Fiat Drops Official Info on New Dodge Dart-Based Viaggio

After the first photos of Fiat's Viaggio leaked on the web (pun not intended) on Thursday, the Italian carmaker decided it was time to officially release the teaser images and provide initial details on the compact-sized sedan model. The Viaggio will have its world preview at the 2012 Beijing International Auto Show on Monday, April 23, before it goes on sale in China this fall. The car's name is Italian for voyage or journey, while Fiat says its Chinese name 'Fei Xiang' means flying.
As is evident from the teaser photos, the Viaggio is based on the 2013 Dodge Dart, which in turn, uses Fiat's new CUSW (Compact US Wide) platform derived from the Compact architecture originally developed for the Alfa Romeo Giulietta.
At 4,679mm in length, 1,850mm in overall width and with a 2,708mm wheelbase, the Viaggio is slightly bigger than the Dart in all dimensions (4,672mm long, 1,830mm wide, 2,703mm wheelbase).
Even though Fiat says it's a compact sedan like the Ford Focus, it's exterior dimensions place it in between the C- and D-segments (i.e Opel Insignia / Buick Regal).
We have not yet seen any pictures of the interior, but on the outside, the Viaggio is differentiated from the Dart by its redesigned front fascia and rear end.
In China, Fiat will offer the Viaggio with a choice of two 1.4-liter T-Jet turbocharged petrol engines producing 120HP and 150HP matched to either a 5-speed manual transmission or the latest Dual Dry Clutch Transmission (DDTC) developed by Fiat Powertrain.
The new Fiat sedan will be the first vehicle to be produced from the automaker's joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group in the GAC-Fiat World Class Manufacturing plant in Changsha, Hunan province. The plant has an initial capacity of 170,000 cars per year, but Fiat says it could almost double output to more than 300,000 units annually with a minimum of investment.
Fiat said the first cars will be built in July and will go on sale in China during the third quarter of the year.
While the Italian company has not yet made this official, a Fiat source told Dow Jones Newswires that the Viaggio will also be exported to select European countries.
Fiat is also rumored to be developing a five-door hatchback version of the Viaggio that will be introduced next year and could replace the Bravo in Europe.

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New Fiat Strada Small Pickup Truck

Starting from next week, Fiat will offer its new Strada pickup truck in its home market of Italy. The Strada is Fiat's second best-selling commercial vehicle after the Ducato with 127,800 units sold worldwide in 2011. It is built at the company's FIASA plant in Betim, Brazil. The revised light commercial model comes in three flavors named Working, Trekking and Adventure plus three body styles, including short cab, long cab and the four-seater crew cab for a total of six different variants.
The most distinct model is the Adventure crew cab with its 4x4-esque looks thanks to a raised suspension and extensive body cladding. This version also features a new standard electronic locking differential called E-Locker and 205/65 R15 off-road tires.
Fiat says that the new Strada's overall dimensions are unchanged over the previous series with a length of 4,409 mm (4,457 mm for the Adventure), a width of 1,664mm (1,740mm for the Adventure) and a common wheelbase for all versions of 2,718mm.
The payload, including the driver, ranges from 630kg to 705 kg (1,388 to 1,555 pounds) depending on the version.
Power comes courtesy of a 1.3-liter Multijet 16v Euro5 diesel engine that delivers 95-horsepower and 200Nm (147.5 lb-ft) at 1,500 rpm and consumes 5.3lt/100km (44.4 mpg US) on the combined European driving cycle.
In Italy, prices before tax range from €12,900 (US$16,700) for the Working Single Cab model to €16,000 (US$20,700) for the flagship Adventure Crew Cab version.

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Fiat's 500L Wagon that will Debut in Geneva and go on Sale in the U.S. in 2013

We had heard earlier this month that Fiat was preparing a new five-door variant of its 500 city car but we didn't know much else about the Italian firm's plans.
Today, Autonews has the inside scoop on the new model reporting that it will allegedly be called 500L with its world premiere to take place at the Geneva Salon in March.
We also learn that while it will keep the 500s familiar face and styling cues, it will be based on the same architecture as the larger Punto to improve passenger and luggage space.
The 500L is said to measure around 4,150mm long (163.4-inches) or about 60mm (2.5-inches) more than the three-door 500 hatchback, while it will also be taller and wider than the original.
In Geneva, we'll see a five-seater version but the report goes on to say that in the following months, Fiat will launch a seven-seater variant with an additional 10mm (0.4-inches) in length (though we reckon this is probably a typo with the author meaning to say 100mm).
The 500L will effectively replace Fiat's aging Idea in the small MPV segment targeting the likes of the Opel Meriva and the upcoming Ford B-Max.
European sales of the 500L are expected to start as early as July while the five-seater model will be offered in the States from 2013. The report indicates that Fiat has no plans to sell the 7-seater variant in the U.S., as it believes American consumers won't buy such a small seven-seater model.
The 500L will be manufactured at the former Zastava site in Kragujevac, Serbia, that Fiat acquired back in 2008.

