FIAT India Automobiles Ltd today announced a growth of 57% in sales for the month of April 2010 over April 2009. Fiat India’s total sales (including exports) of FIAT branded vehicles in April 2010 stood at 1,800 as compared to 1,205 vehicles sold in April 2009.

The company’s cumulative sales (including exports) for the fiscal currently stands at 2022 vehicles as against 1289 vehicles sold last year. With these impressive numbers, Fiat India has witnessed a 57% growth in fiscal sales for the year 2010-11 as against 2009-10.

Fiat currently offers the Fiat Linea, Fiat Grande Punto, Fiat Palio and Fiat 500 in the Indian market.

Fiat is fixing a target of 130000 cars by the period reaching 2014, which is likely to include the new B-segment car(coming out in 2102), two models of Grande Punto [images] and Linea (C segment). The move is to hike the share of Fiat to 5% by 2014 at 2.6 million cars and utility vehicles. In the meantime there will be a modification in Linea [images] in 2013 costing Rs4 lakhs, to be the key driver of the future auto industry in India. Fiat is in association with Tata Motors for acquiring facility usage in Ranjangaon. By making use of this facility, Fiat is likely to come out with 60000 cars by the end of 2010-11.

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Courtesy: Vicky.in, Leading Car & Bike Portal in India

Here is an awesome video of a Roadtrip experience of two prolific bloggers went in their dream car “Fiat 500″

Thanks to our customer, Mahajan Rajesh who recently purchased Fiat Punto, for sharing this wonderful review about his new car

The boot space is luxurious for any small hatchback. it can pack an enormous 30″ suitcase or two 22″ suitcases comfortably and some bags. This makes it suitable for a family excursion of up to 10-15 days.

In a nushell, I find this car not only the most beautiful in this category, but also the best value for the money spent. when i compare it with other premium hatchbacks like Ritz, Swift, i20, UVa, Vista etc.

Complete review here

True to its commitment of offering customers top class automobiles, Fiat today announced the launch of their two new Grande Punto variants: Fiat 1.2 FIRE Dynamic and Fiat 1.2 FIRE Emotion in the heart of the premium petrol hatchback segment. With the launch of these variants Fiat can now woo the Indian consumer with an irresistible offer  - an array of features present in the new variants and the bold pricing of these cars.

Grande Punto, Fiat’s best selling large hatch offers incredible standard high end features like Tilt Steering, Front Power windows, Fire Prevention System, and Programmed Service Reminder in its entry level 1.2 Activevariant. Apart from these, the 1.2 Dynamic variant will also offer rear power windows and central locking system. As a special introductory offer, the 1.2 Dynamic will also come fitted with an exclusive CD/MP3 player, for limited period of one month.

Meanwhile, the 1.2 Emotion variant will go beyond the Dynamic to come with an integrated audio system with 4 speakers, electric mirrors, fog lamps, dual tone dashboard and split seats amongst a host of other impressive features. With a majority of the B plus segment consumers in India being value conscious, the 1.2 FIRE Grande Punto Dynamic, priced at Rs. 4.57 lakhs and the 1.2 FIRE Grande Punto Emotion, priced at Rs. 4.87 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi) offer the ‘real’ and ‘complete’ deal. The Grande Punto 1.2 FIRE, with BSIV compliance also boasts of an improved fuel efficiency of 15.2 kmpl. With no other auto major offering such top end features at such nominal pricing, Fiat’s new variants pack a powerful punch. The widest range of 9 variants in the Grande Punto is a true testament to Fiat’s continual focus of giving the customers exactly what they desire.

In India, the Grande Punto is positioned within the same auto segment as the Hyundai i20, Honda Jazz and the VW Polo.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Rajeev Kapoor, President & CEO, Fiat India Automobiles Ltd, said,” The Premium Hatchback segment has seen a lot of activity and witnessed a strong growth of 59% in 2009. Our new variants are a response to our customer’s requirement of feature laden cars at reasonable prices. These impressive variants also give us a great opportunity to expand our presence in the B plus market segment which is one of the most important ones in India. With these launches, we are confident of providing to the consumer yet another memorable automotive experience like no other, courtesy Fiat.”

The 1.2 FIRE Grande Punto Dynamic and 1.2 FIRE Emotion promise the consumer of supreme comfort with the car being one of the largest in the hatch back segment. Its significantly robust build and impressive low end torque will provide a customer with one of the safest and most comfortable drives available today. In addition to this, the new variants also have a 2 year unlimited kilometres warranty and a 15,000 kilometres service interval which is the longest service interval available in the segment and results in much lower cost of ownership. Consumers will have the option of choosing from 8 electrifying colours: Bossa Nova White, Exotica Red, Minimal Grey, Hip Hop Black, Medium Grey, Electric Blue and 2 new Premium Colours: Fox Trot Azure and Tuscan Wine.

