The Fiat 500e electric car is Chrysler's token entry for complying with California's zero-emissions mandate. In living with the 500e, it was clear that Chrysler engineers didn't just phone this one in; they actually sweated the details and came up with an EV that's fun and appealing.

The auto industry has a very confusing family tree. The past few years have seen partnerships, sales, separations, bankruptcies, and entire divisions killed off, making it difficult to keep up with who owns which car brands.

Joining key competitors, Chrysler will soon add integrated Internet radio capability to its Uconnect infotainment systems.

Despite the winter chill, the auto show season is heating up, revealing a number of exciting redesigns, new models, and refreshes coming up in 2013.

Abarth has been Fiat's racing division for decades. And now it's the little 500's turn to get souped up and dressed to perform with the classic scorpion badge proudly displayed on its nose. We borrowed a top-of-the-line $23,500 Gucci spec Abarth from Chrysler (Fiat's new beachhead in North America) for a fee to check it out.

As we found in our road test, there are certainly more practical cars out there than the Fiat 500 convertible. Many have roomier rear seats, back doors to access them, and get about the same fuel economy as the tiny Cinqucento for little, if any more, money. But I've found few of those cars to be as fun to drive.

Consumer Reports recently posted the road test results for a trio of summer-friendly cars, each with their own distinctive personalities: Chevrolet Camaro convertible, Dodge Challenger, and Fiat 500C. The common theme among them is that style and character often come with compromises.

Chrysler dusted off the "Dodge Dart" nameplate for a small sedan based on an elongated and stretched platform shared with the Alfa Romeo Guilietta, a premium compact sold in Europe and elsewhere. This is the first new Dodge car to emerge from the Chrysler-Fiat alliance, and others are expected to soon follow. Based on our first impressions, it is a significant improvement over the long-retired, chintzy Neon.

As gas prices hover near $4 a gallon nationwide, there are more than 20 SUVs and trucks that cost more than $100 to fill up. But, there are almost 30 cars that cost less than $50 to refuel. We crunched the numbers and found the cheapest cars in America to fill up.

Each year, the Consumer Reports Annual Auto Issue featuring the latest ratings, rankings and expert insights garners significant attention. The focus invariable turns to Top Picks and the automaker report cards. Both special reports given a quick snapshot of how makes and models compare, informing car buyers, as well as auto industry trivia enthusiasts. While everyone loves a winner, what about those brands that just never made the Top Pick cut?

We’ve recently showed that most fuel-efficient cars can beat their EPA highway fuel economy estimates in Consumer Reports measured fuel economy testing. But if you want to hit 40 mpg on the highway, our tests show that you have more options than you might think.

The Fiat portfolio will expand next year when the larger, five-door 500L joins the Cinquecento range in the United States. This new model will make its world debut next month at the Geneva Motor Show.

One of the best known, and certainly one of the best-selling, Dodge nameplates is making a comeback: Dart. Chrysler has begun teasing the release of an all-new 2013 Dodge Dart to be revealed at the Detroit auto show next month.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a recall warning for the 2012 Fiat 500 compact car and 2012 Dodge Journey midsize SUV. Certain models of both vehicles from the Chrysler Motor Corp. may have been assembled with contaminated brake fluid which can lead to loss of stopping power.

As a result of Chrysler Corp. divorce from Mercedes-Benz, Ddoge lost the Sprinter commercial van leaving a hole in automaker's portfolio. Enter new partner Fiat with a solution, the Fiat Doblo.