Is there a Fiat in your future?

[M_Smith]

Is there a Fiat in your future?

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http://simplefeed.consumerreports.o...zcqCE*&f=3dcb3160-01dc-11dc-32a2-0019bbc55f7f The combined efforts of Fiat and Chrysler could produce some interesting new vehicles in coming years. While it is unlikely we?ll ever see a version of the wee Fiat 500 powered by Chrysler?s fabled Hemi engine like the one shown in accompanying photo, anything, as the saying goes, is possible. (Learn more about the Fiat 500.)

In Italy, the 500 is known as the Cinquecento,* or ?Five Hundred? in Italian. Applying the same logic to a Hemi version of the same car would result in something called the Cinquemilllesettecento, (you guessed it, ?Fifty-seven hundred?) a name that would be as much of a challenge to fit on a badge on one of the 500?s fenders as it would be to stuff the engine under the hood.

There are some more realistic, and only slightly less intriguing possibilities, however. The Fiat Web site lists some 24 different models, ranging from small, thrifty sedans and hatchbacks to family sedans and mini-minivans. Sportier and more upscale Alfa Romeo, which is owned by Fiat, shows nine more on their site. Although many of these models only score around mid pack when reviewed by the European automotive press when compared to other models in the market place. (See Which? Car on the Fiat Qubo.)

http://simplefeed.consumerreports.o...zcqCE*&f=3dcb3160-01dc-11dc-32a2-0019bbc55f7f Combined, these storied Italian brands promise a ready stable of varied models, some of which could make good candidates for a Chrysler dealership near you. Others, like the spacious but somewhat odd Fiat Multipla mini/micro-van, might be a little too different for American tastes. But underneath the sheet metal, there are mechanical bits that could accelerate the state of Chrysler?s art.

The new Chrysler has said that the 500 (minus Hemi) will be coming to America in about 18 months, but the company has said little about what to expect after that. There has been speculation that the next generation of the lackluster Dodge Caliber compact and mid-sized Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger sedans will likely be some of the first to benefit from the alliance. Freshly placed Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed the deep level of cooperation in a recent letter to employees:

http://simplefeed.consumerreports.o...zcqCE*&f=3dcb3160-01dc-11dc-32a2-0019bbc55f7f ?Over the next several months, we will begin the process of transferring Fiat's technology, platforms and powertrains for small- and medium-sized cars into Chrysler's manufacturing facilities. This award-winning technology will be critical to helping Chrysler round out its product line and give the company a strategic advantage in many markets around the world.?

We bristle at the comment of "award-winning technology," as many of the larger platforms that would be more appropriate for the U.S. market have be panned in Europe and need to be updating. (See the reviews at British automotive Web sites Top Gear and What Car.)

Indeed, Fiat has a long history of building small, fun-to-drive cars with efficient powertrains ? something their new partner sorely lacks. Fiat can undoubtedly help Chrysler with that, and at the same time ease compliance with upcoming tighter CAFE fuel mileage requirements - something else Signore Marchionne indicated is underway:

?Work is already underway to develop new environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient, high-quality vehicles, including Chrysler's electric-vehicle program.?

We look forward to seeing and testing future models from the new company, and Marchionne?s remarks would seem to indicate the company is headed in the right direction.

But 18 months is still a long ways off, and Chrysler isn?t out of the woods yet. Both companies have earned low marks for owner satisfaction and reliability, although Chrysler was showing signs of improvement even before the bankruptcy. (Read: ?Chrysler and Fiat reliability?Merger of equals??)

Part of what drove Fiat from the U.S. market was its poor reputation for quality in 1983, and that reputation remains elsewhere in the world today. Whatever new models are in the pipeline, making an improvement in satisfaction and reliability scores should be a top priority.

?Jim Travers

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