The poor Fiat 500. The adorable three-door hasn’t exactly been the resounding success Fiat had hoped, missing sales projections by a wide margin. As you may recall, the company managed to sell just 17,945 units between March and December of 2011. That’s a far cry from 50,000 units annually the company projected before the 500 landed in dealerships. But, according to Polk, things may not be as bad as they seem. While it’s true that the 500 managed to pull down just four percent of the subcompact car segment, the results look a bit rosier when you compare the 500 to other three-door B-segment offerings. Continue Reading
Fiat
Fiat has announced that the 2012 500 Abarth will be priced from $22,000, *not including destination charges. That’s a healthy jump from the tiny Italian’s $15,500 base MSRP and higher still than the open-air 500C that starts at $19,500. For all that extra lira, buyers get Fiat’s turbocharged 1.4-liter MultiAir engine producing 160 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque. Power is routed through a five-speed manual transmission and the super Cinquecento also receives an upgraded suspension and brakes, 16-inch wheels and dual exhaust system. The cost of admission also includes free tuition to the Abarth Driving Experience hosted by The Richard Petty Driving Experience. Continue Reading
