LAUNCHED: FIAT GRANDE PUNTO 1.4 T-JET

Fiat launched the new Grande Punto T-Jet Sport today. The 5 and 3-door T-Jet Dynamic and Sport respectively become Grande Punto’s flagship models and can realistically be pitted against the likes of Toyota Yaris TS. As one of only a couple of vehicles in its segment fitted with a turbocharger, the car is able to overcome pretty much all of the turbo lag problems associated with living at a high altitude city like Johannesburg where normally aspirated cars can lose up to 17% of their power.

Using the same 1.4-litre turbo engine found in bigger brother Bravo, the Grande Punto T-Jet produces a healthy 88kW (120hp) at 5000rpm and maximum torque of 206Nm. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual ‘box. Fiat says the car will sprint from 0 – 100km/h in just 8.9 seconds and record a top end speed of 195km/h.

Combined fuel economy is said to be 6.6l/100km from the 45 litre petrol tank, while C02 emissions are 155g/km. Fiat has been found to produce the least amount of combined C02 emissions amongst all the European car companies.

As the top dog in the range, the Grande Punto T-Jet (in 5-door Dynamic mode) is specced to the hilt with things like power steering, CD/ MP3 player, air conditioning, ESP, ABS, radio steering controls, 6 airbags and 15-inch alloy wheels. Buyers can also add body stickers to enhance their car’s exterior appearance. For the 3-door model you can add things like 17-inch wheels, fog lights, rear spoiler, leather steering wheel and side skirts. There are plenty of options available as well such as Blu & Me entertainment system that lets one play music straight from a USB memory stick, thus negating the need for expensive portable MP3 players.

The Grande Punto T-Jet Sport comes with a 30 000km service interval requirement in addition to Fiat’s standard 3-year/ 100 000km warranty. It’s priced as follows:

1.4 T-Jet 5-door Dynamic – R183 600

1.4 T-Jet 3-door Sport – R191 900

VOLVO OUT OF 2009 TOKYO MOTOR SHOW

Volvo will not be taking part at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show. The Swedish automaker follows Detroit kingpins Chrysler, Ford and General Motors which also pulled out of the show. Volvo also went minimal at the 2008 Johannesburg International Motor Show where barely two cars were on display.

Current economic situations previously forced some carmakers like Nissan and Ferrari to pull out of the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Tokyo Motor Show takes place every two years and this year it opens for the public on the 23^rd October 2009.

BREAKING NEWS: FIAT BUYS PART OF CHRYSLER

BREAKING NEWS: Fiat Auto SpA of Italy will be taking a 35% stake in Chrysler LLC of the United States. The deal has been announced in Milan. Details of the agreement are sketchy at the moment but it’s understood that the two companies will share vehicle platforms and technologies. Fiat did not pay for its stake but may help Chrysler tool up some of its factories in exchange for access to the US market as part of the deal. Money may change hands in due course.

Through this new deal Chrysler would be able to stay afloat in light of recent developments that have threatened to put it out of business. The company has been losing money by the billions. Two weeks ago it received – under strict conditions – a US$4 billion bailout cheque from the US government as part of a plan to rescue two of America’s biggest automakers, Chrysler and General Motors. More money is expected to the tune of at least US$5.4 billion within weeks.

Part of the conditions state that the US Federal government will own parts of the two companies. It’s not known what this means for Fiat and Chrysler, and their new alliance.

Fiat itself had not exactly been a sterling example of success in the auto industry over the past few years, but in the past two years the Italians have reshaped, refocused and are said to be well on their way to financial strength.

Of course it won’t be the first time that Chrysler has married a European partner. In 1998 the merger of Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz owner Daimler-Benz was finalised to create DaimlerChrysler. The two companies were together until 2007 when heavy losses at Chrysler could no longer be tolerated by Daimler’s stricter German executives. The merger itself was the brainchild of former Daimler chairman and CEO Jurgen Schrempf. At the time it was touted as a merger of equals but ended up benefiting Daimler much more than Chrysler.

Examples of this including Chryslers being fitted with previous-generation Mercedes-Benz parts and its high-performance vehicles not being able to beat or even match those offered by Merc. Remember the E55 AMG and its supercharged 5.4-litre V8 engine which produced 350kW? Well Chrysler “answered” with a 300C using a 6.1-litre V8 with only 317kW. Another example includes a car like the Crossfire which took a record 18 months to build from concept to finish. Only later during media evaluations did it become apparent that they were able to pull off this difficult feat by using old Mercedes-Benz parts like gearboxes, engines and interior bits.

Some media reports have suggested that Chrysler wants to position itself as the “Mercedes-Benz of America” effectively putting itself into competition against the Germans as well as GM’s Cadillac brand. Should these rumours be true then only time will tell how the alliance with Fiat works out as far as Fiat’s own luxury brands Ferrari, Maserati and Alfa Romeo are concerned.

We hope that Chrysler will be back on its feet again, secure and confident that its brands Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge will be supported by a happy public. Our road evaluation of the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 proves there’s plenty of life in the company and a lot of their products offer good value for money.

CROSSOVER PEUGEOT 3008 SHOWN

Peugeot’s first crossover vehicle, the 3008, goes on sale in Europe in the next few months. It’s a mix between SUV, MPV and a hatchback. Probably the closest competitor in this interesting segment is the Nissan Qashqai.

We don’t have much in the way of details except that the two engine choices are a 1.6-litre petrol turbo and a 2.0-litre HDi turbo diesel. There’s no official word yet from Peugeot South Africa on if and when the 3008 will hit this market.

JAPAN CAR MAKERS CUT PRODUCTION

Two of Japan’s biggest automakers are cutting production in some of their plants in order to stay financially afloat. Toyota Motor Company has recently slashed working schedules at 9 US and Canadian plants until April 2009. The company also plans to shed 5 000 temporary jobs in both US and its native Japan plants.

Japan’s number two Honda, is planning of sawing off 3 100 temporary jobs in Japan, while it freezes production at its plant in England for 35 days in April and in May. Nissan is slashing production by an extra 64 000 vehicles in Japan while Subaru and Yamaha are also slowing down production lines.

While it may appear to be all doom and gloom, no thanks to these negative reports, a lot of these automakers have actually been sitting on overcapacity for a few years now. That means they were producing cars they knew very well they couldn’t sell in the short-term. When the credit crunch hit us vehicles were parked in lots and sports fields, gathering dust and waiting for buyers to take them home.

So, how about a cut in prices as well now? More discounts on new vehicles?