Category: Fiat

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FIAT 130

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The 3.2-litre version of the Fiat 130 appeared in 1971. Fiat’s ultimate saloon, engineered with little thought to cost, was pretty well sorted out by this time. The 130 had one of Europe’s most sophisticated drive trains that featured such niceties as vented discs all round and passive rear-wheel steering. It had a three-speed Borg Warner automatic transmission but could also be ordered with a five-speed ZF manual option. The 130 felt lusty and torquey to drive, with a responsive kickdown and a surprising sense of urgency but against the… Read more

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FIAT EXPANDS RANGE WITH 500X CROSSOVER

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Fiat has expanded its popular 500 range with the introduction of a crossover SUV called the 500X. The ‘X’ sort of stands for crossover and joins the 500L, a model not imported to Australia at this stage, in providing added interior space and the handiness of back doors. Incidentally, while the 500L may not come downunder you may have seen one on the TV news a few weeks back. Fiat 500L is the vehicle of choice of Pope Francis, so he took his on a trip to the USA. It… Read more

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FIAT 500 2007-2014

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The original Fiat 500, often called the Cinquecento (500 in Italian) was a tiny car that was a large hit when introduced in 1957 so it remained on the market for close to 20 years. Following the success of the modern Mini, now controlled by BMW, it came as no surprise that the bosses at Fiat decided to have a go at a similar concept. Resulting in the launch of a retro-look, but all-new, Fiat 500 in 2007, exactly fifty years after the original. Styling to match the earlier 500s… Read more

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FIAT PUNTO 2006 – 2014

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Italian carmaker Fiat is very big in Europe but had been quiet in the Australian passenger car scene for years before re-entering our market in July 2006 with the Punto, a small-medium hatchback. However, Punto was pretty expensive and didn’t sell particularly well at the time, to the extent that it was pulled from the new-car market in 2010; some may not have been sold new till early 2011, check the compliance plate as it’s the build date that counts when you come to resell the car and 2010 models… Read more

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FIAT DINO

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In the late 1960s new homologation requirements were imposed on all racing car manufacturers which required that all Formula Two cars were in future to be based on derivatives of production cars – and that meant a minimum of 500 units available to the general public. This new requirement put Ferrari into a difficult situation. They had spent a lot of time and money developing a new engine but they were not in the business of mass-producing cars. They say that a true friend is one that you can rely… Read more

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2014 FIAT 500 S REVIEW

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After a solid price cut a couple of years ago – and a corresponding surge in popularity – Fiat’s modern-day 500 galloped into its “Series 3” model refresh. The new one landed with the now-customary, “Has anything changed?” styling and a few tweaks along with a decent price hike. With the styling intact and a commitment to improve the cabin, one of the smallest but coolest cars on the market may now also be able to add “really quite good” to its CV. VALUE The 500 S is the middle… Read more

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BABY FIAT 500 S IS HUGE FUN

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When people ask me what I think of my wife Julie’s Fiat 500 by Gucci I always give the same answer, “Love the car, hate the gearbox”. That’s in reference to the automated manual five-speed unit that Fiat calls a Dualogic. So when I was invited to road test a Fiat 500 S – with a ‘proper’ six-speed manual gearbox for a week I jumped at the chance. Our test car 500 S was priced at a pretty reasonable $20,000 plus on-road costs, adding the Dualogic semi-auto transmission adds a… Read more

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IMPROVED VALUE FOR FIAT 500

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Fiat 500 has blossomed in Australia in the last 18 months or so. Instead of being a rarity it’s now part of the everyday city automotive scene. After several years of nothing much happening Fiat’s head office in Italy took over the Australian operation in the middle of 2013. The company’s new Australian chief, Veronica Johns, made the bold decision to slash prices to grab market share. She set up a price list that began at a mouth-watering $14,000 driveaway for the basic Pop version with a 1.2-litre engine and… Read more

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FIAT 600 MULTIPLA

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The Fiat 600 Multipla was unique in its combination of extremely spacious utility bodywork with a very small but orthodox engine, compact overall size and exceptional manoeuvrability. It was found to be highly practical for many purposes and by no means lacking in charm. It was in fact the first of what we know today as Multi-Purpose Vehicles or MPVs. Mechanically, the Multipla was based on the Fiat 600 saloon and used the same rear mounted 633cc four-cylinder engine, clutch, gearbox and independent rear-wheel springing system. To give it its… Read more

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ABARTH 595 GETS ‘FERRARI’ ENGINE!

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Abarth, the high-performance division of Fiat, has produced a limited edition version of its hot Abarth 595 and the really big news is the installation of a Ferrari engine! Well, it’s not a Ferrari engines as in the megabuck supercar, but the one from the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari. The Abarth 595 ‘50th Anniversary’ celebrates the introduction of the original Fiat 500 Abarth 595 in 1963. Following on Fiat Australia’s sellout success with the limited edition Fiat 500 by Gucci, the company’s Australia chief, Veronica Johns, says she is proud… Read more