Fiat flagship top choice again for art exhibition

The Fiat’s London flagship dealer has once again been chosen as the venue for a top international art exhibition.

Wigmore Street-based Fiat Marylebone was designed with the potential to host art and fashion shows as well as display cars, and has just been used for a reception introducing the Italian artist Franco Brescianini.

Around 100 guests, including art experts, celebrities and Fiat customers, enjoyed a champagne welcome while viewing Brescianini’s work – an exhibition entitled Profili Femminili. The display was laid out across the flagship’s lower floor, which can be transformed into a minimalist white art gallery.

Franco Brescianini was welcomed to the flagship by Tony Dittli, managing director, Fiat Marylebone before the exhibition opened. It was followed by an auction in aid of the Safe Hands for the Mothers charity.

“I am delighted that once again Fiat Marylebone was asked to host an art exhibition,” says Tony Dittli. “It lends itself perfectly to these occasions and was ideal to showcase Franco Brescianini’s fine work.”

Visit the Fiat dealer online

TV STAR ANGELA OPTS FOR 500C

The actress was hoping for a few more weeks of sunny weather as she collected the keys to her Fiat 500C, from the stunning Wigmore Street, London, dealership earlier this week (5 October).

Angela, who has been a fan of the 500C since its UK launch in July this year, has chosen a 1.2 Pop version in Cha Cha Cha Azure with Ivory roof, and is looking forward to hundreds of happy miles behind the wheel.
“I have a house in London, but I am still working on Waterloo Road in Manchester, so I shall be up and down the motorway quite a lot in the next few weeks,” says Angela. “But I’m looking forward to those long journeys now – and when I reach busy city centres the 500C will be ideal for the crowded streets.
“The Fiat 500 has really caught the imagination. You can see why it has become so popular – and the addition of the convertible adds a new dimension. My two young children are going to love driving around with the roof down.”
Configure your own 500C here

FIAT BRAVO THE SMARTER CHOICE FOR ENERGY SAVING TRUST

Fiat’s successful mid-range Bravo models have been provided to the Energy Saving Trust as training cars for the eco-friendly advice organisation’s Smarter Driving courses.

Smarter Driving is a fuel-saving, environmentally-friendly style of motoring that is being introduced to companies throughout England by the impartial advice group’s instructors. By following the Energy Saving Trust’s advice, delivered through the DriveSense fleet trainer network, company drivers can save an average of 15 per cent on their annual fuel consumption – equivalent to an average £250 per person.

The Energy Saving Trust has recently taken delivery of two Fiat Bravo 1.6 Eco MultiJet and one 1.9 Sport models – an ideal choice as the Eco is already one of the most economical in its class, returning 62.7mpg on the combined cycle and listing a CO2 figure of just 119g/km. The Sport’s figures are 50.4mpg and 149g/km.
Bravo’s lively performance, simple controls and ease of driving will also be useful for the hundreds of delegates taking part in the training – the Energy Saving Trust course lasts just 50 minutes and some companies have up to 500 employees ready to enrol.
For more smarter driving ideas, check out Fiat EcoDrive
 
From l to r Bob Saynor, programme manager, Energy Saving Trust Smarter Driving, James McMenamin, national sales manager, Fiat Group Automobiles UK Ltd, Dominic Marder, managing director, DriveSense Ltd.

Punto Evo 2010 Unveiled!!!

Unveiled in a world premiere at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show, the 2010 new Punto Evo makes its debut on the italian aircraft carrier Cavour.
Hit the jump to watch the images that include the presentation of the car on the decks of Italy’s newest aircraft carrier, Cavour, in La Spezia, Italy.

The new Punto Evo is destined to repeat the success of its predecessor and become the new pacesetter for innovation, safety and style, thanks to its many innovative features.

Innovation - MultiAir Technology

The Punto Evo expresses its technical excellence first and foremost through a wide choice of Euro 5 engines, including a 1.3 second generation Multijet diesel and a 1.4 petrol engine with the revolutionary MultiAir technology developed by Fiat Powertrain Technologies and eventually to be incorporated in all Fiat Group engines. Fiat’s innovative and conventional powerplants are also joined by dual-fuel methane and petrol units to create the most complete and ecological range of engines in the segment.

