Since its debut last year, the new FIAT 500 has been one of the most talked about small cars in Europe. Now people in Berlin can share their thoughts on the 500 with th everyone in the immediate vicinity. A pair of billboards installed near the former Checkpoint Charlie reflect the words of passers-by. Along with videos and other messages, the 3,100-square foot boards also invite viewers to send a text message to a special number. The messages then scroll across a 65-foot wide ticker on each board. Presumably the messages are moderated in some way (either human or automated) before they appear on the boards, otherwise this PR stunt could get very interesting.

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Fiat Spain has decided to make an effort to reduce the amount of water used to wash cars by using a special wax. The wax will be used at dealers and repair shops when cars are cleaned before delivery to customers. What will it do? Fiat expects the wax to reduce water use by up to 145 million liters of water (about 40 million gallons) per year.

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Just 10 successful months since the Fiat Bravo was first launched in the UK, the range is being enhanced and improved with new engines featuring high performance, very low environmental impact and ultra-low maintenance costs; together with a raft of exciting and innovative ideas.

Already the subject of critical acclaim from the media, industry and customers alike, the new Bravo moves towards its first anniversary in Britain with almost 9,000 cars already sold. And with more derivatives soon to arrive, the model is proving to be an increasingly attractive alternative in the hotly-contested medium hatchback sector.

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Among the ten biggest-selling automotive manufacturers in Europe, Fiat Automobiles is the brand that recorded the lowest average CO2 emission value for Fiat vehicles sold in 2007: 137.3 g/km. This record was awarded by the company JATO, world leader for consultancy and research in the automotive field, set up in 1984 and present in more than 40 countries. The JATO analysis placed the Fiat brand ahead of Peugeot (141.9 g/km), Citroen (142.2 g/km), Renault (146.4 g/km), Toyota (141.9 g/km), Ford (149.1 g/km), Opel/Vauxhall (152.9 g/km), Volkswagen (161.7 g/km), BMW (176.7g/km) and Mercedes (188.4 g/km).

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Italian automaker Fiat is already huge in the diesel segment with almost 80 percent of the cars sold in the boot peninsula already running without spark plugs. Now, Fiat is working on their own home-grown hybrid system that could be on sale by 2011. With the goal of having the lowest CO2 emissions of any European car-maker, Fiat is developing their hybrid powertrain to work with both gasoline and diesel engines. Fiat is working on systems for both small cars and vans with the former being paired with the new 900cc two cylinder and dual clutch transmission that is coming for the 500. That system could yield CO2 emissions under 90g/km which would challenge the Smart ForTwo CDI. For vans, Fiat has a system that will be used with a 2.3L diesel and automated manual gearbox.

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The worsening exchange rate differential between the strengthening euro and weakening U.S. dollar means importing European manufactured models to North America is now significantly more expensive than just a few years ago. It’s a problem Alfa Romeo has to juggle with as it attempts to re-establish itself in the U.S. next year, but it looks like the carmaker has a number of options up its sleeve to help ride out the storm.

One option officials are looking at is building a new plant in Mexico to supply North America with volume models like the 159 sedan and upcoming Mi.To and 149 hatchbacks. However, a cheaper and more realistic solution would be to utilize the unused capacity of an American carmaker.

Speaking with the Financial Times, Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne said he planned to start North American production of Alfa cars by 2011 or 2012. “I’ve always had the view that we had to produce in America,” he explained. Marchionne also revealed that Alfa will initially lose money on the cars it sells in the U.S. and is unlikely to become profitable until a suitable partner is found. “I can suffer the loss initially, as long as I know I’m going to be producing enough,” he lamented.

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Fiat revealed its long-awaited 500 Abarth at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show earlier this month. AutoCar is now reporting that Abarth is creating a new version of the speedy Fiat 500.

Word on the street is that Abarth and Fiat are working on a convertible version of the minicar that could go on sale as early as 2009. The report also said that Fiat is also considering two Abarth-only models that will follow the Fiat 500 Abarth Convertible.

Power for the convertible is expected to come from the same 1.4L 16v turbo engine, the 500 Abarth produces 135 horsepower with a peak torque of 151 lb-ft of torque.

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Fiat's reborn 500 is a great city car. The turning circle is tight, steering can be lightened via the City button, all-round visibility is good and dimensions are compact. But it isn’t so eager at higher speeds. The motorway ride isn't perfect, and can be patchy on urban roads too. As a result, the 500 can be tiring to drive over long distances. If you are after the perfect hot hatch handling you will be disappointed, too. It's a decent drive, but the Fiat falls behind its MINI rival on twisty roads. The 1.2-litre petrol engine is sweeter than the 1.4-litre, but not nearly as smooth, refined or flexible as a MINI’s 1.4-litre. The 1.3-litre diesel is torquey, if clattery. All this, however, fails to detract from the feelgood factor of being behind the wheel of such a cute city slicker.

