Fears for British workers Fiat’s plans for mega-merger with ailing car maker Vauxhall

Italian giant Fiat is poised to merge with Vauxhall as its parent company struggles in the credit crunch.

The new company would sell up to seven million cars a year, making it second only to Toyota in the global market.

Vauxhall employs more than 5,000 workers in the UK and there are fears their jobs may be at risk.

Fiat, which also owns Ferrari, is considering combining its car-making operations with GM’s European arm and its 20 per cent interest in manufacturer Chrysler.

This would create a car giant with around €80 billion (£71 billion) in annual revenues, the firm said.

Around 1,200 employees are based at Luton and 2,500 at Ellesmere Port with the rest at dealerships across the UK.

Vauxhall was originally founded in London in 1903. It has been wholly owned by the General Motors group since 1925 and responsible for around 20 per cent of its European revenues.

The Fiat Grande Punto is surely the prettiest supermini on the road.

The Fiat Grande Punto is – as its name suggests – bigger than previous Puntos. But that’s not to say it’s lost its youthful charm.

The Fiat Grande Punto is surely the prettiest supermini on the road. Its front is reminiscent of the Aston Martin DB7, which can only be a good thing, while the rear and sides carry on the curvy theme. There are plenty of neat touches around the Grande Punto.

So often interiors fail to live up to the expectations set by the bodywork. Not so with the Grande Punto.

As the Fiat Grande Punto has grown since its predecessor, so has its levels of practicality. There’s lots of room in the front, and all but the tallest of rear passengers can fit in the back fairly easily. At four metres in length, Fiat says the Grande Punto is the biggest in its class, although at 275 litres,

The Fiat Punto feels sure-footed and composed at speed, which has a lot to do with the extra width of the larger car. The steering is precise, although not so razor sharp as other models in the supermini class.

Fiat has been working tirelessly to iron out the niggling little problems which used to beset its vehicles and the Grande Punto seems as well built as anything else from Europe.

With prices starting from around £7,500, the Grande Punto is an exceptionally cheap machine. Even our top-of-the-range test car weighs in at well under £13,000; and that has plenty of bells and whistles. Huge demand (the Punto is one of the 20 most searched for car on autotrader.co.uk) keeps second-hand values healthy.

The Grande Punto oozes style from every angle. It’s great fun to drive, especially in the 1.9 Sporting guise. But best of all is its tremendous value for money.

Read Used Fiat Grande Punto review

Fiat Multipla – MPV with practicality and comfortably seating six adults

Fiat Multipla

Fiat Multipla MPV won a host of awards for its practicality – comfortably seating six adults.

The problem with the Multipla was its controversial looks, but its 2004 facelift saw the Fiat go full circle, offering a more conservative design, but still maintaining the innovative six-seating profile.

Inside, the Fiat Multipla is a place of purpose. From the gear stick which is placed to the left of the steering wheel to the handbrake to the right of the driver’s seat, everything has been set out to accommodate the front row’s middle seat.

For a car with such a high roofline, the Fiat Multipla handles quite well.

Fiat’s new models fair better than ever in the reliability stakes.

It’s not an overly well specced car and is available in three trim levels – Dynamic Family, Dynamic Plus and Eleganza. All models get remote central locking, electric front windows, CD player and immobiliser.

The Fiat Multipla is a competent MPV which should be complimented on its innovative six-seat layout..

Fiat Doblo Family is Britain’s cheapest seven-seater

Fiat Doblo

The Fiat Doblo MPV range is an excellent choice for cost-conscious motorists looking for a flexible and spacious vehicle.

It might be based on the Doblo van, but there’s not much evidence of its roots as a commercial vehicle. And in its 1.3 Multijet Family guise, the Doblo is the UK’s cheapest seven-seater.

The Doblo might not be conventionally attractive, but its utilitarian looks are appealing for some.

The interior is very functional, from the dashboard right through to the rear seats.

The Doblo is likely to be bought by those looking to lug large loads, with the occasional need to ferry up to seven people. The Active and Dynamic models have five seats, while the Family (tested here) adds a third row.

