Tag Archives: Fiat-Linea

FIAT India Inaugurates Its First Exclusive Dealership In Hyderabad, Tejaswi Motors

FIAT India Automobiles Limited (FIAL), a joint venture between the FIAT group and the Tata Motors Limited, incepted its first dealership in Hyderabad, Tejaswi Motors, at Punnaiah Plaza. This world class dealership is FIAT’s first outlet in India with 5400 sq ft area and a 80 feet specially designed frontage which imparts the real FIAT feel to its customers.

Mr. Enrico Atanasio, Head- Commercial, Fiat India and Mr. A K Sinha- Country Head -Fiat Product Group, Tata Motors inaugurated the new dealership.

Mr. Enrico Atanasi, said: “FIAT group views India as a very strategic market and will be opening a new company to leverage this potential. Following our announcement, the fact that an existing TATA FIAT dealer, M/s Tejaswi Motors has taken the initiative in opening up an exclusive showroom for FIAT and providing the FIAT brand experience reconfirms the strong relationship and overall strategic approach we share with TATA. We are confident that this partnership with Tejaswi Motors will play a crucial role in intensifying customer base and enhancing customer experience in the city of pearls”

Mr. B S Neelkanta, Managing Director, Tejaswi Motors said, “We are extremely proud to be associated with FIAT India and are committed to provide our customers in Hyderabad a premium buying experience. FIAT diesel engines are very popular in the country and with Hyderabad being a strong diesel market historically; we have invested in opening this showroom at a very prominent location to offer excellent brand experience to both existing and potential customers.”

The Linea and Punto, two major existing models of FIAT will be retailed at the dealership. This new dealership will assist FIAT to spread its wings in India.

posted by somdatta.basu @ Thursday, May 10th, 2012 Comments Off links to this post
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Fiat Caffe, Fiat Cars, and Five More days of the Valentine

Can you have more Valentine’s Days? Sure, Fiat Caffe will host the romance for five more days! All you need is a valentine, love for Italian quality coffee and a passion for the great cars.

Walk in with your valentine on any day up to February 18; the new Fiat Caffe on Rajpath, Delhi will surround you with the special spirit of the occasion. Enjoy a complimentary cup of Lavazza (one of the finest coffees of the world,) along with a plate of tasty cookies. There is more; you will get to test drive two of the most useful, beautiful and fuel-efficient cars on Indian roads, the Fiat Punto 2012 and the Fiat Linea 2012.

Fiat Linea 2012 has eight new comfort-features. Power steering that is tilt adjustable, power windows (with a delay feature,) CD, MP3 and FM Player Integrated with 4 Speakers, and volume adjuster that syncs with the speed and central door-locking system are built into the 2012 Fiat Linea. You can adjust rearview mirrors from inside the car and also have additional storage space; there is a parcel shelf at the rear.

Fiat Linea 2012 offers choice of both petrol and diesel variants. Linea’s diesel 1.3L advanced multijet engine develops a healthy 94 BHP power and drives 20.4 KM/L. The petrol version has 14.6 KM/L rating for the 1.4L FIRE 91 BHP engine.
The hatchback, Fiat Punto 2012 too has both diesel and petro versions; you can select from four power variants between 69 BHP and 94 BHP. Petrol driven Fiat Punto (1.2 Fire version,) has fuel-efficiency rating of 15.2 KM/L, while the 1.4 FIRE version goes up to 14.6 KM/L.

Fiat have loaded 1.3 multijet engines for the Punto 2012 diesel models with 20.3 KM/L fuel rating. Power and tile steering, clutch footrest, comfortable seating and other conveniences you expect from a car of this class making riding a pleasure. Depending on the local taxes, Price of the petrol Punto hovers around Rs.4.88 Lakh, Rs.5.12 Lakh and Rs.6.64 Lakh; for the diesel the price range stretches from Rs.5.56 Lakh to Rs.7.17 Lakh.

Fiat Punto is the high-stance hatchback for driving over obstacles easily.

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Fiat India launches FIAT Caffe; showcases glorious Italian heritage

Fiat Caffe
FIAT India Automobiles has announced the launch of FIAT Caffe- an initiative to showcase the distinctive Italian automotive lifestyle experience for FIAT owners and enthusiasts. The Caffe opening at Tolstoy Marg in New Delhi is the first FIAT Caffe in the country. The second Caffe will be launched in Pune which makes India the only country in the world to proudly house two FIAT Caffes.

