Fiat Slashes Trims and Prices as Buyers Vacate Brand

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

It’ll be easier to get into a Fiat 500 next year, but the question is: does anyone want to?

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has cut prices and reduced the number of trim lines of the 2017 500 as the tiny runabout’s popularity wanes, Bloomberg reports.

With no new models in the pipeline until a refreshed 500X in 2019, Fiat needs to do something to lure back buyers. A greater level of content, plus a price cut, is the only card Fiat has to play.

For 2017, a base “Pop” 500 will set buyers back $14,995, a grand lower than before, while the mid-range Lounge model sees its price slashed by $2,000. The turbocharged Abarth model sees the biggest reduction, with $2,580 erased from the sticker price.

Fiat hasn’t revealed if the 500X small crossover will see a similar price cut, but did say the mid-range version of the ungainly 500L wagon will see a 1-percent cut and additional high-end content. That means heated leather seats, an upgraded audio system and a 6.5-inch touchscreen with navigation.

Across the board, the brand is simplifying its lineup to three trims per model. The automaker brought some fresh blood to its lineup with the 124 Spider earlier this summer, but its existing models are sliding, pulling the brand down.

According to TTAC’s Timothy Cain, “Fiat USA is on track to sell 35,000 new vehicles in 2016. As the lineup grows, Fiat’s total U.S. volume shrinks. Fiat sold more than 40,000 new vehicles in each of the previous four years, including an all-time high of 46,121 in 2014 and 43,772 in 2012, when the 500 was the only car in the fleet. Year-over-year, sales Fiat’s U.S. sales have declined every month this year.”

Fiat’s clientele, at an average of 45 years of age, is younger than the industry average of 49. The automaker has been criticized for not offering a lineup that appeals to U.S. consumers.

[Image: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Mdensch Mdensch on Sep 17, 2016

    Now wait a minute—Fiat total sales haven't topped 50,000 since FCA formed and are expected to reach only 35,000 this year while they sold almost 90,000 Dodge Darts last year and have sold 35,000 through August of this year. But the Dart has to go and Fiat gets to stay. Puzzling.

    • VoGo VoGo on Sep 17, 2016

      Dart, 200, 500, Journey, 500X, 500L, Patriot, Compass, Caravan, T&C: they are all failures - death just takes a little longer for some.

  • Scuzimi Scuzimi on Sep 17, 2016

    I've owned my 500 Abarth since 2012. It been a better car than any of my MINI Coopers...2002 & 2004 both S's. Broken windscreens, bad trans, bad motors, bad leather seats, bad dealers The few problems I've had with the car are 1. trunk shelf was cracked when I got the car 2. the dealer had to replace the Bluetooth. 3. three battery jackets... I've given up on that and now run without one. 4. the area between the glass of the sunroof and the top of the windscreen started to bubble so they replaced the whole sunroof. This cost me nothing nor did I have to fight them to get it done. Two other items have happened 1. the car stopped running. had it towed to the Chrysler dealership, my Fiat Studio closed, they found a loose something or other and I was out of the place in 1 hour. 2. if the outside temps are over 99º the sunroof pops up when I try and close it... take 5 tries to get to stay closed... but the new sunroof has seemingly fixed that. The car uses NO oil in between oil changes, gets mediocre MPG.. 26-28. My only real problems with the car is dealers closing and the car is worth nothing as far as resale oh and the leather seats are miserable for long runs. Was hoping for a 500 X Abarth but now not sure what to do.

  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
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