry level stuff if there is a more attractive offering