At the Caffe, customers can go through the latest FIAT India cars on display, take a test drive, browse through FIAT worldwide or FIAT India details, guided by specially trained personnel. The collection of international FIAT merchandise, giant video screens running FIAT ads, stylish and unique furniture & fittings will give a glimpse of FIAT’s vast history and rich heritage while adding a luxury feel to the Caffe There will be special events, product display and previews held at the Caffe from time to time. An in house library will feature books on FIAT’s glorious history, the various sub brands and its sister companies. The guests can enjoy the classic Italian atmosphere while enhancing ones knowledge about their favourite brands, sipping to some authentic Italian coffee, which will be one of the many highlights of the Caffe.

Speaking on this occasion Mr. Rajeev Kapoor, President & CEO FIAT India Automobiles Ltd said, “The launch of FIAT Caffe is an integral part of our strategy to showcase our commitment to the Indian customer and market. With this Caffe we aim to promote our Italian heritage and the ‘real’ FIAT brand, by engaging a passionate connect amongst the audience and prospects with FIAT automobiles. The Caffe will provide us with an opportunity to hold an array of events, both car and lifestyle related, demonstrating the values and culture we share at FIAT, amidst the Italian ambiance while sipping on authentic Italian coffee.”

FIAT will display its merchandise and accessories at these brand stores. It is a marketing initiative with the idea of buzz creation around the brand and aims at making a bold & crisp statement about its presence in India. It also aims at audience and prospect engagement as well as sales facilitation. Globally, FIAT has several Caffes to showcase brands like Ferrari, Lancia, Alfa Romeo and Maserati.
Fiat India

FIAT India Automobiles Limited (FIAL) is a 50-50 Industrial Joint Venture between FIAT Group Automobiles S. p. A., (FIAT) and Tata Motors Limited (Tata) originally incorporated on January 02, 1997. The company employs about 2323 blue & white collar employees and is located at Ranjangaon in the Pune District of Maharashtra. The definitive agreement of the Joint Venture was signed in October 11, 2007. The board of directors for this company comprises of five nominees each from FIAT and Tata.

The state-of-the-art facility at Ranjangaon, which is owned by FIAL, a joint venture company, is capable of producing 200,000 cars and 300,000 engines, besides 300,000 parts & accessories. Currently manufacturing the Palio Stile, Linea and the Grande Punto, the facility also manufactures FIAT’s successful 1.3 litre Multijet diesel engines and 1.2 & 1.4 litre Fire gasoline engine. Apart from FIAT cars, the facility also produces next generation Tata passenger cars. The investment in this Ranjangaon facility already exceeds € 650 Million. The plant provides direct and indirect employment to more than 4,000 people.

Established in 1899, FIAT is one of the world’s major industrial groups. With operations in over 190 countries, the Group has 203 plants, 118 research centers, 633 companies and more than 198,000 employees. One of the founders of the global automotive industry, right from inception FIAT pursued a two-pronged development strategy: penetration into foreign markets and focus on innovation. This focus on innovation is evidenced by the technical quality of its products and the adoption of cutting-edge industrial and organizational systems.
Fiat_Caffe

The Group’s business is carried out through several operating Sectors: FIAT Group Automobiles (FIAT, Lancia, Alfa Romeo and Abarth brands), Maserati and Ferrari (luxury sports cars), CNH (agricultural and construction equipment), Iveco (trucks and commercial vehicles), FIAT Powertrain Technologies (engines and transmissions), Magneti Marelli (automotive components), Teksid (engine blocks, cylinder heads and other components), Comau (automated production systems) and Itedi (publishing & communications).

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Fiat to broaden its reach with the export of Fiat Linea

fiat-linea
In an attempt to boost the sales of the sagging Fiat products in India, Fiat India is finally looking to market its products beyond India. Fiat India Automobiles Limited today announced its intent to increase its focus on exports under which they have exported the Fiat Linea to Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka the inauguration is set for on 29th September, 2011. As far as the dealership is concerned, Speed Italia is rightly going to be taking charge.

Though Fiat Linea is currently being sold in three engine options and 10 variants in India, the car’s penetration in the Indian car market have been very minimal compared to the competition. Fiat India expects to receive a good response to the Linea 1.4 emotion pack in the Sri Lankan market. The first batch of cars which is set for the export comprises of 72 cars of which 50 cars have been allotted to the Sri Lankan Air Force officials on delivery at the time of the inauguration.

