The absence of a traditional instrument cluster in the mid-size Tesla Model 3 sedan has sparked speculation that the US electric carmaker is about to unveil a spaceship-like driving experience. And if it all works to Tesla’s plan, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) chief Sergio Marchionne will build a rival to the Model 3. “I will copy the formula, add the Italian design flair … [Read more...] about Fiat Chrysler boss: ‘I will copy Tesla Model 3 – if it works’
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Alfa Romeo joins SUV market with Stelvio, a treasured Italian name
Alfa Romeo has named its first SUV the Stelvio, after a few things Italians cherish. They are the mountain pass that links Italy to southern Austria; a cow’s milk cheese; the country’s largest national park; a film soundtrack composer named Stelvio Cipriani; and a Moto Guzzi motorbike. Up until recently, when Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne christened the … [Read more...] about Alfa Romeo joins SUV market with Stelvio, a treasured Italian name
Norway queues for electric Nissan Leaf, the car NZ doesn’t want
Norway and its abundance of clean energy is showing the world and its policy makers how to adopt electric cars – and in doing so it’s leaving similarly clean New Zealand far behind. The plug-in Nissan Leaf (above) was the second best-selling EV in Norway last month – yet it was recently pulled from the market in New Zealand because it couldn’t sell at its sub-$40,000 … [Read more...] about Norway queues for electric Nissan Leaf, the car NZ doesn’t want
Abarth 124 Spider – an Italian roadster born and bred in Japan
The Abarth 124 Spider roadster that the Fiat Chrysler people in New Zealand have hinted will cost more than the Mazda MX-5 is actually an MX-5 with an Italian badge. Okay, there’s a bit of plastic surgery front and back, a different engine, a synthesized, rorty exhaust note, lamely called ‘Record Monza’, and a numbered plaque signed by an Abarth technican that says, in … [Read more...] about Abarth 124 Spider – an Italian roadster born and bred in Japan
NZ registrations versus actual sales: it’s a game of numbers
The BMW press release was a trumpet cry: We’re the greatest, it said. The number one premium marque in New Zealand with 591 units registered in the first quarter of 2016. Wow! Number one in the same month as its 100th birthday, too. Life for BMW surely couldn’t get any better. It went on: Mini, its stablemate, the ‘world’s most iconic small car brand’, also opened the year … [Read more...] about NZ registrations versus actual sales: it’s a game of numbers