A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Fiat group plans expansion for 2011
FIAT HAS LAUNCHED a two-cylinder petrol version of its 500 this week. The TwinAir is 10 per cent lighter than the four-cylinder 1.2-litre, shaving 30kg from the already light car.
The new engine is 23 per cent shorter than the 1.2-litre engine, which will allow for packaging of a hybrid powertrain. Ultimately, it has lower emissions than its counterparts in the 500 range, at 95g/km with a manual transmission and 92g/km with the Dual Logic clutchless transmission.
While it’s not going to sprint off the blocks with a 0-100km/h time of 11 seconds, the biggest gripe is with the price: there is no tax benefit for cars that fall below the 100g/km industry standard, so the TwinAir starts at €14,295-€1,600 more than the 1.2-litre 8v version.
The arrival of this engine signals the end of the MultiJet diesel engine for the 500 in Ireland. Also at the launch, the future arrival of several of the group’s new brands was outlined. Fiat now owns Chrysler, and Fiat Ireland will take over the distribution of Chrysler and Jeep products from June 2011.
Lancia models will not to be offered in right-hand drive, so will retail in Ireland as Chryslers. The Ypsilon and Delta are due in 2011.
Jeep models will include the Wrangler, along with face-lifted versions of the Patriot, Compass and Grand Cherokee. There will also be a new Alfa Romeo crossover based on the Giulietta.
The number of dealers retailing Chrysler and Jeep models is set to be reduced to around “six or seven dealers”, says MD of Fiat Ireland, Adrian Walsh. In the next two years, a total of 26 new models will be added to the group’s line-up.
At present Fiat has just a 1.73 per cent share of the new car market, while Alfa Romeo claims just 0.16 per cent. Alfa Romeo will be hoping for better things in 2011 with the Giulietta and has announced a Facebook competition where eight people will win a Giulietta for a year, boosting the brand’s registration by almost 6 per cent on current figures.
Carmakers join forces
Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors are to deepen their operational ties to make better use of their resources as a strong yen makes competing tougher for Japanese automakers.
The two have been working together since 2003, with Mitsubishi building 660cc vehicles under Nissan’s badge in Japan.
Car firms around the world are actively seeking operational partnerships to save costs by sharing vehicle platforms and components. Nissan and its 43 per cent owner, Renault, earlier this year joined hands with Daimler to share vehicles and engines with the maker of Mercedes cars.
BMW confirms 1 Series M coupé
BMW has confirmed the arrival of the 1 Series M Coupe to the Irish market in the spring of 2011, with a price of €68,100. The 340bhp coupé is a fully-fledged rival to the classic M3s of the past with a 0-100km/h time of just 4.9 seconds, but housed in a 1-Series shell. It will officially go on sale next March, with cars coming onto Irish streets in May.