Fiat to add 500-based hatch to U.S. lineup

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Fiat will add a five-door model that CEO Olivier Francois says is “related” to the 500 already on sale in the U.S. and Canada.

The new model will be introduced at the Geneva Auto Show in March and go on sale in America in 2013.

“Related to” the 500 leaves a fair amount of room for speculation as to the styling of the new hatch. The 500 platform is shared by the several Fiat Group vehicles, including the popular Fiat Panda, the Brazilian Fiat Palio and the new Lancia Ypsilon. Since Francois says the new car will be introduced at Geneva, there’s even a possibility Roberto Giolito’s design team will show fresh sheet metal capitalizing on the Cinquecento’s retro styling.

Fiat North America is banking on new models, like the recently announced Abarth and this new vehicle, to bolster the brand’s image in the U.S.

Much has been made of the poorly executed launch that eventually required Laura Soave to fall on her sword, but too many in the financial industry and motoring press have taken that as an indication of a poor reception of the brand rather than a scarcity of dealers. Even now, there are still 12 states without a Fiat dealership and some of the dealers selected over a year ago still aren’t ready to start selling cars, usually due to factors they can’t control, such as regulatory processes and construction. In addition, too many marketing resources were devoted to experiential events with limited impact rather than the kind of broad-based campaign more appropriate to the nationwide introduction (or reintroduction) of a brand.

Even with this, dealer support and interest is still running high.

Something Timothy Kuniskis, the new head of Fiat in North America, might keep in mind: The recent ad campaign featuring singer Jennifer Lopez didn’t have the amount of positive impact Fiat had hoped, especially after it was revealed JLo wasn’t actually at the wheel of the car being driven through Brooklyn, but the “Seduction” promotion for Abarth featuring Romanian model Catrinel Menghia went viral though it never appeared on broadcast television.