We Get More 124 Spider
The Fiat 124 Spider isn’t a supercar, but it’s a competent little sports car. There has been rumblings of the car seeing its demise, but it looks like that’s only true in Europe at this time. In the U.S. the vehicle will roadster on for at least another year. The car is not getting a replacement, but Fiat has not said how long it will last in the meantime. We’ll be sad to see it go when it does.
I drove the Fiat 124 Spider when it first came out. It was a fun little car and a different flavor to the Miata upon which it is based. The turbocharged little roadster offered a different sporty experience, and that was one that really made the 124 Spider stand out when it debuted. Unfortunately, small relatively low-powered roadsters aren’t in high demand right now. The car didn’t do well enough to warrant a second generation.
According to Carscoops, the vehicle will disappear from the European market at the end of 2019. That’s only three years after the vehicle’s introduction. Sales apparently were decent, but they’re not enough to justify signing another contract with Mazda. This paired with the high cost the company had to pay to get the 1.4-liter MultiAir turbocharged four-cylinder to meet stricter emissions have killed the car in Europe.
A North American FCA brand communications person told Carscoops that the car would be returning to the U.S. market in 2020. So at least we Yanks get to enjoy this little roadster for at least one more year.