Auto Journalists Beware: Fiat Sues Over Negative Review
The relationship between automakers and automotive journalists can be extremely difficult, as automakers often hold access to cars hostage based on a journalist’s coverage of them. If, as an automotive journalist, you like every car you drive, the world is your oyster. Automakers invite you to every launch, PR guys gaze longingly into your eyes, and all is right with the world. If, on the other hand, you write negatively about a car, you can find yourself watching the gravy train pull out of the station without you… or, as it turns out, you could even be sued. At least in Italy.
Carscoop reports that Fiat is suing the Italian TV show AnnoZero for “defamatory” remarks about the Alfa Romeo MiTo Quadrifoglio, after the program asserted “the overall technical inferiority of the Alfa Romeo MiTo” in comparison to the MINI Cooper S and Citroen DS3 THP. The details of the case are sketchy, but you can find Fiat’s press release on the matter after the jump.
Fiat to seek damages from the producers of AnnoZero
Fiat Group Automobiles announces that it has instructed its lawyers to initiate legal action against the producers of the television show AnnoZero for statements made on air on December 2nd that were highly defamatory and damaging to the image and reputation of the company, its products and its employees and based on a fabricated comparison.
In particular, Fiat Group Automobiles takes issue with the manner in which AnnoZero portrayed the performance of three cars, one of which was an Alfa Romeo MiTo, claiming that the “test”, apparently conducted in the Autumn, demonstrated the overall technical inferiority of the Alfa Romeo MiTo, on the basis of speed alone.
The broadcast sought to give the appearance that it was connected to a test actually conducted in the Spring, using different vehicles, by the monthly publication Quattroruote – the results of which were published in the magazine’s June issue.
Incredibly, what the broadcast did not state is that Quattroruote‘s overall evaluation of the Alfa Romeo MiTo (1,368 cc Quadrifoglio version) – based on a comparison of technical performance, safety and comfort – was higher than for both the Citroën DS3 THP (1,598 cc) and the Mini Cooper S (1,598 cc).
Fiat therefore intends, motivated also by its desire to protect the thousands of employees that contribute daily to producing safe, technologically-advanced products, to seek damages (to be donated entirely to charity) as a defense against conduct which is both unwarranted and prejudicial to the truth.
Turin, 7 December 2010
Obviously the details of this controversy are a bit clouded. Given the general quality of both automotive journalism and Italian television, it wouldn’t be overly surprising if AnnoZero did what Fiat accuses it of, namely, re-using a magazine’s test and presenting it in a manner that made the MiTo look less than competitive. Still, should Fiat sue? After all, nearly every other comparison of these four cars seems to rank them differently, largely based on the priorities of the publication. Enthusiast-oriented mags pick the MINI (or a Renault Clio), “practical” buff books pick the DS3, style-oriented publications pick the MiTo.
So, if the MiTo Quadrifoglio was found to be inferior to its rivals “on the basis of speed alone,” is it defamatory to limit the comparison to that basis? Of course not. Choosing that test criteria does, however, affect the credibility of the outlet, AnnoZero, in the sense that their comparisons are clearly only of value to those who prize speed over all else. If you’re looking for a Consumer Reports-style comparison, it’s fairly obvious that you should look elsewhere. But Alfa isn’t owed any minimum number of points of comparison by any publication. If the MiTo was slower than its competition, it was slower than it’s competition. Suing AnnoZero is a step backwards for industry-media relations.
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While I don't necessarily approve of flying off the handle and suing over little things, but I DO think if the issue at fault is warranted, suing, or the threat of it could cause the offender to back off isn't a bad idea, but to sue for the sake of suing, not so much. In this case, I think Fiat may have jumped the gun a little too quickly on this one over the aspect they stated but in the end, if this were to be taken more seriously, they need to really look at HOW the "test" was conducted, in this case, taken from a test another source, a magazine in this case and without letting the viewer in on the real source, made it look like their test and then gave an entirely different result that just happened to be unflattering to Fiat, and on that basis, I think Fiat has a ground of argument but on the speed issue, not so much, that said, the automotive TV show should be held responsible for doing what they did and in the end, I think both sides, be it Fiat or another automotive company need to be transparent in how they make/design their cars, but so should the auto journo's as well, in that rigging or slamming a particular car without merit can be just as damaging as the automotive company saying, if you be nice, I'll let you drive such and such a car (read, leave a flattering report), that said, if AnnoZero had been honest in its "test" and said that while the Alfa is a fantastic car, it could stand to have a bigger engine, not necessarily the one that was supplied with this particular example and say why, I think the companies like Fiat would be less quick to sue or anything like that for it's a constructive criticism without being negative, just for the sake of being negative. In this case, I think both sides may have hurt themselves. That said, it appears current Fiat models are a huge improvement over their predecessors.
Is it true or did you see it on TV? Far from applauding FIAT to be "trigger happy" suing media. On the other hand the sad truth usually is, that most auto magazines write according to their advertisers wishes. And FIAT is a small advertiser compared to any of the German brands... There was an incident a couple of years back. The story has it AutoMotorUndSport (AMS) wanted some "gifts" from FIAT in order to write a positive review. As no gifts changed hands, the consequences followed. AMS Greek subsidiary published a review where FIAT Bravo allegedly failed braking test completely. Now the most scary part: The picture of the "failed brakes" accompanying the article (showing old, dirty and rusty mechanics) turned out to be a picture of a 20 year old Toyota. Go figure...