Fiat 500 to Hit Chrysler's U.S. Showrooms in 2010 Followed by Convertible in 2011 and Abarth in 2012

Thursday, November 05, 2009 | 22 Comments » Categories | , , , , , |

Chrysler intends to sell all three available versions of the Fiat 500 in the USA, including the base hatchback, the rag-top convertible and the sporty Abarth, according to the Detroit automaker's five-year business plan that was revealed to the press on Wednesday. As was the case with BMW and the launch of its MINI brand in the turn of the 21st century, the Italian mini will be sold in the States (as a Fiat) at Chrysler's dealerships.

But not all dealers will get the 500, as the company's Vice President of Network Development & Fleet, Peter M. Grady revealed. The Italian mini will be sold mainly in metro areas at select dealers that house all Chrysler Group LLC brands and will include a dedicated salon inside the dealership.

First up will be the North American version of the basic three-door model that will be powered by Fiat's new 1.4-liter Multiair 4-cylinder gasoline engine. Sales of this model will start in the U.S. in fourth quarter of 2010.

The three-door hatchback will be followed in 2011 by the partially drop-top 500 Convertible that features a rather simple rollback canvas retaining the car's roofline and C-pillar. The range will be completed in 2012 with the North American launch of the sporty 500 Abarth powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

While neither Fiat or Chrysler disclosed any other details on the North American 500s, buyers should expect to see many special and limited edition versions of all three models making their way to showrooms.

Fiat plans to build the North American Fiat 500 at a Chrysler plant in Mexico.


FIAT 500 HATCH




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FIAT 500 CONVERTIBLE [INCLUDING SPECIAL EDITION MODELS]



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ABARTH 500 [INCLUDING SPECIAL EDITION MODELS]





22 Comments

  1. Lima » November 05, 2009  

    Yeah, the base model will cost as much as a Golf and the Abarth will be more expensive than a Camaro V6. No thank you. Chrysler can stuff this one up their along with the Caliber

  2. Anonymous » November 05, 2009  

    F*** off, Fiat 500. We dont need this thing in the States

  3. Anonymous » November 05, 2009  

    Great idea Chrysler. An Italian engineered car that was developed for the needs of European city dwellers and will be made in Mexico. Who would want to buy this Mickey mouse of a car?

  4. Frederick » November 05, 2009  

    Finally, a reason to say Fix It Again, Tony.

  5. Anonymous » November 05, 2009  

    Is Carscoop full of 80 year old curmudgeons. (my apologies to 80 year olds that aren't curmudgeons)

    You guys sound like a bunch of people that are stuck in the 50s insisting that things not change from the supposedly Golden Era of American prominence.

    There will be interesting (to me) small cars like this one. There will be hybrids, electrics, hybrid sports cars, dual clutch transmissions, much more carbon fiber and other plastics etc. etc.

    Cars will be safer than your '59 Bel Air. Cars will pollute less and be faster than in the past. Environmentally more friendly and yet more performance than before. Better handling and better braking etc. etc.

    I find this automotive conservativism symptomatic of slowness to adapt to changes in the world itself.

    You will go into the future kicking and screaming as the world changes around you.

    Some of you may just not like this car which is fine, but some of you just don't like change...

    which is actually fine for you also, but I'm just saying...

  6. Anonymous » November 05, 2009  

    Do not deny the power of cute.These are all the same remarks made when the first BMW Minis

  7. KillBill » November 05, 2009  

    U mean cute like the Smart For-Nothing? How many of these did you see on the road? Plus, the MINI is a sharp handling driver's car. The 500 aint

  8. Anonymous » November 06, 2009  

    awesome! i have always loved this car since it got reintroduced or redesigned....i forgot! the abarth got tested by Top Gear and it was an awesome car! this is on my list of favorite cars!

  9. Don » November 06, 2009  

    Many Americans, and indeed consumers worldwide, myself included, favor small, subcompact cars such as this 500 - a category generally referred to as "city cars".

    There are many reasons for their popularity with those of us who favor them, including economy, size, cute factor, and this list goes on and on.

    For some of the above commenters to denigrate this vehicle because of their disapproval of it, belies their bias. For them to assume that no one likes, or should favor, these city cars because they themselves do not - is ludicrous.

    I've been owning and driving city cars for decades, and I will continue to do so. For consumers like myself who favor such cars, I welcome the 500 to America.

  10. Anonymous » November 06, 2009  

    All of these sporty adornments take away from its classic retro look and could make this car flop fast in the U.S. It is a car that will attract mostly females and not the tuner crowd.

  11. Anonymous » November 06, 2009  

    In big cities like NYC,LA or SF are perfect!

  12. Lou » November 06, 2009  

    Wow, on my 22 inch monitor, the car is actual size.

