‘Fiat’, known for its stylish cars and legacy, holds a special place in the hearts of many Indians. Many people in the country remember Fiat as their first car and a now a whole new generation of Indians are discovering the Fiat of their time and age. The year 2009 has been a revival of sorts for one of the country’s most endeared car brands. For the past few years Fiat has been preparing for this new phase in the Indian market and the efforts have met with tremendous response. The beginning of the year saw the launch of its stylish and elegant sedan, Linea which is at the core of Fiat’s success in recent times.

Linea within nine months of its launch has crossed the milestone of clocking more than 10,000 units. This figure becomes even more important considering that Fiat sold a total of 3550 cars in the corresponding period last year from January to September. Also, the Grande Punto has sold more than 5000 units within three months of its introduction.

Speaking about the milestone, Mr. Rajeev Kapoor, CEO, Fiat India Automobiles Ltd said, “Fiat is a brand which has been deeply rooted in the Indian psyche for many decades now. Our dream is to see a lot many Fiat vehicles plying on Indian roads. The milestone achieved by Linea is a testimony that we are inching closer towards this goal. Now, we are confident that the Grande Punto will emulate if not exceed this success.”

Fiat India is targeting sales of 50,000 units in the next financial year apart from planning a few variants of both its model—Grande Punto and Linea—within the next two years.

“We hope to sell 50,000 units in 2010-11. We are also planning a few variants of the Grande Punto and Linea,” said Fiat India president and CEO Rajeev Kapoor in New Delhi.

Sales of the company’s small car Grande Punto, launched a couple of months back, is picking up, Kapoor said.

“We are currently selling 1,800 units of Grande Punto every month and hope this number will reach 2,000 by Diwali,” Kapoor said. “More variants of Punto and Linea are lined up in the next one to two years.”

He, however, declined to give the specifics of the variants, the company plans to launch.

Linea is currently selling around 1,000 units every month.

Asked about phasing out its hatchback Palio Stile, the company’s bread and butter model once, Kapoor said, decision in this regard would be taken after two years

Courtesy: LiveMint

Fiat India Automobiles Limited, a 50:50 Joint Venture between Tata Motors Limited and Fiat Group Automobiles SpA today announced the completion of financial closure for projects at their plant. The projects involve manufacturing Powertrain and Fiat & Tata branded cars at their Ranjangaon plant near Pune. The company has finalised three syndicated secured credit facility agreements with a consortium of Indian and International banks for a total amount equivalent to INR 25 billion.

All the Syndicated Credit Facilities have been arranged by Citibank N.A. acting through its Mumbai, London and Milan offices and include:

* An ECB Credit Facility, supported an insurance policy issued by SACE (the Italian export credit agency), for an amount of EURO 130 million, with a tenor of seven years, intended for capital expenditures purposes of the company

* An INR Term Credit Facility for an amount of INR 10 billions with a tenor of 6 years, intended for capital expenditures purposes of the company

* An INR Short Term Revolving Credit Facility for an amount of INR 6 billions, with a tenor of 364 days, intended for working capital purposes of the company

The participating banks are Calyon, Citibank, Deutsche Bank and Natixis under the ECB Credit Facility; State Bank of India, IDBI Bank, Punjab National Bank and Union Bank of India under the INR Term Credit Facility and State Bank of India, IDBI Bank, Punjab National Bank, Union Bank of India and Citibank under the INR Short Term Revolving Credit Facility.

Fiat India Automobiles Limited (FIAL) today announced its intent to increase its focus on exports under which they have exported the recently launched Fiat Linea to South Africa.

As part of this strategy, Fiat has begun testing new growth opportunities overseas with sharp focus on SAARC countries like Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka as well as other right hand drive countries. The company targets to export 7000 units of Fiat’s India manufactured cars this year.

As a first step the company has exported a batch of Fiat Linea to South Africa. The exported batch of Linea is similar to the one driven on Indian roads. Fiat’s products have been well received in South Africa in the past and cars were supplied to this country from Fiat’s plants in Brazil and Europe. Fiat India expects to receive a good response to the Linea 1.4 emotion pack in this market.

Speaking on the initiative, Mr. Rajeev Kapoor, CEO, Fiat India Automobiles Limited said, “The Fiat Linea has been extremely well received by customers and auto enthusiasts in India as it has redefined the segment with its superior design, performance and precision engineering. The export of the Linea to South Africa is an integral part of our endeavour to reach out to international markets and establish our presence beyond India. We are confident that we will be able to replicate 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.”

This is not the first time that Fiat has entered an export venture in South Africa. In the last 12 months, the company has exported Palio to South Africa

Auto maker Tata Motors announced that in order to provide an added facility of passenger vehicle finance to its customers, it has entered into an understanding with State Bank of Hyderabad for financing of Fiat cars. The Fiat cars are available through the Tata-Fiat dealer network.

Fiat customers can avail loans up to 85 per cent of the on-road price, for tenure ranging up to 7 years, at an attractive interest rate of 10.25-10.75 per cent p.a. for new Fiat cars of their choice from the Fiat Linea, the Fiat Palio Stile and recently launched Fiat Grande Punto. This facility will be available at all the branches of State Bank of Hyderabad (except Service branches). This tie-up will provide consumers a single window for availing loans for the whole range of Fiat cars distributed by Tata Motors.

The State Bank of Hyderabad a government owned bank and the State Bank of India’s largest Associate. Customers can also avail the facility at the 100 sales touch points of Tata-Fiat distribution Network.

Thank you Vicky.in for such a detailed review of our Grande Punto

Fiat GP packs-in comprehensive equipment levels, state-of-the-art technology and the superior driving dynamics of large. Above all, Grande Punto comes at an incredible price tag. If the marketing and customer service programme is successful as it hopes, the Grande Punto is set to be a grand success for Fiat.