The Fiat Doblo handles surprisingly well, with responsive steering and limited body roll for what is basically a commercial vehicle.

The Doblo is available with a choice of a 1.4-litre petrol, a 1.3-litre diesel and two 1.9 diesels.

The Doblo is built of tough stuff, and it has to be, particularly in its van guises.

If you’re in the market for a bargain basement people and luggage mover which also happens to be a rather good steer, the Doblo is the MPV for you.

Fiat Bravo – Good News For The Family Hatch Consumers

Fiat Bravo

British buyers hunting for a family hatch are spoilt for choice. The Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astral dominate the market.

But then there’s the mighty VW Golf, Toyota’s newly-launched Auris and Honda’s sexy Civic to choose from, not to mention the Peugeot 307, Citroen C4, Seat Leon, Kia Cee’d, Dodge Caliber… need we go on?

Now Fiat has unveiled the Bravo to compete in an already crowded market – which can only be good news for the consumer.

The first thing you’d expect from a Fiat is for it to be a bit of a looker – and its no surprise the Italian company sees this as one of the Bravo’s strongest selling points.

Buyers can choose between three petrol engines, the 1.4-litre T-Jet 120bhp model, 1.4-litre T-Jet 150 bhp model and a 90bhp model due later in the year. Diesel fans can choose between a 120bhp and 150bhp 1.9-litre model.

The model achieved to a maximum five star rating following EuroNCAP safety tests.

Overall, Fiat has achieved considerable success in meeting their big aims with the Bravo – beauty, safety and performance.

And in terms of building on the good work begun with last year’s launch of the Grande Punto – the Bravo looks set to be a winner.

Honda is most reliable carmaker

Honda has beaten a host of Japanese rivals to be named the most reliable car manufacturer in Britain.

The number one spot went to the 2000-2002 Toyota Corolla, with the Honda HR-V, two Honda Civics, Honda Accord, Honda HR-V and Honda S2000 sportscar making the top ten in a reliability table,

Honda also topped the manufacturers’ league for reliability.

The top ten cars for reliability were:

1. Toyota Corolla 2000-2002 (3 faults per 100 cars)
2. Honda CR-V 1997-2002 (5 faults per 100 cars)
3. Honda HR-V 1999-2005 (6 faults per 100 cars)
4. Toyota Celica 2000-2006 (6 faults per 100 cars)
5. Honda S2000 1999-2007 (7 faults per 100 cars)
6. BMW 3-Series Compact 1994-2001 (9 faults per 100 cars)
7. Honda Civic 1996-2001 (9 faults per 100 cars)
8. Honda Accord 1999-2003 (9 faults per 100 cars)
9. Honda Civic 2001-2005 (10 faults per 100 cars)
10. Nissan Micra 1998-2002 (11 faults per 100 cars)

The bottom 10 cars were:

1. Alfa Romeo GTV 1996-2003 (97 faults per 100 cars)
2. Renault Espace 1997-2002 (77 faults per 100 cars)
3. Jaguar XK8 1996-2006 (62 faults per 100 cars)
4. Renault Laguna 2000-2007 (55 faults per 100 cars)
5. Fiat Multipla 1999-2007 (52 faults per 100 cars)
6. Volvo S80 1998-2006 (51 faults per 100 cars)
7. Land Rover Freelander 2000-2006 (48 faults per 100 cars)
8. Land Rover Range Rover 1995-2002 (48 faults per 100 cars)
9. Audi Allroad 2000-2005 (48 faults per 100 cars)

10. Seat Alhambra 2000-2007 (47 faults per 100 cars)

Manufacturers’ reliability league table:

1. Honda
2. Toyota
3. Subaru
4. Lexus
5. Mini
6. Nissan
7. Ford
8. Citroen
9. Rover
10. BMW
11. Peugeot
12. Mercedes
13. Fiat
14. Vauxhall
15. Volkswagen
16. MG
17. Jaguar
18. Volvo
19. Skoda
20. Audi
21. Saab
22. Chrysler
23. Seat
24. Alfa Romeo
25. Renault
26. Land Rover