Name:  263526.jpg
Views: 1247
Size:  48.1 KB

How do you try to save a dying model?

In the case of the Fiat 500, Fiat-Chrysler is going with turbocharging for 2018, which will vault the 500 to the top of the power-to-weight list by adding 34 horsepower:

Fiat announced that 2018 model year 500s will all use the 1.4-liter MultiAir turbocharged engine, the same one found in the Fiat 500 Abarth and the 124 Spider and phasing out the normal-breathing unit. Power has been bumped from the naturally aspirated output of 101 horsepower to 135.
https://jalopnik.com/all-2018-fiat-5...ged-1822868799

Sales of the 500 have been plummeting in Canada and the U.S. -- it peaked in 2012. The Micra has outsold it by a big margin every year. Even the Mirage has outsold it for the past 3 years and the Spark for the past 2:


Year Fiat 500 sales Micra
Mirage
Spark
2014
5566 7815 4048 1577
2015
2955 11909 3361 1561
2016
1028 9896 3112 3657
2017
840 8812 2502 3982

I wonder if the turbo is going to boost sales. (Sorry. Couldn't resist )

I wonder how many people actually cross-shop the Fiat against the other cars. One major difference: the 500 only comes as a 2-door. Alyhough it offers more variants: you can get a sliding-fabric-roof convertible or the hot Abarth model.