Fiat to slash prices in U.S.

Thought the board would be interested in see how they make the 500. No people!

Seems so simple and automated why cant the bring back and make the X1/9?

 
Sloovis said:
Interesting piece of info.

http://europe.autonews.com/article/20161121/RETAIL01/311219960/fiat-to-slash-u-s-prices-trim-levels
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I guess it is good news for people looking to buy, but not good news for FIAT. I noticed a few months ago that the local Studio closed and new car sales moved to a Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep dealership owned by the same group. When the studio first opened I noticed that the owner's name wasn't included. It was called "Fiat of Creve Coeur" and I speculated that Fiat didn't allow personal owner branding, or that the owner didn't really want his name on the experiment. I believe they still do FIAT maintenance at the Studio location.

Hopefully this will bring down the prices on used Fiats so that I can get an Abarth or Abarth Cabrio some day.
 
JimD said:
I guess it is good news for people looking to buy, but not good news for FIAT. I noticed a few months ago that the local Studio closed and new car sales moved to a Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep dealership owned by the same group. When the studio first opened I noticed that the owner's name wasn't included. It was called "Fiat of Creve Coeur" and I speculated that Fiat didn't allow personal owner branding, or that the owner didn't really want his name on the experiment. I believe they still do FIAT maintenance at the Studio location.

Hopefully this will bring down the prices on used Fiats so that I can get an Abarth or Abarth Cabrio some day.
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Seems to be the writing on the wall for Fiat-USA. Be a great time to snatch an Abarth 500c. I wonder; IF Fiat was to pack up and go, would Mazda continue to make/sell the 124? Seems like a long shot, but perhaps if 124 sales are strong maybe it could happen?
 
History repeating itself in a far more compressed space in time:

- Poor quality
- Questionable dealer practices
- Good marketing
- From dedicated dealerships to back lots of other brands

Next up is what? Abandonment? Again?

Of course I'm not the target market, I've never owned a new FIAT.
 
I did not think it would ever go well for Fiat USA... wished like the devil it would but could not see it work for several reasons.
Their target should have been my kids not me so as young folks entering life they need inexpensive reliable wheels a pop at 15k+ is not that. I like the look and LOVE small cars but the Versa at 11k and other ecno-boxes coming in for less makes the 500 a tough sell.
Fiat is re-entering the market but after 30 plus year absence having so few models did not work for them
Making a dealer set up stand alone "studios" (don't even get me started on that!) Like Bronson Pinchot is going to be there as Serge in Beverly Hills cop to make us espressos with a twist of lime??? These are not studios, they are not "stores" they are dealerships for crying out loud. Making them set up up full dealerships is like giving someone 8" cinder blocks to use as floatys to learn to swim.
I am still not convinced Fiat ever wanted to come back anyway... they get plenty of cash from the Jeep brand and it was already complient with the outrageous federal regs out of the gate.
So they gave it a try and we just don't have a strong enough small car market to make it work for them...
If I understand how the 124 works Mazda supplies pans and Fiat tweaked suspension some panel details and supplies drivetrain. Not sure why Mazda would have any interest in continuing to offer an "other branded" model... would require big bucks to set up a way to deliver these things.
My son just bought a 500 Abarth with 35k miles for just over $10k for that price he can drive for five years and throw it away and still be way ahead of the game! It is a really neat car and I don't think he will throw it away... just saying!
I actually like the 500x over the Renegade but that might just be me. Someone else mentioned some of Fiats other models and the need to offer them as well but a finished product would be a nightmare to bring up to our regs IMO... so we have that.
Any way it turns out I will still have my X which I think represents the only mass produced exotic ever made... and that works for me!
Regards
 
The heck with the cars...

The robotics, the people that build, install, program, calibrate and maintain them is what is truly fascinating~!

I must say this, I am hopeful and happy to see the BRAND attempting to make its mark and think Mr. Marchionne has done amazing things with both FIAT and Chrysler products. (BTW, he's also on the board at Ferrari and is an interum president...) BUT, my fascination was, and is FIRST with the X1/9 with all its great things both good and bad... and the people that think like me!
 
FIAT had their work cut out for them upon arrival...they had to steal sales from a huge number of competent, reliable, and reasonably priced small cars made by other American and Asian manufacturers. Unfortunately, the product was not up to the task, as evidenced by Consumer Reports and JD Power reliability/quality data.

The 500, introduced in 2007 in Europe, underwent so much re-engineering for the US market that you could say it's the second generation of the design, BUT, that was 2011 and it's now 2017 and the 500 is pretty much the same exact car. Is there another car manufacturer who thinks their 2011 model of small car is competitive thank you very much with everyone else's 2017 model?
 
Black-Tooth said:
The heck with the cars...

The robotics, the people that build, install, program, calibrate and maintain them is what is truly fascinating~!

I must say this, I am hopeful and happy to see the BRAND attempting to make its mark and think Mr. Marchionne has done amazing things with both FIAT and Chrysler products. (BTW, he's also on the board at Ferrari and is an interum president...) BUT, my fascination was, and is FIRST with the X1/9 with all its great things both good and bad... and the people that think like me!
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I feel much the same, in my view fiat supplied mechanicals to two bodies designed by master coachbuilders.
 
bradartigue said:
History repeating itself in a far more compressed space in time:

- Poor quality
- Questionable dealer practices
- Good marketing
- From dedicated dealerships to back lots of other brands

Next up is what? Abandonment? Again?

Of course I'm not the target market, I've never owned a new FIAT.
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I'll have to say my 2013 Abarth has been an outstanding vehicle. No real problems and very good build quality. Bang for the buck is outstanding. I feel that Fiat has made some missteps which has cost them dearly over here in the US. I hope they can pull it out and remain a player.
 
