"It's important that the Fiat enthusiasts and fans are among the first to receive their very own Fiat 500 Prima Edizione special edition vehicles, as they share the same excitement about the brand's presence in North America," said Laura Soave, Head of Fiat brand North America.
"As we begin to introduce Fiat to North America, our goal is to develop a solid relationship with our customers so they are made to feel as part of the brand. Over 1,000 people are on the waitlist for the Prima Edizione, a clear indication of the buzz that the Fiat 500 is generating among our fans", Soave added.
Those that didn't receive the special invitation from Chrysler or didn't manage to reserve the 'Prima Edizione", need not worry as Fiat will soon begin accepting U.S. orders for the regular version of the 500. At first, the 500 will be available in Sport, Pop and Lounge trims, followed by a faux-convertible variant called the 500C in spring of 2011.
Fiat 500s from U.S. Dealer Presentation, Plus 500 Sport (red)
The North American market Fiat 500 will be built at Chrysler's Toluca plant in Mexico. All variants of Italy's answer to the MINI are powered by Fiat's 1.4-liter four-cylinder MultiAir engine that will be manufactured in the USA. Output and fuel economy figures will be released closer to the launch date.
The red-colored 500 Sport version featured in the photo gallery below matches a sportier-tuned suspension with a new bodykit that includes unique front and rear bumpers with additional air-vents, side skirts and a roof spoiler. The car's more athletic appearance is rounded off by special 16-inch alloy wheels with Mineral Gray painted pockets, a chromed exhaust tip and gloss black shadow-line window trim.
Chrysler said the Fiat 500 Sport also features an available SkyDome power sun roof.
The Detroit automaker has said it plans to open Fiat dealerships in around 165 locations across the United States with the biggest small-car registrations, including include Chicago, Manhattan, Los Angeles and Boston.
Other than seeing the new products, they will have a variety of questions answered by Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Fiat North America CEOs.
David Kelleher, a dealer from Glenn Mills, Pennsylvania and member of the Chrysler Dealer Council, told Wall Street Journal that "dealers will experience a very transparent show. They are going to go home with more information they have now. They will know about the future of the company."
Sergio Marchionne will finally address dealers personally, as well; since he and Fiat took over in summer 2009, the only real communication between him and dealers has been discussing future product with the media last winter. Other than that, he says he simply wasn't ready to speak with anyone until the proper plans for his super-company were ready.
While in Orlando, many dealers will also be asked to stay open on Saturdays in order to help both with sales and Mopar Express Lanes (for quick repairs / tune-ups / oil changes). The goal is to have 80% of dealers staying open on weekends by the end of next year (versus 68% now).
For comparison, 95% of Toyota dealers are open on Saturdays (including 100% of Lexus dealers), over 90% of GM dealers stay open, and 85% of Ford lots are there for you.
Mopar CEO Pietro Gorlier says, "We have to respond to customers and customers shop or get their oil changed on Saturdays. Those that stay open on Saturdays have had tremendous success and their oil change business has increased by 20%."
By Phil Alex
Source: WSJ (sub. req)
