Fiat 124 confirmed for Oz
Mazda MX-5 based Italian roadster confirmed for local release early next yearFiat's all-new 124 Spider will be released in Australia by around April next year, motoring.com.au can confirm.
The two-seater sports car will follow the 500X city-crossover, which arrives here in October, as the Italian brand's next additional model in the first half of 2016.
"Our focus for the time being is on growing the Fiat line-up, with both the Fiat 500X and 124 set to launch in Australia soon, along with the updated Fiat 500," Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Australia President and CEO, Pat Dougherty, said at last week's launch of the facelifted Chrysler 300.
"It can be a real hero car for the range. The Fiat line-up is all about fun, and the 124 suits the brand perfectly. We expect it to be a real drawcard for the Fiat brand."
Confirmed to wear the 124 Spider name in March and due to make its world debut at the Los Angeles motor show in November, Fiat's new Spider is based on Mazda's fourth-generation MX-5.
The MX-5 arrives in Australia from next month and, as part of the deal in which Mazda will build the 124 at its main Hiroshima plant in Japan, Fiat will launch its version six months later, with right-hand drive production to commence in January.
That means first deliveries in Australia, which is expected to be one of the biggest RHD markets for the model, should commence three months later.
As we've reported, the 124 will wear a completely different body and will be powered by different engines to the MX-5, with entry-level and Abarth versions now officially confirmed.
It's unclear what Fiat engines will power the 124, but the premium Abarth-tuned Spider could come with the 177kW/350Nm 1.75-litre turbo-petrol engine from the Alfa Romeo 4C.
However, with an expected 0-100km/h time of less than six seconds for the circa-1000kg roadster, that engine might come too close in performance to the $95,000 4C Spider.
Before the 124 Spider arrives here next year, Fiat will this year launch the mildly facelifted 500 city-car and all-new 500X city-SUV, which shares its platform with the all-new Jeep Renegade due here a month earlier.
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