[car fanatics]

Source
Photo credit: Chrysler
January 17, 2012
By: CF staff

After a disappointing return to the North American market following a 30-year hiatus, Fiat may get a boost with a new wagon version of its iconic 500 subcompact.

The Italian automaker, which also is the majority owner of Chrysler Group LLC, will introduce a five-door model “related” to its subcompact 500 at the Geneva motor show in March, said Olivier Francois, head of the Fiat brand. The new model, he said, will be sold in the U.S starting next year.

[Tonavi]

The 500 needs more power, efficiency, and room to be successful. They styling is spot on but a Mazda 2 is a far better value as is the Yaris.

[McLovin]

The Fiat display at the NAIAS was smallest and a bit depressing, but had the best looking women (I counted 2) of the whole show, dressed in tight black leather.

Wowza.

Lincoln had the classiest women, of course.

[Tonavi]

Lincoln must have been trying extra hard to compensate.

[The 'Burg]

Tonavi;168382 Wrote:Lincoln must have been trying extra hard to compensate.

Many years ago I dated one of the auto show girls. She worked for several different manufacturers; she was working for Lincoln when the Navigator was introduced. At the San Francisco Auto show in 1997, I tried (unsuccessfully) to get her to say - on stage - that the tilt steering wheel provided extra headroom.

I wonder how many people would have caught that.

[nell_z]

Fiat managed to sell over 30k subcompacts in the US alone for 2011. How, exactly, is that disappointing?? I think Marchionne aimed too high.