STYLISH FIAT TRICOLORE EDITIONS

The words ‘style’ and ‘Italy’ are synonymous, with some positively stunning automotive works of art having been produced over many years. There’s a lot more pizzazz in their lines than you will find in the conservative machines from most other European nations. Fiat has produced some excellent shapes, none more admired than that of the cute Fiat 500 Nuova ‘Bambino’ in 1957, a car that was so badly missed that it made a retro-car return in 2007. The shape was obviously inspired by the original, though mechanically it’s completely different,… Read more

FIAT 124 SPIDER

The starting point for the Fiat Spider and its Coupe sister was the 124 saloon, launched slightly ahead of them in 1966. In spite of its rather pedestrian looks this car had an exciting specification list its period. It sported disc brakes all round and a properly located live axle – four links and a Panhard rod. Even with the live axle though the drive wasn’t perfect. The car was an understeerer that rolled like a dinghy and at low speeds on wet roads was inclined to lose its tail…. Read more

2014 FIAT PANDA REVIEW

Italian style makes the Fiat Panda stand out from the many conservative vehicles competing in the small car market in Australia. The Panda could be described as a Fiat 500 ‘Cinquecento’ with a different body and the added convenience of back doors. Unlike the 500 which is unashamedly retro, the Panda is ultra modern in its funky shape. Though the Fiat Panda has been on sales in Europe since 1980, with over six million sold to date, this Italian didn’t migrate downunder until mid 2013. The current generation Panda was… Read more

2013 FIAT PUNTO REVIEW

Though apparently a newcomer to Australia, the Fiat Punto was sold here between 2006 and 2010. It was expensive and not many changed hands before it was quietly slipped off the market downunder. Now the Punto back with a bang. That’s because Fiat Australia is now controlled by the Italian factory, not a private importer. The new chiefs of the company, headed up by the dynamically determined Veronica Johns, are determined to make Fiat a full house player, not a fringe player. Not surpassingly the first move by the new… Read more

FIAT PANDA ARRIVES DOWN UNDER

Fiat’s onslaught on the Australian market continues. Keen on becoming much more than an interesting niche player, the Italian auto giant with a long history of design flair and sportiness is now importing the Panda. Joining the oh-so-cute Fiat 500 and the relatively conservative Fiat Punto, the Panda is definitely out of the ordinary in its looks. Fiat Panda has been made since 1980, with over six million built to date, but this is its first time it has migrated down under. The current model was introduced in Italy late… Read more

FIAT PUNTO STAGES COMEBACK

Fresh from the excitement of slashing prices and therefore greatly increasing sales of the Fiat 500 in Australia, the new importer has reintroduced its Punto hatchback. Unlike the cute Fiat 500, and the trendsetting Fiat Panda that’s due downunder late in 2013, Fiat Punto is aimed at relatively conservative buyers. Hence it has neat but somewhat subdued styling. While the Punto has lines that are smooth and likely to prove timeless, it certainly didn’t create any visual interest from during our introductory test drives out of Brisbane. In Europe the… Read more

WAGONS ROLE THE ITALIAN WAY

The first Fiat to be produced in partnership with the Chrysler Group, the Freemont has a touch of the quirkiness of Italian cars of old, plus the practicality of a modern American family vehicle. Available in three specification levels – Base, Urban and Lounge – Freemont is powered by a petrol or diesel engine, it comes in two-wheel drive guise only, with power put to ground up front via a six-speed automatic (petrol), or six-speed manual (diesel) transmission. Base, Urban and Lounge models come with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine… Read more

FIAT’S NEW FREEMONT IS BARGAIN PRICED

The fastest growing vehicle segment in Australia is that of medium SUVs. So it comes as no surprise that Fiat, which is currently undergoing rapid expansion in Australia, has entered the arena with a model called the Freemont. Fiat Freemont, shares many components with the Dodge Journey because Fiat took over the American car maker when Chrysler/Dodge went under during the GFC. Chrysler has long been a major designer of what our cousins on the other side of the Pacific call ‘minivans’. Downunder we use the term ‘people movers’. Though… Read more

STAND BY, HERE COMES THE FIAT 500

Fiat Australia has a plan. It wants to transform the streets of Australian cities so they look like those in Rome, Paris, London, Milan and many other fashion conscious European cities. Anyone who’s visited Europe recently will have seen Fiat 500s by the thousand. The retro shape of the new 500, based on the tiny Fiat 500 Bambino launched in 1957, works brilliantly. Even better, owners customise their Fiat 500s them inside and out in many imaginative ways, further brightening up the cityscape. New Fiat 500s first arrived in Australia… Read more

ITALIAN LIFESTYLE IN THE FIAT FREEMONT

Though Italian car maker Fiat is a giant player in Europe it has been sadly under represented in Australia until very recently. That’s probably because the previous importer seemed to concentrate on the halo marques in the Fiat empire – Ferrari and Maserati – at the expense of the affordable models. That situation suddenly changed midway through 2012 when Fiat’s head office took over of the Australian arm of the company from its previous private importer. As further background to this story, Fiat took control of American car maker Chrysler… Read more