As part of this strategy, Fiat has also begun testing new growth opportunities overseas with sharp focus on countries such as Bhutan and Australia as well which are both right hand drive countries. The car market size in Sri Lanka is around 20,000 units per annum. We have targeted to achieve 5 percent in the first year itself.

The company commenced its exports to South Africa and early this year commenced exports to Nepal. The exported batch of Linea is similar to the one driven on Indian roads. Fiat’s products – The Fiat Linea and The Fiat Punto have been well received in South Africa and Nepal.

fiat-grande-punto-2

Speaking on the initiative, Mr. Rajeev Kapoor, CEO, Fiat India Automobiles Limited said, “The Fiat Linea has been very well received by customers and auto enthusiasts in India as it has redefined the segment with its superior design, stylish looks, performance and precision engineering. The export of the Linea to Sri Lanka plays a significant role in reaching out to the international markets and establishing our presence globally. We are confident that we will be able to procreate the success of this car overseas as well and thereby expand our footprint and brand identity across markets. This is a step in the direction of reaffirming our position as an international auto giant.”

Since the company commenced exports from India to right hand drive markets, the company has exported near to 4000 numbers of the Linea & Punto.

posted by carazooblog @ Wednesday, September 28th, 2011 Comments Off links to this post
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Fiat India charts out festive discount to boost Linea, Punto sales

fiat_logo_10cm
Smarting out from their old mistakes, Fiat India had made sure that they would bring in great products to entice Indians in their second outing and they certainly did. But Fiat India somehow fell short somewhere to woo the Indians with their Punto, Linea and other cars.

No, Fiat India cannot be blamed for anything. They actually had charted out some great offers and deals to stay afloat in the market. Some agreements such as Tata-Fiat joint venture to share the dealer space and other minute things though was supposed to have worked on Fiat’s favour did not actually leave the ball rolling for them. But they certainly cannot be blamed.

Fiat Punto and the Fiat Linea are two excellent cars that we have seen on the Indian roads recently but as did mention above, these cars somehow did not make the expected impact in the Indian automotive space. Fiat India, with an intention of leaving the sour grapes behind, first broke away from the Tata-Fiat joint dealerships and is setting up standalone Fiat dealerships. But that’s not just enough to woo the customers and Fiat India knows that.

Fiat-Festive-Discount-Offer

Fiat India has now counting on the on-coming festive season and has already lined up some mouth-watering offers in store for the customers. After all, It’s been quite a while since Fiat India saw its sales charts in the Green.

As part of the large discounts Fiat India is offering, Linea’s price could be slashed upto Rs. 1.3 Lakhs and Punto’s upto Rs 75,000. Well, there is more on the offing. On the Linea, the exchange bonus if worth Rs. 20,000 while Fiat offers you the first year insurance at Rs. 1, a 50,000 Km free roadside assistance and a gift cheque to make for the total of INR 1.3 Lakh. For the Punto, the discount totaling Rs. 75,000, you get an exchange bonus of Rs. 15,000, while Fiat offers you the first year insurance at Rs 1, a 50,000 Km free roadside assistance and a gift cheque.

posted by carazooblog @ Thursday, September 22nd, 2011 Comments Off links to this post
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Fiat may bring Sedici to India

2010-Fiat-Sedici-Performance-
Fiat India, despite having some rightly priced gorgeous cars in its portfolio, is sailing through a rough patch, thanks to the dwindling car sales. Fiat India to keep its ship afloat, has devised some plans and programmes that could be implemented very soon in the Indian market.

First things first, Fiat is contemplating to introduce a compact SUV in the Indian market. This particular move by Fiat seems smart now if everything goes right for the Italian major. It must be noted that the unexplored compact SUV market is the next destination for most of the automakers trying to hit gold. Fiat India also wants to become a player in the compact SUV segment and wants to bring in its Sedici compact SUV soon into India.

Fiat-Sedici--Front-Side-

Fiat Sedici is a product built by Suzuki Motors on the SX4 platform at its facility in Hungary. The Sedici was first showcased by Fiat in the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. The SUV was mainly conceptualized and developed for the European market. Obviously, if the Fiat Sedici makes it way to India, expect it to be tuned to suit the Indian conditions.

Fiat India currently has a hatchback Grande Punto and sedan Linea in its portfolio apart from the iconic Fiat 500. The Italian car major, in its second outing in India has tied up with Tata Motors to retail Fiat cars in India but the idea seems to going flat somewhere. Fiat India has to get its portfolio right and now desperately wants a fuel-efficient SUV in its portfolio to partially complete its line up in India.