  13. Anonymous » November 06, 2009  

    Cool stuff!! I'll definitely take a look when they hit the States. Can you imagine the look of disbelief when you outrun some of the current overweight so-called muscle cars in a tuned Abarth version!

  14. Anonymous » November 06, 2009  

    "It is a car that will attract mostly females and not the tuner crowd"

    like HELLO....even in the US half the population are female??

  15. Anonymous » November 06, 2009  

    "There are many reasons for their popularity with those of us who favor them,......cute factor,"


    I hereby revoke your rights to be a man. Turn in your man card now.

    If anyone buys a car because it looks 'cute' then I have a not so subtle pink VW Beetle I can sell you becasue it looks cute in barbie's eyes.

    'Cute factor'; you sounds like an advertising copywritter...especally if you use a metric like that when buying a car.

  16. Anonymous » November 07, 2009  

    And here I thought that the ignorance and narrowmindedness as displayed by some of the posters here had already died out with the rest of the automotive Dinosaurs. My mistake. Your stupidity is truly alive and kicking. You don't like the car? Don't buy it, but don't judge it until you you drive one.

  17. Anonymous » November 10, 2009  

    Re: "Is Carscoop full of 80 year old curmudgeons. (my apologies to 80 year olds that aren't curmudgeons)"

    I suspect that you have picked the wrong demographic, as I suspect most of the negative commentators are young with very unsophisticated opinions...20's & 30's. Curmudgeons would not be looking at CARSCOOP.

    I'm 62, and will be putting a Red Convertible in my garage, hopefully an Abarth model.

    Small Fiat's were probably the original tuner cars, and Abarth one of, if not the first, established tuner company.

    3Deuce27

  18. Anonymous » November 11, 2009  

    3Deuce27,

    You are right about the demographics; it's just that many of the comments sounded to me to be coming from the stereotype of an old grumpy person even though I know they are not.

    The other thing is how threatening a small attractive car is to many men.

    Somehow they think that a small car, small dog or holding their wife's purse means that they have a small penis or no penis at all.

    Really it doesn't. Just like it doesn't mean you have a big one if you have a big car or a small one if you drive a Porsche.

    Porsche drivers like Ferrari drivers or any other car drivers will have penis sizes just like the general population of men...

    I like small cars with brio. I like to drive with alacrity - not usually fast just zippy. You can drive a small car "fast" without really going that fast - brake late, take corners fast, accelerate with brio. You move through traffic efficiently and in an entertaining way.

    As for a favorite conveyance of the American driver - the "sport" utility vehicle - there is nothing sport about most of those machines.

    Asking utility vehicle to brake hard or go around a corner quickly is like asking a really heavy person to get up off the sofa... there is a lot of moaning and groaning and questioning – do I really have to? – followed by more groaning and moaning. (my apologies to heavy people that don’t do that)

  19. Anonymous » November 11, 2009  

    Anon. Above;

    'Brio' and 'Finesse' are not faux 'Manly' men attributes. And 'real' men don't give a shit about what the pseudo macho wannabes think.

    Like you I have always enjoyed small bore Performance machines whether it be my 18.000 RPM 125cc Honda Twins or single, or my 93' Miata and 68' AH Midget.

    Late braking or no braking, hitting the apex and then the gas(With the occasional 4-wheel drift at speed thrown in) are entertaining ways to enjoy small bore vehicles and you can do it anywhere.

    I have had my share of very fast big and small block automobiles and motorcycles(And still have some), I just enjoy(ed)
    them in a different way.

    As for Sporty SUV's... The Infiniti models simply top the list when it comes to handling. Particularly the FX-35, though the FX-45 has the sound(V-8) to go with it's performance. Though when you get out of those and back into a Miata it becomes clear what they can never provide ... Brio! Finesse! Panache!

    Thanks for the well written comment Anon.
    Additional evidence of intelligent life on CARSCOOP.

    3Deuce27

  20. Anonymous » November 20, 2009  

    In October, the Fiat 500 was the 10th best selling car in the UK! While that aint gonna happen in the States, it could sell in reasomable numbers in the major cities

  21. Anonymous » November 26, 2009  

    Smarter than smart dumber than mini.Look good but pricewise I can buy a good used BMW M3 E46.Come on 100hp vs 340hp, you decide.

  22. kris » December 04, 2009  

    the looks are retro cute like the Mini, as such it will sell well in the same demographic (young women and nostalgia fans who want a third or fourth car in their garage). these are a refreshing change from the ageing Minis and the usual blandness offered by most of the market, but no-one is suggesting they offer value for money -- they are not for everyone, and the price ensures most people could never justify the price of what amounts to an executive toy.

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