Individuality in the Mainstream
It’s been four years since Fiat re-entered the U.S. market. Yet despite new showrooms and provocative advertising campaigns, Fiat’s brand awareness seems as small as the diminutive 500 it sells, which is nicknamed “Topolino,” or little mouse, in Italy. Despite the slightly larger 500L crossover, Fiat’s 2014 sales in the United States totaled but 46,121 vehicles, trailing such laggards as Mitsubishi and Volkswagen. Fiat knows that in...
Good Looks and A Lot More
The competition for the hearts, minds and wallets of car buyers often begins with the superficial. It’s a gut response to how it looks. Whether that’s sporty or elegant, the exterior is subliminal shorthand for how we hope to be perceived. Take the Acura ILX, which, for its 2016 refresh, strives for the pre-parent market with a compact sedan that is subtly sexy yet practical, athletic yet modestly upscale. Similar to the newly...