I am on my second 500e (lease) and could not have been happier. If anything, Fiat has botched the marketing, and been slow to expand the product line. Perhaps the 500x will see good sales? It is certainly more visually appealing than the 500L (although the 500L is very roomy and practical).
 
Fiat Service sucks!!! Ill end up writing a rant of my experiences at a later date and after I get corporate involved. Its not been good, is all Im gonna say.
 
Eastep said:
Fiat Service sucks!!! Ill end up writing a rant of my experiences at a later date and after I get corporate involved. Its not been good, is all Im gonna say.
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Very interested in your recount when you are ready...We can certainly share stories. I will say the biggest pain for me has been service on the L rather than the Abarth. I am talking about the service rather than the issues for the service. The Abarth was very niggly but service was very good - with the exception of the notorious squeaky seat (known issue, easily solved with NOT lowering seat all the way...). The L however was a major PITA when it came to services. It got worse when local dealers started closing and forcing my dealer to take up the slack of customers.
 
I took my new 1980 X in for a couple items in CT back in 1981... squeaky clutch pedal, headlight switch and heater fan switch. Got the car back and they had the paper mat in the driver's side footwell. Everything seemed fine so I drive off... stopped to toss the paper mat and the plastic mat embossed in the carpets was melted! Right in the center.... no idea what or how since nothing I had done required heat of any sort.. right back to the dealer and they did order new and replace but why not tell me? I think service was always kind of "iffy" and nobody liked warranty work. To be fair though I did not possess the means or desire to drop big money for repairs so we were pitted against each other from the start...
Regards
 
Drove by my local Fiat dealer yesterday. They had special pricing sign a a nice brand new Fiat 500 in a nice red color. It was brand new. Special sale price of $13,999! I thought that was pretty good. I assume it was a 2016 model.
 
bradartigue said:
History repeating itself in a far more compressed space in time:

- Poor quality
- Questionable dealer practices
- Good marketing
- From dedicated dealerships to back lots of other brands

Next up is what? Abandonment? Again?

Of course I'm not the target market, I've never owned a new FIAT.
Click to expand...


I think you're right on the abandonment hunch, at least in a manner of speaking. Based on the info in these two articles http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/auto...ayed-again-to-2020/ar-AAk0PpC?ocid=spartanntp and http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/auto...f-the-chrysler-200/ar-AAl3WLb?ocid=spartanntp , I wouldn't be surprised if FCA decided:

1. To abandon small and midsized car manufacturing in North America, thus bringing the second act of FIAT in the USA to a close

2. To limit their NA manufacturing production to trucks, SUVs/crossovers, and Jeeps

3. To never sell a Dodge or Chrysler small to midsized conventional passenger car again

4. What conventional midsized passenger cars they might want to sell will be brought over from Europe as higher end Alfas

5. To end North American production of large passenger cars after the current Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger are refreshed for 2018
 
rocco79/138 said:
I took my new 1980 X in for a couple items in CT back in 1981... squeaky clutch pedal, headlight switch and heater fan switch. Got the car back and they had the paper mat in the driver's side footwell. Everything seemed fine so I drive off... stopped to toss the paper mat and the plastic mat embossed in the carpets was melted! Right in the center.... no idea what or how since nothing I had done required heat of any sort.. right back to the dealer and they did order new and replace but why not tell me? I think service was always kind of "iffy" and nobody liked warranty work. To be fair though I did not possess the means or desire to drop big money for repairs so we were pitted against each other from the start...
Regards
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I have service letters from FIAT to the dealers in the late 70s and early 80s explaining how they reimburse for warranty items; if the dealer was wrong, or if FIAT decided they replaced a part that could have been fixed, they wouldn't get paid. The turn around was weeks. I can only assume dealers eventually said "the hell with this" and stopped servicing the cars in advance of FIAT's approval. Another letter has a process by which dealers were allowed to scavenge parts from new cars if FIAT couldn't ship the part, then the dealer would replace the part on the new car.
 
I bought my 850 coupe new in 1967. Service and warrantee work was fairly terrible. But.......you have to take this in context of the time, all car companies had terrible service back then. My dad always had to take his Chevy to the dealer three times to get any work done correctly and when he got into Jags they were just as bad if not worse. Once out of warrantee you always looked for a good independent garage. Such practices today would be unacceptable to consumers...something Fiat has apparently yet to figure out. My Kia dealer is wonderful and I have never had a bad experience with them.
 
Small car sales are suffering. Look around you, what do you see on the roads? Marketing departments have done a great job at convincing the common consumer that 'bigger is better' and it's fashionable to drive a derivative of an agricultural vehicle as a daily driver. That perfect rugged image for the suburban housewives, as they head to the local shopping mall. It would be a financial burden for many, I know, but I look forward to $4 or even $5 a gallon gas, maybe even (finally) an increase in the gas tax, to return sanity to the automotive landscape.
 
Coupefan said:
Small car sales are suffering. Look around you, what do you see on the roads? Marketing departments have done a great job at convincing the common consumer that 'bigger is better' and it's fashionable to drive a derivative of an agricultural vehicle as a daily driver. That perfect rugged image for the suburban housewives, as they head to the local shopping mall. It would be a financial burden for many, I know, but I look forward to $4 or even $5 a gallon gas, maybe even (finally) an increase in the gas tax, to return sanity to the automotive landscape.
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By smaller car what are you referring to? 2 door 500 or mini-cooper size? The top 5 selling cars in California does not include an SUV last I looked. 4 doors yes, but generally nothing larger than a Camry. Matter of fact, I think trucks are more popular than SUVs, at least the top 10-12 cars.

IF Fiat had the brains to offer a 4 door right after or at the same time they offered the 500, I think that would have helped some. And I don't mean the L :( Maybe a front wheel drive x, then later offer it in 4WD.
 
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