In the first 6 months of 2023, Fiat Sold a total of 280 cars. There are currently 357 Fiat dealerships in the US.
https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/fiat-us-sales-figures https://www.scrapehero.com/location-reports/Fiat-USA/
Whyd they stop selling the 500 abarth? Anecdotally I feel like I see a good amount on the road.
we need the Panda in the US.
Not surprising when they only sell one model of car.
And it’s ancient at this point.
Not only one model, they only sell small model. Even though 500X is a crossover, it isn’t a large enough for most American buyers.
I know most people in this sub, r/cars hating large truck so much, but that’s what America car market. Small crossover doesn’t really sell well in America, and most American buyers just wants large vehicles.
The fiat 500 is actually surprisingly popular on college campuses. I assume that’s a big chunk of their demo.
My friends had a term called the “fiat fakeout” which is when you see an empty parking spot in the garage but it’s actually occupied by a 500
They took the “one GM” model and took it to the absolute extreme.
“hey let’s offer a tiny car as the only available model in a market with relatively cheap gas and an obsession for massive cars!”
It is not much larger to American eyes, but after just getting back from Italy, I cannot understand why they brought the 500 instead of the Panda, which is their most popular car there as well. It is big enough to not seem like a gag and the Panda 4x4 is much cooler IMO.
Different vehicle classes have different tariffs. It’s why the Subaru Brat was sold with jumper seats in the back, so the import tariffs were the same as a passenger car instead of a small pickup. The US also has a requirement for any car sold to be crash tested here and to meet certain standards. In other countries the car companies are allowed to sell more freely.
On the other hand, I thought the Panda was supposed to be sold here
Bigger margins on the 500, and under the skin the US/Canada market 500 is rather different from the RoW 500. The lower margins probably make adapting it to the US regulatory environment uneconomical. VW never bothered federalising the larger and higher priced Polo for that reason.
The other issue is it’s basically a reskinned Jeep Renegade. And it’s much easier to find a Jeep dealer, buy Jeep parts, and get support compared to a Fiat. There isn’t really a point in buying a Fiat. What made them unique was the 500. Not a volume seller but that drew people to the brand. I would’ve brought one if they still made them. There’s so many better options in the CUV segment.
It’s a car that really only works in very specific places in the country, and you won’t sell the fucking cool one lol. Still want an abarth.
It’s a pretty good little car… But the automatic is better for the US to be honest. 5th gear is just too short to be ideal for US highways.
An unfortunate reality, I love my Abarth but if I have to go more than, say, 50-60 miles at once I really long for a 6th gear.
I’d even take a weird 5th gear that’s “too tall” relative to the other 4 as around town I’m rarely higher than 3rd or 4th
European highway speed limits are higher than America’s
Our highways in Portugal have a 120km/h limit (~75mph). There are a ton of states with an 80mph limit, similar to some other European countries, like in France I think they have some places at 130km/h
A 1.4L engine is downright dangerous merging onto American highways
It’s a turbo 1.4
It’s not fast, but it’s definitely sufficient.
I live in a country (Brazil) where Fiat is the company that sells the most cars. The issue of reliability is known among mechanics: it doesn’t tend to break very often, but if it does, it’s very cheap and quick to fix. They have a very general model line, with city cars, subcompacts, hatchbacks and medium sedans, ute pickups, trucks, crossover SUVs or classic SUVs and minivans. They just don’t sell wagons and they all use the same mechanics, at most resized to increase displacement or adapt the gearbox. The discounts they make for legal entities, fleet owners and the weekly stock burns for individuals are absurd. They are the cheapest models in all categories.
A common joke is that you can even find FIAT car parts in bakeries along with pasteurized milk and bread…
We have the Fiat Tipo SW in Portugal, caro irmão!
I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Brazilian FIAT was a totally different animal from European FIAT. A quick look on the Brazilian FIAT website and the Italian one says that their lineups have very little in common. Probably simpler vehicles with older powertrains that have been around long enough that most of the flaws had been ironed out.
I looked up the European FIAT model range and saw that there aren’t many differences in the trims or anything like that. All FIAT models in South America are creations with their own design, engineering and production. Since the 1970s, the range has even had exclusive engines and platforms, such as the Fiasa engine designed by Aurelio Lampredi. Occasionally, they even call in Alfa Romeo designers, as in the Fiat Cronos sedan and the Fiat Argo hatchback.
What makes me love FIAT is its avant-garde spirit. They were the only automaker to have the audacity to put a high-power five-cylinder turbocharged engine in a family sedan (Fiat Tempra) or wagon (Fiat Marea). The engine in question was a Pratola Serra of Alfa Romeo origin with the most beautiful sound ever seen here. It sounds like an orchestra.
They were the first to bring cars with turbochargers, electronic injection, four-wheel drive, a locking differential, some comfort items and they usually brought Alfa Romeo models with changed emblems. They have an extra refinement and charm.
If they made the 5-Speed Abarth 500 with Honda reliability, I would have happily bought one. Drives, looks, and sounds fantastic.
ABARTH MENTIONED 🦂🦂🦂🦂🦂
Here for the abarth thread lol. I was baffled when the 124 was canceled. I saw them around at a reasonable ratio to other small sports cars and think there is now a gaping hole in the market below boxster cayman.
