Garden Variety: Fiat preparing 500 crossover
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/crossovers-cuvs/" rel="tag">Crossovers/CUVs</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/fiat/" rel="tag">FIAT</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/fiat-500-4/300419/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/fiat500yard.jpg" alt="" /></a><br />
<div align="center"><small><em ><strong>Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Fiat 500</strong></em></small><br /></div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Anythin g you can do, I can do better. That seems to be the strategy over at the Fiat group vis-&agrave;-vis the MINI, which the Italian automaker has attacked from two flanks with the popular little 500 and the up-market Alfa MiTo. As we've reported previously, Fiat is said to be preparing a whole batch of <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/09/fiat-500-the-derivatives-are-coming-including-possible-mini-ut/">variants of the 500</a>, including two different convertibles and a wagon. Reports now indicate that, with <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/09/paris-preview-2010-mini-crossover-concept/">MINI hard at work on its crossover</a> and the Clubman already on the market, Fiat is preparing to strike back with an all-wheel-drive version of the 500 wagon.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Tentati vely known as the Giardiniera, reviving the classic nameplate of the original, the 500 wagon would likely borrow the all-wheel-drive system from the Panda 4x4 which shares the same platform as the 500. The bean-counters in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Turin</st1:place></st1:city> are still reportedly deliberating over the project, but if approved, Fiat is anticipated to produce little over 30,000 unites annually. Whether the 4WD 500 wagon would wear the same bodywork as the existing model or the front-drive wagon, however, remains to be seen.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /><div class="postgallery"><p><s trong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/fiat-500-4/">Fiat 500</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/fiat-500-4/300578/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/07/070321_f_500_06a_thumbnai l.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/fiat-500-4/300577/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/07/070321_f_500_05a_thumbnai l.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/fiat-500-4/300466/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/07/070705_f_fiat500_01_thumb nail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/fiat-500-4/300442/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/07/070705_f_fiat500_02_thumb nail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/fiat-500-4/300449/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/07/070705_f_fiat500_04_thumb nail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.motorauthority.com/fiat-considers-500-mini-suv.html">Motor Authority</a>]</p><p style="padding:5px;backgr ound:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/26/garden-variety-fiat-preparing-500-crossover/">Garden Variety: Fiat preparing 500 crossover</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblo g</a> on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 19:28:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.motorauthority.com/fiat-considers-500-mini-suv.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/26/garden-variety-fiat-preparing-500-crossover/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1411382/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/26/garden-variety-fiat-preparing-500-crossover/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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