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Fiat-Chrysler Alliance wants to Produce Jeep Models

Chinese officials may be withdrawing their support for investments made by foreign automakers, but the Fiat-Chrysler Alliance is still looking for ways to increase its presence in the country. A new report from the Detroit News says that Fiat and Chrysler are currently in "intense negotiations" with the Guangzhou Automobile Group to produce Jeep models for the local market.
The Italian automaker has already forged a joint venture with Guangzhou for the manufacturing of a new compact sedan based on the 2013 Dodge Dart, which will most likely be introduced in China at the upcoming Beijing motor show in April.
Mike Manley, head of Fiat-Chrysler's Asian operations, says that the growing Chinese market is very important for the group's future, though he admits it's not going to be easy.
"If you look at our aspirations for volumes in 2014, 2015, some of the keys to unlocking that is significant growth in China," Manley said. "(But) it's one of the most competitive marketplaces in the world. We are, to a large extent, late to the party."
Ironically, as the Detroit News reports, Jeep was the first western automaker to forge a joint venture with a Chinese manufacturer to build the Cherokee in 1984. However, when the Chrysler group brought American Motors Corp. and together the rights to Jeep in 1987, it pulled it out of the Chinese market – not a smart move as it turned out.
Manley says that sealing a deal with Guangzhou for the local production of Jeeps is a top priority for the group.
"There is no doubt domestic manufacturing of Jeeps is the way to significantly grow our volumes," he said. "Fiat have what I consider to be a very good joint venture partner in Guangzhou. They're very well established in the market."
The Chrysler group executive added that while other companies have expressed interest in building Jeep models in China, the firm's goal is to seal a deal with Guangzhou.
"This partner is the right one for us. We have common interests that are very much aligned. They have a lot of respect for the Jeep brand," said Manley.

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Is the 2013 Dodge Dart Sedan Using an Automatic Transmission from Hyundai?

It's no secret that, aside from the Fiat Group-sourced 168bhp 1.4-liter turbocharged MultiAir engine, the new 2013 Dodge Dart compact sedan continues to use two powerplants from Chrysler's past. You see, while the Detroit maker is marketing its 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter four-cylinder units under the new "Tigershark" moniker, both have their roots in the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance (GEMA) family of engines.
To explain, GEMA was a joint venture of the Chrysler Group, Mitsubishi Motors, and Hyundai Motor Company for the development of a line of shared four-cylinder gasoline engines. In 2009, Chrysler bought out the shares of Mitsubishi and Hyundai and continued GEMA on its own.
And here's where Hyundai comes into the picture. Citing unnamed sources, Car&Driver is reporting that the 2013 Dodge Dart's Tigershark engines are fitted with a Hyundai-supplied 6-speed automatic transmission.
Speculation has it that Chrysler wanted a quick solution to replace the GEMA engine's obsolete four-speed automatic with a modern transmission so it came to an agreement with Hyundai that uses a six-speed auto on its 2.0-liter Turbo and 2.4-liter naturally aspirated Theta engines, both of which evolved from the GEMA program.
The magazine says that Chrysler won't confirm the agreement for the supply of the 6-speed auto while Hyundai hasn't offered any specifics on which transmission it will sell to the Detroit company – this also leads us to believe that C&D's sources may have come from within or a company related to Hyundai.
C&D also wrote that the same sources say Chrysler is having some difficulties with the final calibrations of the Hyundai gearbox.
We still don't know if Hyundai's gearbox was used on the model that Dodge says achieved an unadjusted combined rating of 40 mpg (which is not the same as the EPA ratings) and which gave Fiat the right to acquire an additional 5% stake in Chrysler.
But even so, since we're lacking any official information, the alleged calibration problems with the transmission may not have affected the car's economy.
Chrysler has confirmed that it is already working on a new 9-speed automatic transmission currently being developed by the ZF Group that will be added to the Dart's range in 2013.

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