The new 500X is Fiat's last chance, and one it's grabbing with both hands

fmcg_scribe

http://www.autocar.co.uk/blogs/paris-motor-show/new-500x-fiats-last-chance-and-one-its-grabbing-both-hands

biko

So what's your opinion on this, OP? Your title is just copied from the article.

fmcg_scribe

biko wrote: »

So what's your opinion on this, OP? Your title is just copied from the article.

Didn't want to put a spin on the article.

The standard Fiat 500 has been a sales success but the company is probably in need of a few more sales successes.

Lancia is now being sold only in Italy and Alfa Romeo's sales are patchy to say the least.

The only star in the Fiat group is Ferrari. The plans to ramp up production at Ferrari appear to have caused some recent management changes at Ferrari.

More information here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_Chrysler_Automobiles

goz83

It'll attract some fluffy oink dice I suppose.

Good job Fiat. Queute car

fergiesfolly

It's one thing to do a homage to a nostalgic icon, ala Mini.
It's another to bring out these bastardised versions in an effort to attract new customers (ala Mini), rather than build "new" cars, that will stand or fall on their own merits.
It's lazy design and it's tiresome to look at.
That Fiat...it looks like a one night stand, drunken knee trembler between a 500 and a Nissan X-Trail.

*Kol*

fergiesfolly wrote: »

It's one thing to do a homage to a nostalgic icon, ala Mini.
It's another to bring out these bastardised versions in an effort to attract new customers (ala Mini), rather than build "new" cars, that will stand or fall on their own merits.
It's lazy design and it's tiresome to look at.
That Fiat...it looks like a one night stand, drunken knee trembler between a 500 and a Nissan X-Trail.

Lol Fantastic description!! Don't you mean Nissan Juke?

Frynge

Anyone have a link to the wayward Viagra ad.

PaddyFagan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lcc62nrl9Y

ba_barabus

I quiet like that

quadrifoglio verde

People really need to realise that fiat Chrysler is much bigger than just fiat.
Look at the sales growth of Chrysler, jeep, ram and dodge in America. Look at the size of fiat power train technologies.
Fiat is a lot bigger than a simple fiat 500 crossover!
If marchionne does for Alfa what he did for Maserati, fiat will be a lot stronger

fmcg_scribe

fergiesfolly wrote: »

It's one thing to do a homage to a nostalgic icon, ala Mini.
It's another to bring out these bastardised versions in an effort to attract new customers (ala Mini), rather than build "new" cars, that will stand or fall on their own merits.
It's lazy design and it's tiresome to look at.
That Fiat...it looks like a one night stand, drunken knee trembler between a 500 and a Nissan X-Trail.

The Fiat 500, the VW Beetle, and the Mini were all popular in earlier decades - there was a lot of affection for them from younger car buyers.

VW rebooted the Beetle in 1998 - it became the "new Beetle". BMW launched the "new Mini" around 2001 and it was an instant hit. The Fiat 500 was rebooted to catch this wave and it seems to have been more successful than the new Beetle.

Getting younger people to buy their first car and to stick with a brand are becoming big challenges for most volume car makers. If rebooting an old model and giving it a "funky new look" solves the problem, most car makers will grab that solution.

So agree that Fiat and others have shown a lack of imagination but needs must...

Guy:Incognito

ba_barabus wrote: »

I quiet like that

You'll have to speak up.

fmcg_scribe

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

People really need to realise that fiat Chrysler is much bigger than just fiat.
Look at the sales growth of Chrysler, jeep, ram and dodge in America. Look at the size of fiat power train technologies.
Fiat is a lot bigger than a simple fiat 500 crossover!
If marchionne does for Alfa what he did for Maserati, fiat will be a lot stronger

Indeed, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_Chrysler_Automobiles:
"On 6 May 2014, [Fiat Chrysler Automobiles] announced a five-year plan and a major restructuring among the combined company, with much of the global growth being focused around Jeep, due to its high visibility globally as well as the growing SUV market in developing markets. Chrysler will be re-positioned as the company's mainstream North American brand to compete with Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, and Volkswagen, while Dodge will focus on performance-based vehicles. Alfa Romeo will become the company's premium marque to compete with Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi, while Maserati will be the company's ultra-luxury brand to compete with Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Fiat (which will remain the company's mainstream brand outside North America), Ram Trucks, and Ferrari will remain largely unchanged, while SRT was merged back into Dodge. Conspicuously absent in the announcement was Lancia, which was later confirmed to be withdrawing from all markets outside Italy, and possibly withdrawn altogether in 2018."

The Fiat/Chrysler merger seems to be working out better than the Daimler/Chrysler merged did. That said, in Europe, car sales have been weak for several years and the volume car market in Europe seem to be splitting between budget and premium brands. It's hard to say whether and how Fiat branded vehicles will survive in that environment.

Don't get me wrong. I have a lot of affection for Fiat - my father owned lots of them from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s. However, for some time, most of the company's cars have had odd designs and generally poor reliability and build quality.

fmcg_scribe

*Kol* wrote: »

Lol Fantastic description!! Don't you mean Nissan Juke?

Was the Juke intended to appeal to Chrysler PT Cruiser buyers?

The Juke and the PT Cruiser are easily two of the most ugly cars ever created.

bop1977

The Juke has grown on me. I Wouldn't buy one but I like them all the same. A bit like this fiat.

*Kol*

bop1977 wrote: »

The Juke has grown on me. I Wouldn't buy one but I like them all the same. A bit like this fiat.

