Fiat sues over negative review

[Ultra]

I was wondering what als15 knows about this.  Anyone else wanna chime in, please do.

   

The relationship between automakers and automotive journalists can be extremely difficult, as automakers often hold access to cars hostage based on a journalist's coverage of them. If, as an automotive journalist, you like every car you drive, the world is your oyster. Automakers invite you to every launch, PR guys gaze longingly into your eyes, and all is right with the world. If, on the other hand, you write negatively about a car, you can find yourself watching the gravy train pull out of the station without you... or, as it turns out, you could even be sued. At least in Italy.

    Carscoop reports that Fiat is suing the Italian TV show AnnoZero for "defamatory" remarks about the Alfa Romeo MiTo Quadrifoglio, after the program asserted "the overall technical inferiority of the Alfa Romeo MiTo" in comparison to the MINI Cooper S and Citroen DS3 THP. The details of the case are sketchy, but you can find Fiat's press release on the matter after the jump.

    Fiat's release on the matter reads:

    Fiat to seek damages from the producers of AnnoZero

    Fiat Group Automobiles announces that it has instructed its lawyers to initiate legal action against the producers of the television show AnnoZero for statements made on air on December 2nd that were highly defamatory and damaging to the image and reputation of the company, its products and its employees and based on a fabricated comparison.

    In particular, Fiat Group Automobiles takes issue with the manner in which AnnoZero portrayed the performance of three cars, one of which was an Alfa Romeo MiTo, claiming that the "test", apparently conducted in the Autumn, demonstrated the overall technical inferiority of the Alfa Romeo MiTo, on the basis of speed alone.

    The broadcast sought to give the appearance that it was connected to a test actually conducted in the Spring, using different vehicles, by the monthly publication Quattroruote – the results of which were published in the magazine's June issue.

    Incredibly, what the broadcast did not state is that Quattroruote's overall evaluation of the Alfa Romeo MiTo (1,368 cc Quadrifoglio version) – based on a comparison of technical performance, safety and comfort – was higher than for both the Citroën DS3 THP (1,598 cc) and the Mini Cooper S (1,598 cc).

    Fiat therefore intends, motivated also by its desire to protect the thousands of employees that contribute daily to producing safe, technologically-advanced products, to seek damages (to be donated entirely to charity) as a defense against conduct which is both unwarranted and prejudicial to the truth.

    Turin, 7 December 2010

    Obviously the details of this controversy are a bit clouded. Given the general quality of both automotive journalism and Italian television, it wouldn't be overly surprising if AnnoZero did what Fiat accuses it of, namely, re-using a magazine's test and presenting it in a manner that made the MiTo look less than competitive. Still, should Fiat sue? After all, nearly every other comparison of these four cars seems to rank them differently, largely based on the priorities of the publication. Enthusiast-oriented mags pick the MINI (or a Renault Clio), "practical" buff books pick the DS3, style-oriented publications pick the MiTo.

    So, if the MiTo Quadrifoglio was found to be inferior to its rivals "on the basis of speed alone," is it defamatory to limit the comparison to that basis? Of course not. Choosing that test criteria does, however, affect the credibility of the outlet, AnnoZero, in the sense that their comparisons are clearly only of value to those who prize speed over all else. If you're looking for a Consumer Reports-style comparison, it's fairly obvious that you should look elsewhere. But Alfa isn't owed any minimum number of points of comparison by any publication. If the MiTo was slower than its competition, it was slower than it's competition. Suing AnnoZero is a step backwards for industry-media relations.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/1 ... ve-review/

[Otto Puzzell]

Ordinarily, I'd say it's much ado about nothing. But Alfa seems to enjoy "national institution" status approaching that of Ferrari.

As in the case of GM pulling advertising from newspapers who painted them with a critical brush, I think AnnoZero and Fiat will (eventually) kiss and make up.

[ImpishGrin]

Just like the writer of the above article I don't know the details, but from the sound of the press release it seems that Fiat sues not for a negative opinion about MiTo expressed by the magazine, but for something like (I don't know what's an appropriate english legal term) "intentional misguiding of consumers". If a car is slower than its competitors, it doesn't mean it's "technically inferior" only that it's slower. Therefore such a statement without thorough assessment of technical aspects of a car is misguiding and unfair. However, I guess it's a matter for a consumer ombudsman (don't know if there's such an institution in Italy), not for courts.