Autocar March 9, 2022

THE FIRST WEEK of March usually brings the Geneva motor show, and with it a plethora of new models and exciting trends. While there’s no Geneva 2022, examples of relentless progress are scattered throughout our pages this week. Leading the pack is the new Lotus Emira (driven, p24). At last, Hethel has given us a car that’s notable for more than just the way it rides, handles and steers. This is a car you’ll be delighted to own without ever needing to make excuses for any compromises. Worried Ferraris might lose their allure with a switch to electrification? The 296 GTB (driven, p30), is Maranello’s first mainstream plug-in hybrid and an emphatic riposte to any such concerns. Calling it a masterpiece might even be an understatement. More dynamic excellence comes from the new…

Fiat will begin its biggest resurgence in more than a decade with a new supermini in 2023, followed by three new crossovers in three years. Ultimately, the Italian brand will have a line-up of 10 core models, including four light commercial vehicles, the South America-only Strada supermini and five global cars. These will include the iconic and strong-selling 500 supermini, plus next year’s B-segment car and the three crossovers. The new-product assault comes after a decade of little investment from former owner Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). Under new parent company Stellantis, Fiat now has the money needed to build a more comprehensive brand line-up. The designs of the four new models have already been signed off, brand boss Olivier François has confirmed, and at least two of the cars will be heavily influenced…

FIAT WILL CONFIRM an Abarth performance variant of its electric 500 imminently ahead of a launch next year. This will be its first hot model since the Abarth 124 GT was launched in 2018. The model will mark the beginning of Abarth as an electric go-faster subdivision of Fiat. Other models will also receive the Abarth treatment on a case-by-case basis. Brand boss Olivier François told Autocar he expects to have between one and three Abarth models at any one time. François said: “A year and a half ago, I said it can’t be that hard [to make an Abarth version of the electric 500]. Electric cars are so fun to drive already. The good news is that we are actively working on it, and once it’s confirmed, it will be relatively…

Olivier François said an Abarth version is a logical extension of the new electric Fiat 500, which suggests he’s on the same wavelength as us. In our road test of the 500, we noted how its small dimensions and pointy chassis give it potential for a performance version without compromising its positioning as a city runabout. The electric 500 is also a demonstration of what’s possible for the brand when it does things properly rather than rehashing old platforms. The irony there is that a lot of the future investment in Fiat will come as a result of the formation of Stellantis, but the 500’s bespoke platform predates that tie-in, which prompts the question of what will happen to it now that access to PSA-developed technology has made it effectively redundant.…

“When I was given Fiat [to run], I was very happy,” said Olivier François, Fiat’s global boss. “In the old world, it was where all the investments used to go. Finally, I thought, I can express my ideas for the Fiat brand. But actually, no, I couldn’t. The investment was needed on other brands.” That briefly sums up the history of Fiat over the past decade, a decade in which François has stayed at the helm despite all the turbulence, which includes the rise and sad demise of Sergio Marchionne and, more recently, the huge merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the PSA Group to form Stellantis. While watchful Stellantis chief Carlos Tavares has shuffled around almost all other brand bosses, François stays in charge, most likely demonstrating how he has impressed…

The new Polestar O2 concept has been unveiled as a stunning electric roadster that imagines a future ‘hero car’ for the brand – and boss Thomas Ingenlath has said it would be “irresponsible” not to push to put it into production. It is based on an adapted version of the aluminium architecture that has been developed by Polestar’s UK engineering base in Warwickshire for the 5 sports saloon and that, the firm has said, offers “supercar levels” of body stiffness. The O2 takes design cues from the Precept concept – which previewed the 5, due in 2024 – and Ingenlath said it was developed with two goals: further reinforcing Polestar’s image as a “luxury sports brand” and pushing internal development. Asked by Autocar if the O2 will lead to a production version, Ingenlath…