None of you living in Poland have any more information on this new car? Are they being sold yet? Are they any good? Would you buy one? Have you Seen them yet?
Mike
This car is also known as the Fiat 500:
Robert Strybel
WARSAW–It may sound hard to believe, but it only goes to
show that in our confused, chaotic and crisis-ridden world even the highly implausible is possible. A mini-car built only in Poland is set to help save Chrysler from extinction. That is good news for the workers of the southern Polish industrial city of Tychy, where the model is built. That integral fragment of a broader agreement will also benefit U.S. autoworkers and the American car-buying public.
Following prolonged legal proceedings that took the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, the bankrupt former Chrysler Corporation, renamed Chrysler Limited Liability Company, Fiat of Italy have concluded what is officially termed a “strategic alliance” which enjoys the full backing of President Barack Obama. Suffering from a severe drop in sales, huge debts and crippling labor, pension and healthcare costs, Chrysler filed for bankruptcy protection at the end of April. Fiat was the only serious contender to come forward and offer to assist the ailing corporation.
The deal will enable Chrysler products to be sold through Fiat’s extensive international sales network, and Fiat vehicles will turn up at Chrysler dealerships in America. Among them will be the Fiat 500 minicar, now built only in Tychy, Poland, but marketed world-wide with the exception of America. A thoroughly modern vehicle inspired by the legendary 1950s Fiat 500 that helped put Italy on wheels, the cute little hatchback falls into the retro category along with the Mini, New Beetle and Chrysler’s own PT Cruiser.
The 69-horsepower Fiat 500 is not the car for someone who has to drive from New York to Chicago on business every week, but as a second or third car it is ideal for big-city traffic. The 90-inch-wheelbase four-seater gets up to 50 miles per gallon, turns on a dime and parks anywhere, but – when necessary – can achieve a top speed of 100 mph. It has been estimated that if only half of the cars on the road were the size of the Fiat 500, rush-hour traffic jams would disappear from America’s big-city expressways.
The Fiat 500 is the perfect commuter, shopper and knock-around-the-neighborhood car. Its convertible version shows considerable recreational potential as a beach buggy or even four-passenger golf cart. Its high-performance companion model, the Abarth 500, is designed for those with a sporty flair. In Poland, prices for the Fiat 500 start at under $13,000, but exactly how much it will cost in America remains to be determined.
The “Piêæsetka”, as it is called in Poland, is only one component of a broad Fiat line-up which comprises economy cars, sporty hatchbacks, sedans and SUVs, all slightly downsized compared to Chrysler’s current range. It includes a light pickup truck, a mini-delivery van able to maneuver in tight spaces and heavier-duty delivery vehicles. Exactly which models will turn up in American showrooms in the near future is still unknown, but many American car buffs are looking to the début of Fiat’s sporty Alfa-Romeo line. However, word is that the Italian corporation’s super-high-performance Ferraris and Maseratis will not be part of the Fiat-Chrysler deal.
Fiat had also made a bid to take over GM’s European Opel division, which the U.S. automaker was unloading in an attempt to save itself from collapse. But, that tender was won by a Russian-backed Canadian-Austrian consortium. Polish workers at the Opel plant in Gliwice are still unsure of their future, as it remains unknown whether the new owners plan to continue building cars in Poland or move the facilities elsewhere, presumably to Russia.
As part of the Fiat-Chrysler alliance, the Italian corporation will reportedly also contribute technology to build downsized Chryslers and make the firm more competitive. At present, the smallest car in the Chrysler line-up is the hefty Caliber hatchback which is considerably larger and less fuel-efficient than the Chevrolet Aveo and Ford’s forthcoming revamped Fiesta, not to mention economy Toyota or Honda models.
From a purely American standpoint, it would have been better if Chrysler had not gone under. But in a less than perfect world, the Fiat alliance is probably the next best thing. As an alternative to Chrysler’s complete disappearance from the world’s automotive map, this arrangement is expected to save thousands of American jobs and provide the company’s products with much added international exposure. The Chrysler Group, as the new corporation is known, will continue to have its headquarters in southeastern Michigan and produce Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge branded vehicles as well as Mopar spare parts.
And, if the cuteness factor wins out, America may just fall in love with the Fiat 500 as a highly unique addition to the country’s retro parade. The car is already selling like hot cakes in many different markets with waiting lines stretching over many months. The addition of American customer demand could necessitate the expansion of Fiat’s Poland operation, thereby creating new jobs in Poland, where the unemployment rate is now uncomfortably close to 11 percent. Who knows? Maybe there’ll be one gracing your driveway some time soon?
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