South American Stilo
Only available in the 5-door hatchback version, the Stilo was launched in South America in 2003, being assembled in Brazil. The engines were the Family I GM engines 1.8 L with 8-valve (103 hp) and 16-valve (122 hp) versions, and a 2.4 20-valve version (170 hp) for the Abarth model as well. For export, the chosen engines were the Italian-made 1.8 16v VIS engine with 133 hp (99 kW) and the 1.9 JTD Diesel of 115 hp (86 kW) specially for Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. (Chile did not get the JTD, but was the only country in the region to receive the Italian 3-door version, and the MultiWagon version.)
A Schumacher special edition of the Stilo was added in 2004 and lasted until 2006; contrary to the European version, which was based on the 3-door version and equipped with the 2.4 20-valve engine, the Brazilian was only available with five doors and the Family I GM 1.8 16v engine with 122 hp (91 kW). In 2006, the Stilo gained a GM-sourced flexible engine capable of using petrol and ethanol (1.8 8v with 110 hp (82 kW) on petrol and 114 hp (85 kW) with ethanol) and the 1.8 16v engine was retired.
In the Americas, the Stilo was partially replaced by the new Bravo in late 2010, when it will be built in Brazil; from 2007 on the Italian import is available in Chile and Venezuela.
Fiat Automóveis introduced a facelifted Stilo in late January 2008, in which the Dualogic manual-robotized gearbox was released, being available to every version with the 1.8 8v Flex engine, which now produces 112 PS (82 kW; 110 hp) (petrol) or 114 PS (84 kW; 112 hp) when using ethanol as fuel. The car also got minor cosmetic changes to front grille, bonnet, side bumpers and to the taillights, in order to end its production cycle, which is expected to happen in 2010.
For the MY2009, Fiat withdrew the Abarth version from the Brazilian market; the version wasn't available in other markets anymore.
For the MY2010, Fiat do Brasil launched a "basic-features" versión called Attractive, still with the 1.8 8v Flex engine. This version marks the confirmation that the new Bravo is coming, with the Stilo Attractive as the only version.
In March 2010, Brazil's Justice Ministry fined Fiat 3 million Reais (US$ 1.7 million) for failing to recall its Stillo without ABS brakes to fix a rear wheel problem that may have caused 30 accidents and eight deaths. Fiat denied any wrongdoing, saying that the rear wheel problem was not the cause of the accidents, but rather caused by them.
Read more about this topic: Fiat Stilo
Famous quotes containing the words south and/or american:
“In the far South the sun of autumn is passing
Like Walt Whitman walking along a ruddy shore.
He is singing and chanting the things that are part of him,
The worlds that were and will be, death and day.
Nothing is final, he chants. No man shall see the end.
His beard is of fire and his staff is a leaping flame.”
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)
“The American people owe it to themselves, and to the cause of free Government, to prove by their establishments for the advancement and diffusion of knowledge, that their political Institutions ... are as favorable to the intellectual and moral improvement of Man as they are conformable to his individual and social rights.”
—James Madison (1751–1836)