Not a pretty picture. For me they have made several mistakes. 1) relying too much on the 500's look for their new car models. Italian cars should look pretty and stylish, not cartoonish. 2) not relying enough on driver experience and performance to be their point of difference and relying too much on a low price to get sales. 3) inadequate dealer network. Walk into a Mini showroom and then walk into a Fiat showroom. You see the difference right away. 4) the 124 spider being made in Japan cheapens the brand as it looks like label slapping. And, the original looks 1000 times better. FIAT Deathwatch: Why The FIAT Brand Needs To Be Axed - The Drive
Mini sales are down 20% this year and they have a more established network. They've also been here much longer. Gas is cheap, America is big and people would rather something big and comfy over a sportier small European product
The 500 coupe is getting old stylistically. The larger 500 models look terrible. The dealership service sucks. The sales guys around here don't have a clue about the lineup. I don't understand how they expect to sell 80K Alfas from the same dealerships. All thaf said, the 500 Abarth is a fun ride.
Stupid article to suggest that the Fiat 124 should become an Alfa. Sergio has already said that Alfa will be made in Italy. My Abarth is my daily and 24k miles later never fails to put a smile on my face. Daughters 500X was a champ in our largest snowstorm of this season, 18 inches and I was out in the peak of it just for ha ha's. The 500 is due for a change, maybe a little larger and less plasticky. The 124 Abarth should have had at least 185hp, not 4hp more than the regular spider. The 500L is just ugly. The 500X I actually like for what it is, it's probably their best vehicle. I hope they stick around for awhile longer, have always had fun in Fiats.
I agree FIAT was never strong in the USA the 500 never had the following of the MINI back in the 60s and before the mini had the Austin engine was considered kinda cool. The 500 was not considered in the same way... The fiat 124 original was a cool car and in my mind was a great looking fiat .. The new one is nice it really is but would it kill them to put a little power in it .. of all the faux Italian cars (after all the 500 is made in Mexico) the 124 is the best looking.. this is my opinion only and I suspect would sell good if they had a dealer network they should probably combine it with alfa and Maserati .. with all three they actually have a car line....
In my opinion Fiat has botched Fiat's launch here, Alfa's launch here, and Maserati's expansion here.
To be fair to Fiat, the rug was pulled out from under them, big time. The 500 strategy was hatched at a time when oil was 100 bucks and expected to stay there or higher. In a $4 per gallon world, maybe a small thrifty car would have had a bigger appeal. Also the plan was to appeal to hip urban trend-setters. In NYC they were offering $99 a month leases and had a deal with a chain of garages for deeply discounted manhatttan parking. What they couldn't foresee is that uber would emerge the way it did, wiping away any residual interest that demographic might have had for private car ownership. Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk
Fiat sold 2145 cars last month, down 19% Mini sold 2154 cars last month, down 24% Smart sold 348 cars last month , down 18% considering Mini has been here over a decade and is sold through a very strong BMW network, I'd say that's equally poor. Nobody screams MINI IS FAILING IN AMERCIA OMG Smart is even worse. Small funky European cars have a limited appeal in America outside of Miami, NYC, San Fran or L.A. Good luck selling Fiats in the mid west, extreme south and other parts of the country where gas is cheap, roads are flat and your neighbour lives 5 miles away.
All I will say is that I have been surprised to see as many 124 spiders around town. Totally unsubstantiated observation, but it isn't wildly different from the number of new Miatas I see.
They were DOA since day one in the US. And Alfa is probably not too far behind. Can't wait for Peugeot to try and re-enter the US market. Good luck with that.
I have a 500 that blew a motor just after 50,000 miles, just off warranty. I also own a Jeep Wrangler and a Maserati Granturismo from the Fiat brand. I pleaded with Fiat USA to take care of me, as I was also going to buy Alfa Quad or a 4C, and they didn't. I realize the car was off warranty, but was also pissed the engine let go so soon. Instead of buying a new Alfa, I bought the GLA45 AMG, I just couldn't stomach giving them more of my business, although I really want the Quad.
The FIAT brand was DOA in the US and Canada(pretty much both have the same tastes in cars).. Not rocket science....Sergio thought everyone would just be waiting to buy these over priced econoboxes because they are Italian like Ferrari Ferrari, Maserati and I hope Alfa might survive because they offer something special. If Sergio tries to just follow the crowd with those 3 brands he may ruin them also. I hope that never happens.
A true measurement of the brand is "apples to apples" The Fiat 500x is the same car as the Jeep Renegade with different clothes. In fact the Fiat is cheaper. The 500x is not selling. The Renegade is a hit.
The new FIAT 124 Spider is so much better looking than the new Mazda Miata, which is IMO ugly as. Pete
Spec for spec the Renegade is cheaper in North America. In Europe it's the opposite. The renegade isn't much of a success in Canada and the 500x isn't either. Both othe them are overpriced. Jeep Ram retailers will push renegades all day, all week before trying to sell an X at a discount
Hello we bought our 2015 TrailHawk Renegade new with all the options, still love it. Has almost 19,000 mi. With the TrailHawk you get upgraded suspension and higher ride height, 2.4 9spd transmission which is built here in Indiana. Only issues so far computer downloads has been quirky. But overall we would get another one. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Does anyone know if this is coming to the US? Seems like it would be good market segment priced below a Macan. A friend of mine got me one to use for a few days in Rotterdam, very nice build quality and overall impression. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Why would FIAT care if the brand dies in America, as long as they are selling heaps of Chryslers and Jeeps they are making money. I don't actually understand why they are trying to sell FIATs in America. I guess the 500 is/was different and cute and might have a market but normal cars would just compete with their other "American" brands. Pete
IMO its pretty simple. They brought nothing new to the table. Went with my GF to test drive the 500 against her Mini when they first came out. The 500 was a horrific car IMO. You need to be more than mediocre to break into the market, unless you are breaking in by being cheap, which the Fiats arent
I was saying, all through the rumor years, that there was no point to Alfa returning to the US if all they had to offer was FWD boxes like a Camry in Italian shoes -- without the reliability. With the 4c and Giulia, Alfa now has something worth selling ... ... if they can figure out how to run a dealer network. (Which was Fiat's weak point in the past.) I suspect they bought Chrysler largely for its established dealer network. But putting Fiats next to Chryslers on the same platform isn't a winning formula. And the Alfas aren't in the same market segment. So they still have the challenge of supporting the cars they sell.
I think the 500 is a great car. Fun to drive and it makes you smile when you see it. No it's not fast but get a 5 speed and it's enough for keeping up with traffic. I get that it's cheap and as such have lower expectation for fit and finish. But unlike Mini I don't get charged BMW parts and labor rates to fix it. $1500 for brakes in a Mini that is worth $8k is pretty hard to stomach. Fiat did reduce prices this year, more in line of what they were selling for before with their rebate/discounts. Cheap gas, plus a dealer network that mostly wants to sell Rams and Wranglers is the problem (speaking of horrific cars, have you driven a Wrangler?)