What’s not to love with the 500? It’s so cute, it makes a MINI look bulky. The design is a triumph, with chrome detailing striking the perfect balance between retro charm and modern chic. Based on the Panda, safety is the key and the 500 is unique in this class in having seven airbags as standard. This helps it to achieve a five-star Euro NCAP crash test score. There are three base engines – 1.2, 1.4 and 1.3 diesel – and three trims, labelled Pop, Lounge and Sport. But the array of options is huge, including 12 paint colours, seven alloy wheels designs, two wheel trims, eight sticker kits, 10 different badges… Fiat counts nearly 550,000 combinations in all! The Fiat’s most obvious rival is the MINI, but the Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 107, Citroen C1 and Ford Ka are also competitors.

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Fiat has just announced prices of its new Euro 5-compliant Bravo 1.6 16v MultiJet.

With a starting price of just £13,595 OTR for the Active 1.6 16v MultiJet 105 model, the newly-extended range saves even more money, with fuel economy of up to 62.7mpg on the combined cycle, and low CO2 emissions, starting at an impressive 119g/km.

An ideal car for the company vehicle driver who wants family size transport with minimal Benefit in Kind tax bills, the 5-door Bravo 1.6 MultiJet is available in Active or Dynamic trim levels, both of which offer numerous comfort and safety features as standard. These include power steering, air conditioning, ABS brakes, electric windows plus driver, passenger and side airbags.

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Fiat showed a low emissions and low fuel consumption concept version of their tiny 500 at the Geneva Motor Show called the 500 Aria. The Aria is equipped with Fiat's 1.3L MultiJet diesel and the company's Dualogic transmission. The powertrain is topped off with an automatic start-stop system. The Dualogic transmission is an automated manual transmission that can shift automatically or the driver can determine when to shift. The clutch activation duties are always handled automatically. The full package delivers a ten percent improvement in fuel consumption compared to the standard 500.

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According to a report by the Financial Times Deutschland BMW is in talks with GM and Fiat to sell its rivals its own engines and transmissions. The newspaper cited company sources that talks are currently being held while BMW is also in talks with Mercedes-Benz on a partnership in the compact segment.

Selling engines to GM and Fiat, BMW will be able to increase revenue and reduce spending by spreading out the development and production cost over its engine and transmissions.

The German business daily said that all three companies decline to comment on the matter.

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Fiat is increasing production capacity for its 500 minicar to 190,000 units a year in order to meet increasing demand. Fiat initially planned to produce 500 units a day, but in early March, capacity at the Tychy, Poland assembly plant will grow to 750 units.

Fiat had originally planned to produce 120,000 units in 2008, the 500’s first full year, but dealers received 160,000 orders for the minicar between July 2007 to the end of January 2008.

Next week Fiat will unveil the 135 horsepower 500 Abarth at the Geneva Motor Show along with the Fiat 500 Aria concept car. The Abarth 500 will cost 18,000 euros, about 3,500 more than the second-most powerful version in the 500 lineup which produces 100 horsepower. Fiat is hoping to sell 2,500 units of the 500 Abarth this year and about 10,000 units in 2009.

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Fiat resumed production of its 1.3L Multijet engine over the weekend with the first cars equipped with the common-rail diesel expected to roll off production lines either Tuesday or Wednesday. Production halted last Saturday because of quality problems with some of the components sourced from an outside supplier, tipped to be the head gasket, but Fiat says any problems have been ironed out and lost volume would be fully recovered in the coming months.

Fiat was forced to halt production of its 1.3L Multijet diesel engine on Wednesday because of quality control issues with some outsourced components. The engines are manufactured at a number of Fiat production sites including the main Bielsko Biala plant in Poland, as well as the Mirafiori, Melfi, Termini Imerese, Tychy and Bursa plants, and the suspension is expected to cause vehicle delivery delays.

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Fiat has already revealed its upcoming small van, the Fiorino, and now comes its passenger-carrying equivalent. The Fiorino mini-MPV is compact - 3.86m long - but can carry five people. It will have six different seating configurations to allow for cargo-carrying, and will come with engines including the 1.3 Multijet diesel and a 1.4 petrol. An automatic gearbox will be optional.

The Fiorino was co-developed alongside the Peugeot Bipper and Citroen Nemo vans from the Fiat Panda's underpinnings. All three models will be built in Turkey, and passenger-carrying versions of both the Nemo and Bipper are expected to follow.

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Sure to be one of the bright points of the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, some first official-looking renderings of the Fiat 500 Abarth have found their way onto the web, thanks to auto publication CarScoop.

Famed tuners Abarth have toughened up the tiny Fiat, kitting out what is admittedly one of the best looking European small cars in quite some time. The Abarth 500 is lower and meaner, with a blackened front diffuser merging nicely with a new bumper and side skirts. Italy’s national racing red can be found throughout the new fast Fiat, most poignantly in the center of the radically-cool Abarth five-spoke alloys.

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