Safety Features

In the area of safety, the Punto Evo sets new standards thanks to 7 airbags, including a driver knee airbag. The Punto Evo is one of very few cars in its segment with a driver knee airbag fitted as standard on all versions. Other innovative safety systems are also available, including Hill-Holder to help with hill starts, adaptive 'cornering' front fog lights that switch on automatically with dipped headlights according to the angle of steering, and Fiat’s tried and tested ABS, EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribution) and ESP (Electronic Stability Program) systems.

Interior

The new Punto Evo is even more attractive thanks to the work of Fiat’s Centro Stile. The interiors (fascia, seats and instrumentation) have been completely renewed to become even more prestigious and elegant, and the outside has been given a thoroughly restyled look too.

Respect for the environment

The environment is one of the main issues driving product development, and ensures that the Fiat range is the greenest in Europe. The Punto Evo is no exception to this rule.
The new MultiAir engines prove the point. Compared to a conventional petrol engine of the same size, a MultiAir engine develops more power (up to 10%) and torque (up to 15%), while consuming significantly less (up to 10%) and emitting less CO2 (up to 10%), less particulates (up to 40%) and less NOx (up to 60%).
In the same way the second generation of Multijet diesel engines also offers more accurate combustion, with benefits for consumption, emissions, NVH and drivability. This has been achieved through a new common rail injector that modulates fuel injection into the combustion chamber and gives, for the Euro 5 engines, an improvement of around 2% in consumption and CO2 emissions on the homologation cycle, and a reduction in NOx emissions of up to 30%.

Style and comfort

The Punto Evo is more stunning than ever thanks to the work of Fiat’s Centro Stile. In particular, the interiors of the new model have been completely redesigned to represent the most evolved expression of Italian style, with top quality materials and superb attention to detail. The result is a bright and elegant cabin with completely renewed fascia, seats, storage compartments and instrumentation.
On the outside, both the front and the rear have been thoroughly restyled, as shown by the attractive lines of the new bumpers and the incorporation of innovative and original headlights and taillights. The latest design has also “stretched” the car to a total length of 406 centimetres, so that its winning characteristics of driver and passenger comfort remain unchanged. The other external dimensions remain the same, with a width of 169 cm, a height of 149 cm and a wheelbase of 251 cm.

Smile and Win Competition

We've been busy snapping the festival's brightest smiles – is yours below? The biggest smile, as chosen by you, wins a fantastic Fiat 500 mini-break – so vote for your favourite now!

Visit http://www.fiat.co.uk/bigsmile/smileandwin/ for more information.

Fiat Group Sales Results

The continued success of the Fiat Group in the UK is underlined today with the release of August’s new car sales figures.

Sales of Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Abarth models have all shown notable increases, resulting in a superb 5.14 per cent market share for the Group in the UK – its greatest share since May 2001.

With 3,026 units sold, Fiat posted a 4.52 per cent market share for August, Alfa Romeo sales of 344 gave it a 0.51 per cent share while Abarth’s 59 sales resulted in a 0.09 per cent share, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

It means that since its launch in the UK in January 2008, the popular Fiat 500 city car has now sold more than 26,000 units in Britain, while the new Alfa MiTo has roared to more than 3,000 units since its launch in January this year. Abarth has contributed more than 850 sales of cars since its July 2008 introduction into the UK.

Further indications of the Group’s success are shown in private and fleet sales figures – Fiat’s are up 86 per cent and Alfa’s have risen by 59 per cent. On private sales alone, Fiat has seen a rise of 174 per cent, to make it third best-selling manufacturer for the month, with Alfa rising by 233 per cent. The market average is 45 per cent.

Year to date, the average private market share is down by 12.3 per cent. Fiat’s share has increased by 5.4 per cent and Alfa’s is up by 88 per cent.

“This is a remarkable series of results for the Fiat Group which highlights once again the growing popularity of Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Abarth vehicles in this country,” says Andrew Humberstone, managing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK Ltd. “This is part of the overall business strategy we implemented two years ago and we are beginning to see the fruits of this in terms of brand, market share and positive residual value movements.”

