Fiat was founded in Turin Italy in 1899, producing 24 cars in 1900. After an initial struggle after WW1 they recovered by launching a variety of models. Fiat continued to grow and today also has ownership in Chrysler, Maserati, Alfa Romeo and Ferrari. In Australia the Fiat is distributed by Ateco who recently removed all but the 500 from its lineup.
A new nine-speed automatic leads a raft of Ducato updates, and delivers a much better van as a result.
Ferrari had a problem. It wanted to go Formula 2 racing in the 1960s but it needed to homologate its 2.0-litre engine for competition, and that meant at least 500 had to be built and used in road-going cars. As a maker of low-volume sports cars, that was never going to happen. Yes, Ferrari tried with the Dino 206GT, powered by its new 2...
It cost more than a Porsche 911 when new, won a Style Auto award, as judged by a jury of international automotive stylists, and influenced car design for an entire decade. Meet the Fiat 130 Coupe, a graceful, dignified even, grand tourer in every sense of the word. The design was the work of Paolo Martin at Pininfarina and was as far removed from the Fiat 130 sedan at the time as the Moon is from Earth...
Retro design is one of those styling trends that can make people a little uncomfortable. Slapping an old face on a new car in the hope of eliciting a spending frenzy from nostalgic buyers often comes across as a little lazy. In the early 2000s car brands had hit peak-retro, it seemed...
The Fiat Fullback ute, which is based on the Mitsubishi Triton, is designed to go head-to-head with the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok, amongst others. Visually the differences between the Triton and Fullback centre on the Fiat’s new grille and bumper arrangement, new alloy wheels, and its extra lashings of chrome around the sills...
If you’ve always loved the funky styling of the Fiat 500, and who doesn’t, but you need more space, then this is the car for you. This the Fiat 500X – the only Italian entrant into one of Australia’s most crowded vehicle segments. And just like its Fiat 500 baby brother, the X will definitely stand out from the crowd...
Tony Crawford talks to Felix Kilbertus, Head of Exterior Design at FIAT, about the design of the Fiat 124. ...
James Ward and Tony Crawford take a look at the new Fiat 124, as former owners and admirers of the model line. ...
Small vans at small prices – that’s the mantra for this test, with three value-focused compact cargo carriers going against each other to find out which is the best small van you can get. The three vans we have here may not be household names to the majority of passenger car buyers, but if you own a small business – say you’re a florist, plumber, painter, baker or any number of other professions – there’s a chance you know the Citroen Berlingo, Fiat Doblo and Volkswagen Caddy...
At the recent MotorWorld Sydney event at Sydney Motorsport Park, we assembled 11 small SUVs under $50,000 with the aim of comparing not only the cars, but the thoughts of the CarAdvice testing team with the thoughts of you – our readers – and other members of the public...
You want to join the growing army of people moving into small crossover SUVs, but you aren’t necessarily the sensible family type. You want something a little more style-focused. What do you buy? For prospective buyers at this end of town — maybe trading up from their little city car into something bigger, or downsizing from something larger and more practical — there are two options that come to mind...
UPDATE, 2 March 2021: Reports out of Europe overnight have provided more details on the upcoming small SUV from Jeep. Sources have told Automotive News Europe the new 'baby Jeep' will slot below the current Jeep Renegade, and will use powertrains developed by Peugeot, with the potential for an electric motor to power the rear axle to make the model all-wheel-drive...
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has entered into a "definitive agreement" with Californian-based electric air mobility brand, Archer. The company claims to be developing an Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) vehicle, with a goal to make it "just as safe as commercial airliners"...
Fiat Australia has recalled 143 examples of its Ducato van, citing a potential fault with the steering system. The affected vehicles were sold between 1 June 2019 and 30 November 2020, with all examples stamped Model Year 2019. The recall notice, lodged with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), says: “The vehicle may have been fitted with incorrect steering knuckles during the production process and may not perform as intended...
UPDATE, 19 January 2021: It's done! Six months after Stellantis was announced as the name of the merger between Fiat Chrysler Group (FCA) and the Peugeot Group (PSA), the new entity has launched. The merger makes Stellantis one of the largest car companies in the world, with combined annual sales of around 8.1 million vehicles...
We own a Twin Air 500C. Taking in mind the looks, performance, fuel economy, desirability, usability and price, this is a perfect small car. Everywhere we go people look and admire Bella, as we have christened her. The tiny 2-cylinder (two beer cans in size) engine is gutsy with a surprising amount of low-end torque, and even when loaded with four adults it can keep up well on most road conditions with most cars...
My partner and I were recently lucky enough to go on a trip around Spain and Portugal and thought the best way to see the countryside was by car. I was pleasantly surprised upon landing to discover we were assigned a Fiat 500S (unsure if they are available in this spec in Aus?). An estimated guess is that it was equivalent to a Pop variant with the 1...
Fiat Panda Trekking Diesel – Italy’s loveable mini Tonka Truck I remember hearing the Top Gear presenters say, "you cannot count yourself a motoring enthusiast unless you have owned an Alfa!". As I was choosing my last car, this played on my mind as I searched for something that was: - Unusual - Cool - Had the ‘X’ factor …and would make me smile every time I looked at it and got set behind the wheel! Enter the Fiat Panda...
Ah, the Fiat 500. Is there a more divisive car out there? It’s definitely one of those cars you buy with your heart, and not your head. Since its release in 2007, I’d lusted after one but my head kept winning. It’s too expensive. Too impractical. It’s way too small. It’s going to be unreliable...
