Fiat 500 Trekking review (06/02/2014)

IT’S been a funny couple of years for Italian giant Fiat in

On a worldwide basis the group last week reported trading profits of some 3.4 billion and the January completion of its take-over of Chrysler appears to have added further impetus to the continuing rude health of the organisation.

Yet, the Fiat and Alfa brands have all but vanished off the radar in Ireland in recent years as a drastic lack of product — the 500 and a few van derived cars as well as Alfa’s Mito and Giulietta — have barely kept the Italian ‘Tricolore’ fluttering Sales levels have plummeted to hitherto unprecedented lows. Even the addition of Chrysler (nee Lancia) and Jeep products did little to boost momentum.