Visit http://www.fiat.co.uk/ for more information on new cars and models

FIAT Punto Evo at Frankfurt Motor Show 2009

The Fiat Punto Evo, the evolution of the Grande Punto, will make its debut at the next Frankfurt Motor Show. It is destined to repeat the success of its predecessor and become the new pacesetter for innovation, safety and style, thanks to its many innovative features.

The Fiat Punto Evo, the evolution of the Grande Punto, will make its debut at the next Frankfurt Motor Show. It is destined to repeat the success of its predecessor and become the new pacesetter for innovation, safety and style, thanks to its many innovative features.

The epithet “Evo” identifies a level of car design that is capable of satisfying even the most demanding customers in terms of technology, driving pleasure and respect for the environment.

The Punto Evo expresses its technical excellence first and foremost through a wide choice of Euro 5 engines, including a 1.3 second generation Multijet diesel and a 1.4 petrol engine with the revolutionary MultiAir technology developed by Fiat Powertrain Technologies and eventually to be incorporated in all Fiat Group engines. Fiat’s innovative and conventional powerplants are also joined by dual-fuel methane and petrol units to create the most complete and ecological range of engines in the segment. With reduced consumption and emissions in mind, the new Punto Evo also offers Start&Stop, the system that switches off and restarts the engine in stop-and-go traffic. Start&Stop is being introduced as standard on all Euro5 petrol and diesel engines. Another system making its first appearance on the Punto Evo is “Blue&Me–TomTom”, the new portable satellite navigation unit that lets you manage telephone, navigation and information functions on a practical colour touch-screen.

In the area of safety, the Punto Evo sets new standards thanks to 7 airbags, including a driver knee airbag. The Punto Evo is one of very few cars in its segment with a driver knee airbag fitted as standard on all versions. Other innovative safety systems are also available, including Hill-Holder to help with hill starts, adaptive 'cornering' front fog lights that switch on automatically with dipped headlights according to the angle of steering, and Fiat’s tried and tested ABS, EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribution) and ESP (Electronic Stability Program) systems.

Finally, the new Punto Evo is even more attractive thanks to the work of Fiat’s Centro Stile. The interiors (fascia, seats and instrumentation) have been completely renewed to become even more prestigious and elegant, and the outside has been given a thoroughly restyled look too.

Technical innovation

The Punto Evo expresses its technical excellence first and foremost through a wide choice of engines Euro 5, including petrol units equipped with the revolutionary MultiAir system and second generation Multijet diesels.

Developed and patented by FPT – Fiat Powertrain Technologies – MultiAir technology will gradually be adopted by all engines fitted to Fiat Group cars. The heart of MultiAir is a new electrohydraulic valve management system that reduces fuel consumption by controlling air directly via the inlet valves (without using the throttle). MultiAir reduces emissions (thanks to improved combustion control) and also improves performance by boosting both power and torque.

Similar results have been achieved in diesel versions thanks to the adoption of second generation Multijet units across the range. These engines incorporate new common rail injectors that, thanks to a balanced hydraulic servo-valve, control the quantity of fuel injected into the combustion chamber with improved precision, and in a faster and more flexible sequence than in the past.

The choice of engines available for the Punto Evo is the most complete and ecological in this market segment, and even includes two alternative fuel engines, a methane and an LPG unit.

The new Punto Evo is even equipped with the latest version of the Blue&Me system. “Blue&Me–TomTom” is a fully integrated infotainment system that lets you manage telephone, navigation and information functions on a practical colour touch-screen. The system is the result of a partnership between Fiat Group Automobiles and TomTom, European leader in portable navigation systems, and integrates with the car’s other systems thanks to the Blue&Me system developed in conjunction with Magneti Marelli. The new system also incorporates “eco:Drive Info” for real time information on your driving style and useful suggestions for reducing environmental impact and optimising consumption by changing gear and using the accelerator to suit the nature of the route.

