General Gruppo Fiat Questions

["Joseph Kanellopoulos" <kanellj@domain.elided>]

Looking around at the UK version of the edmunds web site I noticed the
following: (the following remarks exclude Ferrari and Maserati)

There are no Lancia models listed. Is Lancia not selling in the UK?

There is no engine listed bigger than 3.0L, or more powerful than 218bhp, for
any of the Fiat brands. Also nothing seems to be turbocharged anymore.

In general it seems that the cars are less powerful and more heavy than they
were 6-7 years ago. Also the engine choices have gone down (no more boxer, no
1.3 TS etc).
As an example in 93 one could buy a 137hp, 1.3ltr turbo Punto GT, today one
can buy a 1.8ltr 16V naturally aspirated Punto Abarth(!!!) and its also
heavier, and I am sure the 16V 1.8ltr engine could not be that much cheaper
than the 8V turbo.

Is this change in engine power/ built-design philosophy a result of cost
cutting, stricter emissions, need for reliability, or lack of development
funds? For example why the newer 24v 3.0, V6 by Alfa in the GTV making only
218, when in the 164Q the 3.0 was making 230bhp a few years earlier?

Someone who has been keeping abreast of things over there and can offer
insight please explain.

Thank you,

Joseph

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