Fiat Sedici back

This is where Fiat Sedici comes in, as it is an SUV by nature and quite fuel efficient in that. The other important but decisive factor is the price and the Sedici fits the bill to the T as it could be kept under the Rs 7 lakhs bracket.

Apart from Fiat, Premier, the erstwhile partner of Fiat India has come out with its compact SUV named Rio in collaboration with Zoyte motors of China. Mahindra & Mahindra is already working on a compact Xylo SUV, which is likely to hit the roads next year.

posted by carazooblog @ Thursday, June 23rd, 2011 Comments Off links to this post
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Fiat Linea sparkles at the Lakme Fashion Week

Pic 1.) R-L Mr. Ravi Bhatia, VP- Commercial Fiat,Desinger Little Shilpa, Mr. Marius D'Lima, Head, Corporate Communications, Fiat
Fiat and Fashion goes hand in hand. Yep, look at the new Linea or Punto or the 500, all the Fiat cars oozes style and sense in equal quantity. Recently, Fiat made an emphatic style statement as the exclusive automobile partner of the Lakme Fashion Week. Ace Designer Little Shilpa stylized Fiat Linea with sparkling embellishments that perfectly complimented its association with the fashion extravaganza, The Lakme Fashion Week. Fashionistas and style-czars were dazzled by the glamorous showcasing of the stunning Fiat Linea.

Fiat’s association with Little Shilpa to dress up the Fiat Linea as the show car underpins its commitment to redefining luxury and performance. Akin to the striking Fiat Linea, leading fashion designer Little Shilpa is known for redefining fashion precincts, setting unprecedented trends and having a futuristic approach to style.

The Fiat Linea redefines luxury with its classy exterior, plush interior, and advanced technology. The car offers a perfect blend of sophisticated style, guaranteed performance, class-leading comfort, and all in all an outstanding ride. Its association with Lakme Fashion Week appropriates this social stature along with reinforcing its position in the lifestyle segment.

Speaking on the association, Mr. Rajeev Kapoor, President & CEO, Fiat India Automobiles Ltd. said, “Our collaboration with Lakme Fashion Week as the exclusive automobile partner offers us an ideal platform to showcase the avant-garde automotive design and splendor of the Fiat Linea. The quintessence of this association emphasizes our deep commitment to continually setting new benchmarks by creating luxurious products for people with superior demands. We are happy that India’s leading accessory stylist Little Shilpa has elegantly reinvented the stunning Linea further enhancing the oomph factor of the car and making it the true show stopper of the fashion week.”

Little Shilpa added, “I feel very privileged to be associated with Fiat. The Linea’s sleek silhouette, sophisticated contours and unique style is hugely inspiring for creative minds. With increasing Fiat Linea’s fashion quotient as the brief, I decided on the usage of the shimmering crystals in my design for the Fiat Linea, accentuating its beauty further.”

posted by carazooblog @ Tuesday, March 15th, 2011 Comments Off links to this post
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The New Facelifted Suzuki SX4 2011

2011-SX4
The Chinese version of the Suzuki SX4 is up for a facelift. And guess what, the leaked images of the facelifted SX4 sedan are already doing the rounds among the online automotive fraternity. But calling it a mere facelift would be an injustice, because along with facelift exercise, the new Suzuki SX4 becomes smaller also.

As of now, we do not have a lot of information on the upcoming SX4 except the look. The length of the new SX4 is now reduced by 20mm, but considering the mammoth length of the car, the reduction is likely to go unnoticed by a lot of people. Additionally, the front grille of the new SX4 is totally new and gets chrome treatment all over. The headlamp pair is slightly changed from the previous model, but then again, that might escape your eyes too. The reworked rear bumper, boot lid and tail lamps bring the new SX4 more in line with the Kizashi sedan.

The new Suzuki SX4 2011 will be equipped with two powerful petrol engines, a 1.6ltr and a 1.8ltr. Suzuki will be launching the new SX4 during Guangzhou Auto Show that is scheduled to start by December 2010.