Visit Fiat UK's website for more information on Frankfurt Motor Show 2009

Supermini goes large as 'The Big Smile' comes to UK

A giant Fiat 500C – five times the normal size – is coming to the UK as part of a Europe-wide tour to promote the popular new convertible. It’s coming to the centre of London for an event entitled 'The Big Smile', from 28 August until 2 September, and will be situated on Oxford Street.
A giant Fiat 500C – five times the normal size – is coming to the UK as part of a Europe-wide tour to promote the popular new convertible.

The 5:1 scale model of the car has appeared before on Fiat’s International motor show stands around the world, but this latest version simulates the ‘open-top’ style of the 500C with a spectacular projection of the sky on to the inner lining of the car’s roof.

It’s coming to the centre of London for an event entitled 'The Big Smile', from 28 August until 2 September, and will be situated at a special venue called Parklife, on Oxford Street – one of the busiest shopping streets in the world.

The showcase will generate awareness of the new Fiat 500C and is designed to make people smile when they see it – much like the effect created when driving the real car.

The summer mood of The Big Smile event will be enhanced by bright internal hoardings recreating park scenes, deckchairs and plants, while roaming entertainers, free competitions to win the loan of a Fiat 500, stilt walkers and snack stalls will provide fun and refreshment.

Examples of the Fiat 500, 500C and 500byDiesel will also be on display.

“We are taking The Big Smile to one of the busiest areas of London and I am looking forward to bringing our special brand of fun to this wonderful city,” says Elena Bernardelli, marketing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK.

“The huge Fiat 500C, and the whole event will create a great atmosphere and we’re anticipating six very happy days ahead.”

The Big Smile will be open at the following times:

28 August - 12pm - 8pm
29 August - 10am - 8pm
30 August - 10:30am - 8pm
31 August - 10am - 8pm
1 September - 10am - 8pm
2 September - 10am - 8pm

For more details on Big Smile Event see: www.fiat.co.uk/bigsmile

BSM and FIAT in Landmark Deal

BSM and Fiat have today announced their partnership which will see Fiat as the new fleet provider for BSM (the British School of Motoring), the UK’s most popular driving school. Fiat will provide 14,000 cars over the next four years, most of them the award-winning Fiat 500.

BSM and Italian car giant Fiat have today announced their partnership which will see Fiat as the new fleet provider for BSM (the British School of Motoring), the UK’s most popular driving school.

Fiat will provide BSM with 14,000 new cars over the next four years, most of them the award-winning Fiat 500 – Car of the Year 2008 – along with the popular Grande Punto model.

The fleet vehicle is the biggest depiction of the BSM brand, and the introduction of the stylish Fiat 500 design is intended to appeal to new learners by echoing the brand’s iconic feel. BSM will start to take delivery of the new fleet this summer and complete the exchange of all fleet by the end of the year.

BSM has a network of 94 UK driving centres from Inverness to Truro and teaches more than 130,000 learners a year. The agreement will make the Fiat 500 even more visible on Britain’s roads.

BSM is confident that the change of car will give new drivers a superior learning experience, with features including:

Manoeuvrability – the Fiat 500, with a length of just 3.5 metres and a turning circle of 9.2 metres, is easy to drive and offers exceptional manoeuvrability;
Safety – the Fiat 500 has more safety features than any other small car and achieved five stars in the tough Euro NCAP crash test programme;
Environment – the Fiat 500 engine meets the toughest Euro 5 exhaust emissions standards and has improved fuel efficiency when compared with BSM’s previous fleet. The 500’s 1.2-litre 69bhp engines returns 55.4 mpg on the combined cycle and emits just 119g/km CO2. The model is also available with eco:Drive which analyses driving styles and helps drivers use less fuel;
Visibility – the Fiat 500 model also offers greater visibility than the previous fleet, with a smaller dashboard and larger wing mirrors.

The new partnership will include a special offer for learner drivers wishing to purchase a Fiat once they have passed their test. The car manufacturer is offering an exclusive £500 discount on all new Fiat models to BSM learners, making the range even more accessible and economical for new drivers.

“We believe very strongly that the car we use for our fleet is the strongest depiction of our brand so it was of the utmost importance for us to find a car that shares both the heritage of BSM and the brand’s modern outlook and appeal,” says Abu Shafi, managing director, BSM.

“We feel that the partnership of BSM with the Fiat 500 has a great synergy and we are looking forward to introducing such an iconic fleet with an improved learning experience.”

