Audi showed a convertible crossover at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show with its Cross Cabriolet Concept, but no automaker has yet put such a vehicle into production. That is rumored to change sometime next year when Nissan introduces a convertible version of its Murano crossover.

While some have called the Chrysler PT Cruiser convertible a convertible crossover, it lacked the ride height of true crossovers. Nissan’s Murano, however, truly fits the crossover bill. According to Automotive News, the convertible was shown to dealers at a meeting in Las Vegas earlier this month to mixed reviews.

The convertible Murano is set to lose two of its doors in the conversion, and will be fitted with a folding soft-top. According to one dealer at the meeting, the design is “kind of unusual.” Given the four-door, hard-top Murano’s design, we can only imagine what that means.

“It actually looks better with the top down than up,” the anonymous dealer told AN.

Because of its unusual design, Nissan aims to make the Murano convertible an image car to draw people in to the brand. It will likely polarize consumers into love-it-or-hate-it groups, which will draw more attention to the Japanese brand.

“It’s not going to be a volume car,” Brian Carolin, senior vice president for sales and marketing, told AN. “But there’s a degree of bravery for us to bring out a car like that right now. It will surprise a lot of people.”

It’s not exactly clear when the Murano convertible will hit dealerships, but it’s expected sometime next year. What do you think about the idea of a crossover convertible? Is it a new, worthwhile niche market for other automakers to begin to explore?

Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)

Abarth is back, and with a tuning vengeance. After stating its plans for a future flagship vehicle, Fiat’s performance division will also expand its tuning services to additional Fiat and Alfa Romeo models.

“The brand is doing so well that we plan to start producing more performance kits for Fiats, and even some Alfa Romeo models,” said Antonino Labate, Abarth’s sales and marketing chief. “We won’t be working with the Mito since Alfa already has the Cloverleaf, but there are lots of other possibilities.”

While we doubt we’ll see future Abarth interpretations of the Fiat Doblo van, we will see new Esseesse versions of the Punto Evo Abarth and 500C in November, overseas at least. Both the Punto Evo and 500C will get more horsepower and revised suspension and brakes; the 500C will also be utilizing a faster-shifting five-speed automatic transmission. A dual-clutch transmission will be introduced to the Fiat models over the next two years, and we wouldn’t mind seeing Abarth retouch the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta.

Last week, we reported Fiat’s tuning and performance arm was eyeing its own in-house sports car, which could eventually serve up the first standalone Abarth vehicle since the 1960s. Destined to rival the Mazda MX-5, the likely compact two-seater could quite possibly be a load of driving fun, if it ever comes to the United States.

Source: Autocar

It’s been a very long time since Fiat’s in-house tuner Abarth built its own car, but that isn’t stopping the re-launched performance division. It reportedly is planning its own in-house sports car.

Abarth, originally an independent tuning and racing outfit before being acquired by Fiat in 1971 and becoming its parent company’s racing and high-performance division, built a few of its own cars based on Fiat models. Now, the rejuvenated division is looking to build its own car once again. The brand’s head of sales and marketing, Antonio Labate, told Autocar that the new sports car will be launched in the next two years.

“The brand is doing so well we will definitely bring our own standalone Abarth coupe model to market within the next two years,” said Labate.

Abarth has reportedly been drooling at the thought of its own halo car ever since its re-launch and Labate reportedly suggested it would be a two-seater only. Earlier reports suggested it could be based on the Lotus Elise or otherwise influenced by Lotus, but Labate says that isn’t the case. Regardless, rumor has it that the car will weigh in the neighborhood of 2000 pounds and sport a 240-horsepower engine mounted amidships. The motor will almost certainly come from Fiat and will likely be a turbocharged four-cylinder, as Fiat and Alfa Romeo have talked about using just such a motor with the same power output in their own vehicles.

Will the unnamed Abarth sports car ever come to the U.S.? With Fiat’s own U.S. return still months out, we’re not even sure we’ll get Abarth versions of Fiat products yet, so it’s doubtful we’ll see this car anytime soon, if at all. Depending on how it’s priced, though, it has the potential to give either the Mazda MX-5 or the Lotus Elise a good run.

What do you think? If Abarth goes ahead with its two-seat sports car, should Fiat bring it to the U.S.?

Source: Autocar