Lancia Motor Club

General => General Chat => Topic started by: angelorange on 11 May, 2012, 10:14:53 AM



Title: FIAT losing it's way again? 500X etc
Post by: angelorange on 11 May, 2012, 10:14:53 AM
New Fiats getting chubbier - surely a 500 was supposed to be a small run around?

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/282784/fiat_500x_on_way.html

Looks like copying the MINI (or should that be "supersizeme")?

We seem to have inherited the USA mentality of bigger is better - but heavier is clearly less efficient.  For the UK's narrow roads I still believe the larger the vehicle the more likely the collision. I recall HPC's John Miles advice "go for the gap" - but today the gap is much narrower!

Perhaps it's part of the SuV culture but today's cars seem to make the driver less connected to the road (steering feel) - particularly with regard to spacial awareness (at least width wise). Much of the sales talk focuses on the gizmo's inside - iphone connectivity, GPS etc rather than how it handles.

 ???






Title: Re: FIAT losing it's way again? 500X etc
Post by: fensaddler on 11 May, 2012, 11:13:20 AM
Its bloody ugly and it looks nothing like a 500.


Title: Re: FIAT losing it's way again? 500X etc
Post by: neil-yaj396 on 11 May, 2012, 04:13:33 PM
Straight competitor for the bloated Mini Countryman and even more hideous Nissan Juke I guess? For some reason they seem to sell!


Title: Re: FIAT losing it's way again? 500X etc
Post by: DavidLaver on 14 May, 2012, 08:44:42 AM

Do you think they'll get bigger and bigger with a 500XXL, 500XXXL, 500XXXXL etc?

David


Title: Re: FIAT losing it's way again? 500X etc
Post by: Paul Greenway on 14 May, 2012, 12:26:41 PM

Unfortunately small cars are growing as are medium cars and large cars too due to safety concerns (crash tests for both internal occupants and pedestrians etc). Fiat are renowned for making good small cars and being based on the Panda with many 500 styling ques should sell well, and why not if Nissan and Mini can get away with it and with many other manufacturers jumping on the bandwagon lining up new models in this sector, it would seem like the ideal car to replace the ageing Japanese Sedici.


Title: Re: FIAT losing it's way again? 500X etc
Post by: angelorange on 21 May, 2012, 10:30:04 PM
Yes I suppose it is rather inevitable with globalisation of brands. But how long before the 500XL is wider and heavier than the Thesis?

Safety (Cure) is one thing - but missing (prevention) the accident altogether is better. I was following a Ford "people carrier" and it was wider than the Transit Van ahead of it!



Title: Re: FIAT losing it's way again? 500X etc
Post by: stanley sweet on 22 May, 2012, 11:22:23 AM
As Clarkson pointed out once, the Mini has the same wheelbase as a Landrover but no space inside. I despair of the big fat modern look although I have to say the normal 500 is a modern car I like very much. That's why I still love my Fulvia so much, narrow, fast and even after nearly 20 years I can still enjoy walking around it looking at it. Someone described it once as a 'Swiss watch in an Italian suit'. Not a
ickey Mouse watch in a tub of lard like some...............


Title: Re: FIAT losing it's way again? 500X etc
Post by: lancialulu on 22 May, 2012, 06:30:16 PM
They should have called it the 700!