I wouldn't buy one either but I got a high spec one last year as a rental car and to be honest it was a really nice car to drive.

mossym

Fiat says it is in the middle of “upgrading its sales force” to make sure this happens.

aiming at a younger market. Fiat dealerships are going to start looking like an A&F store.

fmcg_scribe

*Kol* wrote: »

I wouldn't buy one either but I got a high spec one last year as a rental car and to be honest it was a really nice car to drive.

If it was your money and you were at a Nissan dealership, would you really pick a Juke over, say, a Qashqai?

fmcg_scribe

OSI wrote: »

5 grand difference between a Juke and Qashqai though.

I know which one would be easier to move on. Interestingly, the Qashqai was conceived and designed by Nissan UK.

NyOmnishambles

fmcg_scribe wrote: »

Was the Juke intended to appeal to Chrysler PT Cruiser buyers?

The Juke and the PT Cruiser are easily two of the most ugly cars ever created.

And yet there is something about both of them that I like

*Kol* wrote: »

I wouldn't buy one either but I got a high spec one last year as a rental car and to be honest it was a really nice car to drive.

Had one as a rental to and liked it a lot which suprised me as I hate the Micra that it is based on and am not sold on Diesel which this was, it grew on me for the short time I had it

Anjobe

fergiesfolly wrote: »

It's one thing to do a homage to a nostalgic icon, ala Mini.
It's another to bring out these bastardised versions in an effort to attract new customers (ala Mini), rather than build "new" cars, that will stand or fall on their own merits.
It's lazy design and it's tiresome to look at.
That Fiat...it looks like a one night stand, drunken knee trembler between a 500 and a Nissan X-Trail.

Lol - the comparison with Mini is inevitable, and while I agree generally about the Fiat, at least it looks better than the execrable CountryMan.

Wasn't the Stilo meant to be Fiat's last chance too? Given that their first last chance was such a miserable failure I don't hold out too much hope for their last last chance!

fmcg_scribe

NyOmnishambles wrote: »

And yet there is something about both of them that I like

Each to their own. It would be boring if we all had the same likes and dislikes.

galwaytt

mossym wrote: »

Fiat says it is in the middle of “upgrading its sales force” to make sure this happens.

aiming at a younger market. Fiat dealerships are going to start looking like an A&F store.

"sales force" ?

What sales force ?

For the life of me - and I wont' google it to cheat - if I wanted a Fiat in the West in the morning I'd have no idea who, or indeed if, anyone sells them. Every name I can recall that has done so has dropped it, or gone bust.

Pity - I really like Fiat's and I still think they make good small cars. I've had a load of a Cinquecento Sporting for 2 weeks, and it's a hoot. - it reminds me why I got into cars in the first place.

It's straying outside this that kills them.

colm_mcm

Fiat have had more last chances than a cheating hot girlfriend.

fmcg_scribe

Spotted this just now...

Fiat needs more than the 500 to turn core brand around
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/10/02/uk-autoshow-paris-fiat-spa-idUKKCN0HR0UJ20141002

Alfa Quadrifoglio

Really like the look of the FIAT 500x I think it will do well for FIAT, however, they need more new models eg replacement for the Punto Grande and a sub 500 cheap and cheerful city car

fergiesfolly

fergiesfolly wrote: »

It's one thing to do a homage to a nostalgic icon, ala Mini.
It's another to bring out these bastardised versions in an effort to attract new customers (ala Mini), rather than build "new" cars, that will stand or fall on their own merits.
It's lazy design and it's tiresome to look at.
That Fiat...it looks like a one night stand, drunken knee trembler between a 500 and a Nissan X-Trail.

Agreed, first thing I thought about was that it was a nicer looking Nissan Juke (If that were possible )

If Fiat think that one model will save them they need to think again !!!

No bravo update since 2007.

Punto evo, actually not a bad car, is also tired.

fmcg_scribe

Deleted User wrote: »

Agreed, first thing I thought about was that it was a nicer looking Nissan Juke (If that were possible )

If Fiat think that one model will save them they need to think again !!!

No bravo update since 2007.

Punto evo, actually not a bad car, is also tired.

Agree that Fiat has been showing a lack of imagination - nostalgia is a thing of the past, and all that.

However, name recognition is important for launching and promoting goods and services because companies don't have to explain a name (or a logo) that might already be familiar to people. Hollywood does this all the time - that's why there are so many prequels, sequels, and reboots these days.

Thus, it was probably a no-brainer for Fiat management to dust off the Fiat 500 design, put a Panda engine into it, and brand it as the "new 500" to take on the BMW Mini.

Sub-brands and old model names are revived by car makers all the time but the strategy often has mixed results.

Short term, don't expect to hear too much from Fiat because Fiat Chrysler senior management want to focus on some of the group's other brands that have higher margins, and because car sales in Europe are generally flat.

Alfa Quadrifoglio

I think in FIAT's main markets in Europe and indeed now in the USA the FIAT 500x will sell very well. Its a very good looking SUV imo and is well speced, if the price is competitive it may sell in Ireland too.
Its interesting that in the UK in Sept the FIAT 500 was the 6th best selling car overall where as in Ireland the 500 was the 84th best selling car which is a strange situation. The 500 also selling well in the USA.

visual

Alfa Quadrifoglio wrote: »

I think in FIAT's main markets in Europe and indeed now in the USA the FIAT 500x will sell very well. Its a very good looking SUV imo and is well speced, if the price is competitive it may sell in Ireland too.
Its interesting that in the UK in Sept the FIAT 500 was the 6th best selling car overall where as in Ireland the 500 was the 84th best selling car which is a strange situation. The 500 also selling well in the USA.

SUV in the states are really big and Jeep like or pannel vans mini busses Fiat will have to call theirs super mini suv.