(Yes, I know I’m muddling up idioms…)
First, Chrysler. Then Opel? And Vauxhall? And Saab? If things shake out the way its been reported in the press the past couple of days, the Turin-based (or Torino, if you prefer) automaker is poised to become the second largest automaker in the world. (After Toyota.)
Che?
That’s what’s being reported, anyway, in Bloomberg, which says “The Italian carmaker, having come to the rescue of Chrysler, is interested in acquiring Swedish carmaker Saab Automobile as [CEO Sergio] Marchionne tries to assemble a global auto group, including GM’s Opel and Vauxhall operations in Europe and Latin America.”
Who would have thought such a thing even a couple of years ago? I know that Fiat’s have been incredibly popular in Europe as of late, but I would never have thought the company capable of becoming so powerful. Very interesting, to say the least.
I will say this: if Fiat is successful in doing what is being reported, I want diesel Fiats on the road in America. I had the opportunity to drive a Grande Punto 5-door in Europe last Summer. The turbo diesel was satisfyingly rumbly (so what if it took a couple of turns of the key to gurgle to life?), felt more powerful and nimble than it really was, and quite fuel-efficient (somewhere in the mid-40s). Where it distinguished itself was its road feel. Top Gear had a joke last year when they reviewed an Alfa or a Fiat: they weren’t allowed to make hackneyed comments about “La Vita Bella.” The truth is, though, it was a blast to drive, and it makes you feel all sorts of goofy things while you’re driving it.
Popular Mechanics agrees, by the way, including it as one of the cars it would like to see brought over in any sort of Chrysler-Fiat deal. (If a Chrysler badge gets slapped on the thing, though, I expect it will sell about, oh, I don’t know, none of them.)
I hope it will happen, and, according to that Bloomberg article, Marchionne’s “goal is to sell the first Fiat 500 in the U.S. by the end of 2010.” That bodes well, as the 500 is apparently an incredible car, the Abarth version even making the blokes on Top Gear happy. It would be a formidible competitor to the Mini, which has been selling quite well in the U.S. (According to Parkers.co.uk, the price range of the 500 is £8,100 – £13,250. The Mini, by comparison is about twice that.)
So, here’s to seeing some fun, affordable cars on the road sometime soon. (Now if we can just do something about our damnable roads…)