The variants will be priced at:

The Fiat Grande Punto, since its launch last year, has taken the market by storm with its beautiful designing and impressive styling. With its design being attributed to Mr. Giorgetto Giugiaro – the ‘car designer of the century’, the car has won numerous accolades in the Indian, the latest being

• Car of the Year Award 2009 for Premium Hatchback - the ET Zigwheels.
• Car with the Best Styling & Design by UTV Autocar Awards - 2010.
• The Most Beautiful Car of the year by BBC TopGear -2009

The car’s sleek and aggressive looks have made many a head turn and many a jaw drop. With both critics and buyers taking dearly to this vehicle, the Grande Punto has already made a significant mark in the Indian auto scenario since its launch. The new variants along with the existing Fiat models are available through 101 TATA-FIAT dealers across 78 cities and can be booked from 15^th March 2010 onwards.

With superb features and such a bold pricing, the Fiat Grande Punto 1.2 FIRE Dynamic and Emotion are yet another significant mark by Fiat on the Indian auto scenario.

A good news for all Fiat fans in India. Fiat India is planning to launch a first ever made-for-India car in the Indian market by 2011. Prototypes will arrive in India in a year’s time for extensive road trials.

The results and feedback from the trials will lead to the final round of tweaking before Fiat India Automobiles Ltd begins manufacturing the small car at its Ranjangaon facility

Fiat India president and CEO Rajeev Kapoor said the small car to be positioned between the A and B segments was already off the drawing board. “The small car - conceived for the Indian market - has been designed at Fiat’s legendary design studio in Turin. There are several steps between the drawing board to actual production-grade vehicles. The car will definitely be launched in 2011,” he said.

Courtesy: TimesOfIndia

Ready, Set, Vrooom! With that motto in mind, Fiat India flagged off a drive of epic proportions called ‘Fiat Diesel Drives India’ today. ‘Fiat Diesel Drives India’ will be taking Fiat’s 4 multijet diesel offerings- the Linea, Grande Punto, Palio and Fiat 500 through testing Indian terrains over a period of a month and a half. This one-of-a-kind journey will traverse through diverse terrains within 16 states in India, clocking over 10,000 kilometers in total. The drive has been aimed at generating awareness about Fiat’s rich history in connection with diesel technology as well as their longstanding success in rolling out endurance driven, yet stylish and classy automobiles.

The drive will involve auto journalists from India’s top auto magazines, namely, Zigwheels, Car India, Overdrive, Auto India, BS Motoring, Autocar India, AutoBild, Top Gear, Auto Exchange, Automotive Product Finder and a special team of auto experts. In addition to this, the drive will also involve electronic channels like ET Now, NDTV 24X7, CNBC TV 18, NDTV India, Zee Business, UTVi, Aaj Tak, IBN7, Times Now, online portals such as Carwale.com, teambhp.com and publications such as New Indian Express. Through the course of the drive, these esteemed experts will take Fiat’s diesel engines to the extreme by taking the 4 cars through a stern test of power, performance and engine finesse. With this drive, Fiat, the inventor and pioneer of the high tech Multijet diesel engines, aims to stamp its authority on the diesel scenario in India as well as create further awareness about their engine’s presence in majority of the cars in India.

Speaking at the flag off, Mr. Rajeev Kapoor, President & CEO, FIAL, said, “Fiat’s diesel inventions and technology constitute a landmark position in global automobile history. Our state of the art 1.3 multijet engines have revolutionized the diesel movement and achieved unparalleled success abroad. The engines have always performed admirably and with excellent finesse in all kinds of diverse climates and terrains across the world. Fiat’s success story in India has also been somewhat similar. In India, though the dynamic climate and unpredictable terrains in particular has been a challenging test for our engines, we have overcome the test with flying colors. The ‘Fiat Diesel Drives India’ drive is Fiat’s way of showing that our engines have passed the Great Indian test and are at the highest level of competency and reliability as technology today can provide.”

Through the extensive drive, Fiat will also look to reinforce the presence of their strong and ever growing network across India. Today, the Tata-Fiat network constitutes 99 dealerships and 6 point of sales spanning across 77 cities in the country. All these dealerships have a separate identity for Fiat and offer an international ownership experience for customers.

‘Fiat Diesel Drives India’ promises to be an exhilarating and novel drive that experiences India and all its cultural flavours

Mr. Rajeev Kapoor, CEO Fiat India, at the launch of Fiat First - a comprehensive service program

Mr. Rajeev Kapoor , CEO Fiat India at the launch of Fiat First - a comprehensive customer service program

Mr Rajeev Kapoor, CEO Fiat,Mr. Vikram Sinha, VP Customer Service Tata Motors and Mr. Ravi Bhatia, VP Commercial, Fiat India at the launch of Fiat First - a comprehensive customer service program

‘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