I mean you’re not missing out on anything particularly cool lol
Agreed. The 124 and 500 are niche, but they’re cool for people in that niche. Sub-compact crossovers are not nearly as niche, and the 500X doesn’t really have any charm to it. The only real differentiator is the Italian styling, and it’s proportions are too big for the 500 styling elements integrated into it.
I do really like the 124, but I don’t think they’re still making it unfortunately. The 500L is incredibly ugly imho, and the 500x is just meh
I would positively fuck up a new 500e assuming it came in below 30k. I currently spend more money on gas per month than a lease or even purchasing with charging and it seems like the perfect commuter runabout.
Don’t tell anyone but you can buy one in honestly really good shape for ~$7,000.
At least for now.
Yeah I’m seriously considering it
They’re an absolute riot and I haven’t had any problems after 3y/35k mi of abuse. Zero maintenance outside tires and wiper blades.
I remember reading a very funny interview where a Fiat dealer told the interviewer that selling Fiats was the worst business decision he ever made:
There was a time when FCA was begging every dealer in their network to carry Fiat, and if you did, you got the license for free! You just had to pay for the Fiat sign.
In 4 years his dealership didn’t even sell enough Fiats where the total gross profit exceeded the cost of the sign
I don’t understand the desperation of trying to make Fiat ‘work’.
It just isn’t. It’s not a brand us Americans really care for and their product lineup is not competitive. It doesn’t take a genius business person to know when to cut their loss and move on. I’d stop allocating any resources to Fiat and put it towards Jeep/Ram/Dodge, yenno, brands that actually sell.
It’s also garbage…which is why no one wants it.
this so much, coming from an italian. stellantis management has been incredibly bad and dont even think they are doing any better here. current lineup is just bad even for euro standards
So selling Fiats is as bad a financial decision as buying one. That’s funny
Pretty much the microeconomic definition of a market that must eventually cease to exist.
Fiat is a sign selling company with some cars on the side/s
stellantis leadership will sink that boat
It’s main problem for Fiat, not all Stellantis members. Ram and Jeep are very competitive in the market.
all the euro stellantis brands are suffering the US brands are keeping that ship afloat
I can’t wait for the day they finally kill Peugeot and Citroen. Fucking ugly ass garbage
The Fiat 500 seems like it would be right up my alley if I only had any faith in the reliability of Fiats
They are fairly reliable, I’ve seen few with 25k miles.
Tons of old fiat cars in Italy with a lot of kms
My man, you have a 2008 Subaru, there’s nothing a 500 can do to surprise you on that front.
something, something,
Fix
It
Again
Tony
The 1.4 and 1.4T Multiair are very reliable engines. Just look around and you’ll still see a ton of 500s driving around despite not being sold for years now. The 500e was by and large reliable too. Lack of faith in Fiat is based mostly on outdated and just incorrect speculation.
I dunno, I work on cars for a living and ive only worked on one fiat 500 in my life and it kept coming back over and over again for different issues. The customer finally gave up on it when the axle seals failed again causing the manual transmission to gernade.
I like the green color
I didn’t even know they were still selling in the us tbh
Give. Us. New. Product.
Blame Sergio Marchionne. Yes, he slashed Fiat’s debt substantially, but did so by cutting nearly all new car development, just giving away the market share it had where Fiats did sell. The existing and successful models were left to rot on the vine until they were no longer competitive, then cancelled without replacement. Now Fiat barely has any market share left, and conquering sales from customers who left for Toyota or Hyundai is just a pipe dream. There won’t be product because nobody will come to buy it.
(Instead, Where’s me Jumper threw money at Alfa but without planning for hybridisation, and didn’t bother making a Giulia estate when the only market Alfa had any substantial share in vastly prefers estates in that segment. Not that it would have made much of a difference with Fiat/Alfa’s idea of aftersales service. End of mini-rant)
I’ve been hearing so much stuff about a new Giulia coming out next year but without a single piece of evidence for its existence besides AI generated renderings. They killed plans for an RWD Giulietta hatchback that I’d have loved to have too. Really worried the brand is just dying on the vine.
As they should have. RWD on a hatchback is fucking stupid. Less cargo and passenger space, worse in the snow, and now you can’t daily drive it especially in the rain
If fiat wants to establish themselves here, start selling a sub 25k manual coupe. Get young people excited about the brand by putting affordable, desirable cars on the road.
There is no money to be made in sub25k manual anything.
Young people in 2023 don’t want a manual transmission and they don’t want a coupe.
Considering all they sold in 2023 was the ugliest crossover on the market, I’m not surprised. Didn’t help that before that, all they sold was an even uglier crossover thing, an overpriced city car, and a worse miata.
By comparison:
For 2023 MINI USA has thus far seen a 18.7% increase with 22,769 vehicles sold compared to 19,185. Leading the way was a massive increase in Countryman sales with a 71.8% increase in sales for the quarter. That’s help offset the 285 decrease in the two door hardtop and 10% drop in Clubman sales.
From Google. As a previous MINI tech, I knew the Countryman was bound to fake over the brand since the small car market went down south after people got used to $3+ per gallon of fuel.
BMW has also been smart with MINI’s positioning, pivoting the brand ethos from being small to being about alternative design, acknowledging it’ll be a niche player. I think this is hard for Fiat to wrap their heads around because they’re traditionally such a dominant brand in their markets.
For North America, in my view, Fiat would be wise to either lean into design with captive import Stellantis products (basically the DS lineup), or go all-in on cheap and cheerful by federalizing their South American products.