More here

Fiat India Automobiles Ltd today unveiled its latest offering in the premium hatchback segment – the Grande Punto. The car arouses strong emotions with its sleek, aggressive lines and conveys an impression of elegance and compactness.

The Grande Punto’s sporty and muscular styling can be attributed to the ‘Car Designer of the Century’ Giorgetto Giugiaro. The strong character of the Grande Punto is defined by a sleek and aggressive nose which conveys an incredibly real dynamism. The rear end is softer and rounder, and it balances the aggressive front end. In true Fiat tradition, the exciting design of the car is complemented by adherence and exceeding of superior quality standards. Internationally, Grande Punto has an excellent track record and has produced and already sold 1.6 Million units across markets.

The car is agile and probably delivers the most enjoyable drive in its segment. This brilliance is derived from the state-of-the-art FIRE (Fully Integrated Robotized Engine) and MULTIJET engines which combine superb performance with low fuel consumption. To add to it, these engines are also environment friendly and Euro 4 ready.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Rajeev Kapoor, CEO, Fiat India Automobiles Ltd said, “The launch of the Grande Punto marks a new milestone for Fiat in India as we bring the quintessentially Italian design to Indian shores. Our previous launch the C plus sedan, Linea, has met with tremendous response and we are confident that our latest premium hatchback offering will also excite our customers. The Grande Punto is unique and is designed to be the new benchmark in terms of style. We believe that the B plus segment in India has been under tapped and consumers are increasingly looking forward to driving world renowned, international brands on Indian roads. The Grande Punto will offer safety and quality standards that are particularly high for its segment at a very competitive price. The car will tempt its prospective customers with one of the most pleasurable drives in the segment and will also be an exciting proposition for its customers with its great price/content ratio. Grande Punto is for demanding customers who love hatchbacks and yet want the luxury of a sedan. The high level of localisation which will increase to 85% by December 2009 has helped us aggressively price the Punto. “

The car will be manufactured at the company’s state-of-the-art Ranjangaon plant near Pune and will be launched across India through an aggressive communication campaign through print and television. The Grande Punto will be available in India with two petrol engines (1.2 and1.4 FIRE) and one diesel (1.3 multijet). The 1.2 petrol engine option with its safety features and aggressive price will form an attractive option for buyers who are potential small hatch back buyers. Additionally, Fiat offers a two year unlimited mileage warranty on the Grande Punto  which is one of the best in the segment.

The Tata-Fiat dealer network will ensure easy availability of the car and prompt after-sales service for its owners. The Grande Punto will be retailed through the Tata-Fiat dealer network. The company has over 100 points of sales & service outlets allowing a much wider base of customers to experience the Grande Punto. To further enhance customer experience and strengthen after sales support for Grande Punto, a series of initiatives have been undertaken and over 800 dealer sales & service staff have undergone extensive training. New dealer identity norms have been introduced at showrooms and workshops which meet international standards.

The Grande Punto comes loaded with features and will be available in three versions known as Active, Dynamic & Emotion for both the petrol and diesel variants. Additionally a fully loaded Emotion Option Pack will also be available. At the time of launch, consumers can choose from a range of 6 electrifying colors: Bossa Nova White, Hip Hop Black, Minimal Grey, Medium Grey, Exotica Red and Electric Blue. The Grande Punto will be priced as follows:

Globally, the third generation Fiat supermini, the Grande Punto was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show and is certified with EURO NCAP 5 star ratings in Europe which will ply soon on Indian roads. Many would agree, the Grande Punto is a perfect follow up to the Linea and symbolises the Fiat brand’s journey back into reckoning in the competitive world of the Indian car industry.

Style:

§ Sporty grill

§ Flared wheel arches

§ Muscular contours

§ Sporty dual tone interiors

§ Sporty wide profile 195/60 R15 15” alloys

Comfort & convenience:

§ Electrically adjustable outside rear view mirror

§ Automatic Climate Control

§ Blue & Me: unique technology developed jointly by Microsoft & Fiat. Unique technology to connect and sync mobile via blue tooth and voice dial / read SMS

§ Customized instrument display setting with My Car

§ Remote foldable key

§ Intelligent rear de-fogger : switches off after 20 minutes to prevent damage to the glass

§ Convenient driver facing key slot

§ Intelligent Ignition: prevents turning the key when the engine is running

Safety:

§ ABS with EBD

§ Dual stage front driver & passenger airbags : unique system deploys the air-bags depending on the severity of the impact

§ Fire prevention system: cuts off fuel in case of an impact to reduce chances of fire

§ Fiat Code System: Immobilizer with rolling code

§ Load limiters and pre-tensioners

Engineering Technology

§ Unique CAN bus system with 7 micro-chips – no conventional wiring in this car.

Engines:

§ 1.2 FIRE (Petrol) engine: 68.2 ps @ 6000 rpm and 95.75 Nm @ 2500 rpm

§ 1.4 FIRE (Petrol) engine: 90ps @ 6000 rpm and 115 Nm @ 4500 rpm

§ 1.3 Multijet (Diesel) engine: 76 ps @ 4000 rpm and 197 Nm @ 1750 rpm

Recognitions for the Grande Punto:

Grande Punto has met with tremendous response across the world and the numerous accolades mentioned below are a testimony to that:

In few hours from now, the much awaited Grande Punto will be officially launched in India. Get ready for the bold challenge…For the moment, stay tuned

Be ready to visit the small wonder from Fiat on 17th June. Till then take the challenge at  fiatpunto.in.