2011-SX4 in China

Speculations say that the 2011 Suzuki SX4 will not be launched in the Indian market and the reasons more than obvious. When the Maruti Suzuki SX4 was launched in the Indian market, it generated quite a little interest among the people who always wanted a premium sedan from MSI. But as the competition increased in the segment with cars like VW Vento, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Verna, Fiat Linea and Honda City, Maruti Suzuki SX4 sales took a beating in the market.

posted by carazooblog @ Monday, November 22nd, 2010 Comments Off links to this post
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Ssangyong Shows Signs of Recovery, Releases Fresh Images of Korando C

Ssangyong-Korando-C
Now that Mahindra & Mahindra has finally taken the reigns of the distressed South Korean SUV maker in its capable hands, things are moving pretty smooth for the latter. Ssangyong Motors has finally shipped its first consignment of the mid-level SUV, the Korando C from South Korea earlier this month.

Last few years, to say the least, have been anything but smooth for Ssangyong. What with the financial crunch caused by global financial crisis, and labor union strikes that made the facility look worse than a battlefield. The situation was so worse that helicopters and battalions were brought in to bring the situation under control. To top it all, the company also struggled with management restructuring, investors backing out and bankruptcy.

But, amid this entire hullabaloo, the company managed to keep itself afloat and managed to focus on development of Korando C. And finally, the company has shipped about 450 units of Korando C from the Pyeongtaek International Port in Gyeonggi for Tarragona, Spain and Antwerp, Belgium. Ssangyong is investing high hopes on the vehicle, expecting it puts the struggling automaker back on its feet.

On this glorious occasion, Lee Yoo-il, joint manager of Ssangyong, said, “The Korando C is a model that strengthens Ssangyong’s mid and long-term lineups and is a strategic model that will contribute to stabilizing the company.”

One major turning point in the history of Ssangyong has been the buy-out by M&M. The Indian SUV manufacturer has brought in the desperately needed financial liquidity in the South Korean company. The SUVs are headed for mainly Western European countries. The automaker also plans to ship 10,000 Korando C models by the end of the year and distribute its products to global customers using its strong 1,200 dealer network around the world.

“We hope to expand our global sales based on growing product demand worldwide, especially in new emerging markets such as Russia and South America,” Ssangyong said in a press release. The automaker also noted that “exports to developed markets are expected to increase as well,” which will help Ssangyong increase its market share in the overall European sports utility vehicle industry.

ssangyong_korando-c_

The Korando C is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine that churns out 175bhp. Advance safety features in the SUV include ABS, EBD and Airbags to name a few.

One thing for sure is that this car will definitely make it to the Indian market by 2012. The SUV is likely to be priced a little above the Mahindra Scorpio.

History has shown that most cars that are launched on the threshold of a bankruptcy emerge as the life savers for the company. The Jaguar XF did it for Jaguar, the Cruze did it for Chevrolet, the Punto and 500 did it for Fiat. Let’s just hope the Korando C does it for Sangyong as well.

posted by carazooblog @ Tuesday, September 28th, 2010 Comments Off links to this post
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Nissan Micra Sedan Renderings

Even before the Micra hatch became a hit in the Indian market, Nissan had announced its willingness to launch the sedan version of the same. We have earlier brought to you the exclusive spy pictures of the Nissan’s V-platform based Micra/March sedan undergoing routine tests in China ahead of its launch next year.

These spy images showed peeled back tail lamps and an overall silhouette that resembled the larger Teana. Headlightmag, based on these pictures, have come up with renderings of how the final Micra sedan might look like. The spy images have shown that the Micra sedan would have more style substance than other hatch-turned-sedans like the Tata Indigo and Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire. The Micra/March sedan is expected to be launched in China, Thailand and India in 2011.

The Nissan Micra sedan boasts of a spacious cabin and strong build. The sedan will be powered by a 1.5 liter diesel engine (same as the one we have in the Micra hatch) & 1.6 liter petrol is also on the cards. At a later stage, the Japanese company may also provide a CVT transmission on the new sedan.

The Micra sedan looks like it has borrowed the windshield, doors, hood, OVRMs and many other parts from the Micra. With an increased wheelbase, the car definitely looks large. The car is expected to be 4200-4390 mm long. It is believed to be 1690 mm wide and around 1490 mm high. That quickly translates into the interiors being larger with increased space for occupants.

nissan-march-sedan

Coming to the prices, we know that Nissan Motors is using the Micra hatchback platform for the sedan. And the cost benefit that the company would enjoy by doing this would definitely be extended to the customers too, or that’s what we are hoping for. When launched, it will compete with well established sedans like the Honda City, VW Vento, Fiat Linea and the upcoming new Ford Fiesta and Etios sedan.

posted by carazooblog @ Monday, September 27th, 2010 Comments Off links to this post
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