Indian Car Blog - Carazoo.com

Car makers are looking to increase prices on the 1st of April. Fiat wants to do something different. It will wait and watch. Based on the results of other car makers in the country, Fiat will take the next step. Car manufacturers are increasing prices because of the stringent BS IV emission norms which will be implemented in 13 cities. The engines are being upgraded to meet the norms, and so, the car prices will increase. But, Fiat prefers to wait and watch.

It has been a good year for Fiat. The company will be closing the fiscal year with 24,000 units. The Punto entered during the middle of the financial year and has been doing extremely well. Fiat has great plans for the coming year too. It plans to sell 48,000 units including the Punto and Linea. By June this year, the company would launch the Linea Turbo Jet with the 1.4 turbo-charged gasoline engine.

The other launch from Fiat would be the 90 bhp version of the Punto. It is also working on the Punto's CNG version and may roll it out by the end of this fiscal year. This version will carry a gasoline-CNG engine that automatically shifts between using liquid fuel and compressed natural gas depending on requirement.

There are greater plans. With inputs from Tata Motors, a new compact car specifically for the Indian market is being developed. The unveiling would take around two years though. Fiat has always been producing small cars and the 50:50 joint venture with Tata may also prove successful. Any guesses about the car’s price? Well, it is likely to be priced in the Rs 3-3.5 lakh range.

Fiat wants to make no compromise on quality. Features like safety, storage, emission control, entertainment and high performance may be borrowed from the Fiat 500 which is sold as a completely built unit in India. With a price-tag of nearly Rs 15 lakh the two-door Fiat 500 has sold 64 units since its launch in 2008. This new small car, coming out in 2012, will be produced at the company’s Ranjangaon plant.

The plant has a capacity of 160,000 cars and 350,000 engines, besides 300,000 parts and accessories. As of now, the facility makes the Palio Stile 1.1, 1.6 models, Linea and the Grande Punto. The facility also manufactures Fiat's booming 1.3 litre Multijet Diesel Engines and 1.2 and 1.4 litre Fire Gasoline engines. The plant will also produce Tata passenger and next generation cars.

The 1.2 litre Grande Punto has been priced at a range of Rs 4.57 lakh to Rs 4.87 lakh which is pretty decent. The idea is to offer more feature at a lower price. Position-wise, it wants to move higher in the B plus segment of cars. Fiat wants to fight it out with competitors like the Hyundai i20, Suzuki Swift and VW Polo. The current version of the Punto itself does monthly numbers of around 1,500 units. So naturally, the new variants could help numbers get closer to the 2,500-unit mark, won’t it?

By this time next year, Fiat wants to roll out over 60,000 cars from the Ranjangaon plant. If the new small car is launched by the end of next year, it will help a lot in achieving this target. The Fiat 1.2 Fire Dynamic and Fiat Fire Emotion have just been launched in the hatchback segment in Chandigarh. Fial, which currently has 103 Tata-Fial dealers in India, is looking to ramp up to 124 dealers by June this year. As for the Ranjangaon facility, Fiat plans to use it as a key global car hub eventually.

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After having a grandly successful year with Linea and Grande Punto, Fiat is trying to push its luck further. Fiat has launched two brand new variants of Punto in the petrol hatchback segment -1.2 litre Fire Dynamic and Emotion.

And the most interesting things about these new launches are the very competitive pricing and the new features that come packed in the new variants of the oh-so-admirable Punto.

The Punto Fire comes with an impressive range of features that include tilt steering, front power windows, fire prevention system and programmed service reminder in its entry level 1.2 Active variant. The 1.2 Dynamic will offer rear power windows and central locking system.

And as if these things were not enough to pull the crowd to the showrooms, Fiat, as an introductory offer, is giving away music system in the 1.2 Dynamic. Punto 1.2 Emotion variant will come with an integrated music system, fog lamps, electric mirrors, dual tone dashboard and split seats.

As an introductory offer, Fiat is also giving away music system in the 1.2 Dynamic. Meanwhile, the 1.2 Emotion variant will come an integrated music system, fog lamps, electric mirrors, dual tone dashboard and split seats.

The exterior styling and looks of Punto has been so different, in a way that we like, from the other cars in the segment. While the others look rather like oversized women who would not go to the gym, Punto oozes raw beauty and appeal.

It is a common knowledge that automobile industry in India is growing at a tremendous pace and the small car segment, with 60% of car sales, is fuelling the growth. Fiat, so far, has had about 5.5 per cent of the market share and it is looking to double the sales figure with more variant launches in the coming months. Punto Sports is another variant which will be launched during the second half of this year.

When talking about Fiat’s efforts to raise the standard of sales figure, we cannot ignore the new Linea 1.4 T-Jet, which is set to make its debut during August – September 2010. When launched, Linea T-Jet will be the only one its segment to have turbocharged petrol engine.

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Fiat India, it seems like, has been doing its home work pretty well. Fiat India playing its second innings in India now by trying to build the brand and reliable and stylish cars has its eyes set on the Palio.

Fait Palio which was one of the first models of Fiat after its short lived Indian outing earlier will get yet another facelift to make it appealing amongst the car enthusiast in India.

Fiat will relaunch the Palio hatchback in the upcoming 2010 Delhi Auto Expo. The new model of the Palio is already in the markets of Brazil.

The new Palio will come with a new heart, possibly with a BS-IV compliant 1.2-litre engine borrowed from the Grande Punto. The new Palio will come with a revamped interior and refreshed styling.

The car was designed as a world car, aimed at countries like Brazil, Argentina, India, Turkey, South Africa and China. It is also built under license in North Korea as the Pyonghwa Hwiparam. The Palio ventured into the Brazilian market in 1996 and followed later that year in Argentina. 1997 saw production starting in Venezuela, Poland and Morocco while Turkey started building the same car in 1998. South Africa began production in 1999, Egypt in 2001 and China in 2002.

The Fiat Palio has been awarded the Indian Car of the Year 2002. The car was a hit when it made its India debut in 2001. But the car is now dying a slow death mainly because of high fuel consumption and the pricing.

So, this time Fiat India will be attaching a very competitive price for the Palio. The hatchback may come with a price tag of Rs 3.5 Lakh for the base model.

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After the grand entry of the Fiat Grande Punto, Fiat is planning to enter the Indian car market with new models.

The Italian car major is all set to come out with its small car in 2011-2012 and Fiat is busy these days with the sketches of the car.

The rumour out there is that this upcoming small car from Fiat will carry a price tag of Rs 3-4 Lakh. The company is currently considering various engine options right from 900 cc to 1200 cc for the small car. The car will be positioned between the Tata Nano and the Grande Punto. This small car will be pitted against the upcoming Ford Figo.

With the success of the Linea and the Grande Punto, and a new small car unleashed in the Indian car market, the company is eyeing to sell 2,00,000 cars by 2012 with an aim of achieving 7-8 per cent market share.

Fiat is also considering to bring in LCVs and premium cars in India. It has been revealed the the ideal time for Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) launch is 2012-2014. The LCVs will come with a load carrying capacity between 0.8-1.8 Tonnes in India.
Meanwhile, the company will continue to build its network and manufacturing capabilities to create its own market in India and a strong base for exports of small cars.

Fiat has organised a 10,000-km drive, the 'Fiat Diesel Drives India', to promote its diesel engines and vehicles across India.

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