“This fantastic new agreement puts an award-winning car alongside the best-known driving school in the UK, and I am delighted we are involved in it,” says Andrew Humberstone, managing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK. “This puts us right where we want to be – in the High Streets of Britain’s towns and cities, demonstrating to new motorists the delights of driving a new Fiat.”

Explore the Fiat 500 here.

Fiat Launches 500C Digital Campaign

Fiat, with the support of its media agency Mediaedge:CIA, has launched a digital campaign for the new Fiat 500C car, as part of a wider new car launch across various channels. The online campaign is designed to raise awareness of the launch of the car across a trend-setting, young, free-thinking, stylish audience.



Fiat and MEC are targeting potential customers across a range of digital channels incorporating several media firsts for both the car manufacturer and the digital marketplace. Key activity will include taking over the welcome screens and homepages of highly visited portals such as Yahoo and AOL. The campaign also sees a weekly takeover on the site Handbag.com with an interactive cursor that will turn from the usual arrow into the Fiat 500C.
See Fiat 500C launch for more information...

FIAT 500C Celebrity Launch Party with Florence & The Machine

Europe celebrates the Fiat 500's birthday

The new Fiat 500 was launched in unforgettable style on 4 July 2007. Since then, the second generation of the model that has symbolised the history of Italian cars has quickly conquered everyone's hearts. On July 4, alongside the launch of the Fiat 500C, the model will mark its second birthday with a series of events, running until July 7, which will involve the major European cities and five customised Fiat locations up and down Italy.


On July 4 at Milan's modern and trendy Fiat Open Lounge, there will be an exclusive party in the presence of the 500C allowing revellers to celebrate by dancing to renowned DJs from the Italian club scene. Also, on the evening of July 4 the Fiat Playa at Punta Marana, in Sardinia, will host the Oscar del Calcio football awards in the presence of some of the sport's leading lights. During the reception for this event, the guests will celebrate the second birthday of the new Fiat 500 (as well as the new 500C) by cutting a special cake. Finally, on July 5 at the Fiat Chalet in Madonna di Campiglio, one of the most stylish and well-kept ski resorts in north-east Italy, there will be an exclusive party for 500 guests. Obviously, the 500C will be among their number.

The party for the 500 will also take place in Paris, where from July 2-7 a 17-metre-long, 6-metre-tall model of the car can be seen at La Défense, one of the most enchanting and modern parts of the French capital. Inside this huge 500, whose interior has been built to scale, you can admire a dramatic starry sky created by clever special effects; on the outside, a huge lawn will welcome the new 500Cs that will themselves become part of the show with events such as the "Smile & Win" competition, with the prize of a fabulous weekend in a 500C for the best smile captured on board the new car. The events in Paris will be the first of three stages that will also take the huge” 500one” to London at the end of August and Berlin at the end of September.

Chrysler Group LLC & Fiat Finalise Global Alliance

Auburn Hills, MI and Turin, ITALY – Chrysler Group LLC and Fiat Group announced yesterday that they have finalised their previously announced global strategic alliance, forming a ‘new’ Chrysler that has the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete effectively on a global scale. The new Chrysler will begin operations immediately.

As part of the alliance, Fiat will contribute to Chrysler its world-class technology, platforms and powertrains for small- and medium-sized cars, allowing the company to offer an expanded product line, including environmentally friendly vehicles increasingly in demand by consumers. Chrysler will also benefit from Fiat’s management expertise in business turnaround and access to Fiat’s international distribution network, with particular focus on Latin America and Russia.

“This is a very significant day, not only for Chrysler and its dedicated employees, who have persevered through a great deal of uncertainty during the past year, but for the global automotive industry as a whole,” said Sergio Marchionne, who yesterday was named Chief Executive Officer of Chrysler Group LLC. “From the very beginning, we have been adamant that this alliance must be a constructive and an important step towards solving the problems impacting our industry. We now look forward to establishing a new paradigm for how automotive companies can operate profitably going forward.

"We intend to build on Chrysler’s culture of innovation and Fiat’s complementary technology and expertise to expand Chrysler's product portfolio both in North America and overseas. Those Chrysler operations assumed by the new company that were idled during this process have or will soon be back up and running, and work is already underway on developing new environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient, high-quality vehicles that we intend to become Chrysler's hallmark going forward.

“The same attributes that first attracted us to this alliance – a global automotive company with first-class technology, a devoted workforce, improved efficiency, a strong, global distribution network and an unyielding passion for building great cars that consumers want – are even more true today. While it does not solve every issue faced by the automotive industry today, this alliance, established with the full support of President Obama's Administration, is a very significant step toward positioning Fiat and Chrysler to be leaders among the next breed of global automakers. This has, I know, been a difficult process for everyone involved, but we are ready to prove to the American consumer that Chrysler can once again be a strong, competitive company that produces a full portfolio of reliable vehicles that capture the imagination and inspire loyalty.”

Chrysler Group in turn issued to a subsidiary of Fiat a 20 per cent equity interest on a fully diluted basis in the new company. Fiat has also entered into a series of agreements necessary to transfer certain technology, platforms and powertrains to the new Chrysler. Fiat’s equity interest will increase in increments by up to a total of 35 per cent in the event that certain milestones mandated by the agreement are achieved, but Fiat cannot obtain a majority stake in Chrysler until all taxpayer funds are repaid.

In addition to Mr Marchionne, currently the Chief Executive Officer of Fiat S.p.A. serving as CEO, the new Chrysler will be managed by a nine-member Board of Directors, consisting of three directors to be appointed by Fiat, four directors to be appointed by the U.S. Government, one director to be appointed by the Canadian Government and one director to be appointed by the United Auto Workers’ Retiree Medical Benefits Trust. The Board is expected to name Robert Kidder as Chairman. The process of determining additional board members is continuing and updates will be announced as appropriate.

New 500 C converts Bids into funds for charity

A specially designed version of one of the first Fiat 500 C models in the UK has been auctioned at a gala evening, raising £55,000 for two major cancer charities.

The black 500 C – the convertible version of Fiat’s award-winning supermini – was specially designed by leading artist Sir Peter Blake for the Raisa Gorbachev Foundation fourth annual gala dinner, held last week at Hampton Court Palace, London.


The new Fiat was one of several top prizes made available from generous sponsors for the star-studded gathering, whose guests included former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev, author JK Rowling, actress Vanessa Redgrave, musician Jamie Cullum, London Mayor Boris Johnson and the Prime Minister’s wife Sarah Brown.

The event raised a total of £1.5 million to be split between the Raisa Gorbachev Foundation and Marie Curie Cancer Care in the UK.

The Fiat 500 C goes on sale throughout Fiat’s 158-strong dealer network next month, priced from £11,300.

click here to get more information on FIAT's new cars

For those who missed!!

For those who weren’t lucky enough to participate in person at the live event, here’s a video that gives you a glimpse of how wonderful the atmosphere was when the stunning Fiat 500 was unveiled to the UK public!



For more information on new cars. Visit www.fiat.co.uk

Fiat 500 Winners 2008!

Hundreds of people visited the British Airways London Eye between 24 January and 3 February to configure their own unique Fiat 500 in our special design competition. Top prize was the chance to win the designed car, and five runner-up prizes of a Champagne trip in one of the Eye’s flight capsules were also up for grabs.

Judging the competition proved a difficult task, but the winners have now been announced by London’s Design Museum.

Donna Loveday – head of exhibitions at the Design Museum – selected the winning artists’ stunning designs, which are shown below along with her expert opinion on each of the entries.

Congratulations to the six winners!

Cars in a silver finish are currently very popular, but Duncan’s combination of the colour azure with the addition of a chequered flag on the roof turns this into a smart and sporty city car. A range of options are offered with consideration given to interior and exterior detail.

A near winner – green with the Italian flag stripe and black sun roof makes clear reference to Fiat’s Italian design heritage.

The colour yellow combined with a black chequered flag on the roof turns this into a bright and very funky car, for those drivers who want to opt for something a little unconventional.

A clever combination of blue with the Italian flag stripe creates a very attractive car.

For more information on Fiat new cars visit, http://www.fiat.co.uk