Fiat India opens new showroom in South Mumbai

Fiat's expansion plan continues with yet another showroom in Mumbai, Esskay Motors, its first official showroom in South Mumbai.

Fiat India has finally opened a brand new showroom in South Mumbai, Esskay Motors on February 20, 2014. The new showroom in the popular Prabhadevi area marks a long awaited return of an exclusive Fiat showroom in South Mumbai for the first time in over a decade. The new showroom has a floor space of over 8,500 square feet with display space for four cars and a state of the art workshop of 18,000 square feet, which shall be operational in a months time. Nagesh Basavanhalli, President and MD of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles India Operations and C. K. Parkash, Chairman and MD, Esskay Motors inaugurated the showroom.

Apart from the 2013 Fiat Punto and the newly launched 2014 Fiat Linea, the Fiat Avventura concept car and the Fiat 500 Abarth will also be on display till March 23, 2014. The Fiat Avventura is stated to be launched by August with the Fiat 500 Abarth scheduled for launch later this year. Fiat will also launch the all-new Fiat Punto in late 2014 making their total tally of four new cars in the 2014 calendar year.

Speaking on the occasion, Nagesh Basavanhalli said, “FIAT India views Mumbai as a very strategic market and the inauguration of an exclusive dealership is in accordance with our strategy to capitalise on this potential. We are confident that our association with Esskay Motors will play a crucial role in identifying the customer base and enhancing customer experience in Mumbai. Fiat has brought these cars to the city for an exclusive viewing, on demand of its fans and customers here.”


C. K. Parkash, Chairman and Managing Director, Esskay Motors said, “FIAT cars are prominent all over India for their aesthetic design and their engineering superiority. We are extremely proud to become exclusive dealers of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in Mumbai and with an experienced management team and well trained technicians we are confident of replicating world class dealership and after-sales experience to the car buyers here”


Since its official split from the Tata group in April last year, Fiat India has opened 105 new showrooms in various cities and towns around the country with a total of 150 showrooms planned by the end of 2014. Fiat India has also ensured higher levels of customer service and a large consignment of spare parts which will be kept in stock so as to felicitate quicker turn around times for its new customers.   

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After domestic launch, Fiat to export Avventura

Fiat Group Automobiles India (FGAIPL) is working on an export strategy for its soon to be launched compact utility vehicle Avventura built on the Punto platform.

While the company did not disclose details, it said plans to export Avventura to key global markets will be initiated after the vehicle is launched in the domestic market.

“We will be looking at right-hand driven markets as a priority but there is no firm plan yet on which those markets are going to be. Our priority will also be to make sure we have enough capacity to cater to the domestic market,” said Nagesh Basavanhalli, president and managing director, FGAIPL.


While the company has not given the exact launch date, Avventura is expected to be launched before December 2014.


Avventura, built indigenously, was first introduced at the recently concluded Auto Expo in Greater Noida. The vehicle will be available in both petrol and diesel variants in the domestic market.

FGAIPL claims it is pulling all punches to make a comeback in the market from the product and the dealership perspective.

In the pipeline are plans to launch iconic car brand Abarth — which will initially be launched as a completely built unit and eventually be assembled locally to bring down costs — and the new Punto. All launches will take place before December 2104.

FGAIPL, which is a subsidiary of Italian carmaker Fiat, has already seen a 72% jump in sales volume to 10,278 vehicles during the April 2013-February 2014 period on a year-on-year basis.

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Fiat to locally assemble Abarth in India from 2015

 

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles India operations president and MD Nagesh Basavanhalli on Friday said the company will begin locally assembling the Abarth at its Ranjangaon plant near Pune from 2015.

The company, which showcased the Fiat Abarth 500 at the Delhi Auto Expo, however, is yet to take a decision on which of the Abarth models it will begin assembling at the plant. The Abarth 500 is one of the four new cars that the Italian car maker has lined up for the 2014 launch in India. The Fiat 500 Abarth will be brought through the CBU route but we will have a local Abarth in 2015 as well, he said.

“... We will retain the DNA of the car, he added. The Abarth portfolio includes the Abarth 500 and Abarth Punto and is known among the raching enthusiasts.

Fiat has just launched the new Linea in the Indian market, and will bring the Abarth 500, the new hatchback Avventura and the refreshed Punto before end December.

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Fiat launches new Linea

Fiat Group Automobiles India has rolled out its new Linea with several loaded features.

The prices of the seven variants of the car range from Rs 6.99 lakh to Rs 9.72 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi.


The new Linea comes with four petrol and three diesel versions. The lowest, Linea Active, is priced at Rs 6.99 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi, and Rs 7.22 lakh ex-showroom Mumbai.


The T-Jet Active cost Rs 7.44 lakh in Delhi and Rs 7.65 lakh in Mumbai. The T Jet Dynamic version is priced at Rs 8.53 and Rs 8.77 lakh in Delhi and Mumbai respectively. The T Jet Emotion is priced at Rs 9.01 and Rs 9.27 lakh in Delhi and Mumbai, respectively.

In diesel, the Multi Jet Active will cost Rs 8.15 and Rs 8.35 in Delhi and Mumbai respectively. Multi Jet Dynamic is priced at Rs 9.27 and Rs 9.50 lakh while Multi Jet Emotion will cost Rs 9.72 and 9.96 lakh in Delhi and Mumbai, respectively.


Among the bells and whistles on offer is a new cruise control feature for comfortable and safe driving at high speeds. The new Linea also comes with safety features such as ABS with EBD, dual stage airbags along with early crash sensors.


The car is also longest in the segment with best in class ground clearance. Among the external features, it comes kitted with bigger alloy wheels, new bumper and grille, ORVM with turn indicators.

It also comes with features like rain sensing wipers, automatic on/off headlamps, reverse parking sensors, Follow Me Home headlamps. In terms of infotainment, the car packs in Fiat's 'Blue and Me TM" technology with voice commands, steering mounted audio controls, USB & Aux in inputs and unique 'car' features among others.


Nagesh Basavanhalli, president and MD, FIAT Chrysler India Operations, said, "Fiat India will also be launching more models this year and with a 100 plus dealer network and upcoming marketing initiatives, we will be in a strong position to capitalize on the competitive market." 

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Fiat Linea facelift launch date, price and features revealed?

New Linea facelift was officially revealed at the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo. Expected to be launched on 4th March, with a starting price of Rs 7.64 lakhs for the base petrol variant and Rs 8.24 lakhs for the base diesel variant, bookings of the new Linea are now open and you can book yours at a nearby Fiat India dealership for a booking amount of Rs 25,000.

To be offered in a choice of petrol and diesel engine options, the trims will continue to be the same as present – Active, Dynamic and Emotion. Petrol engine is in the form of 1.4l TJet, delivering 114 PS power and 207 Nm torque. For diesel, it will be the trusted 1.3l MultiJet, delivering 93 PS power and 209 Nm torque. Both these variants will be mated to five speed manual transmissions, and not automatic gearbox is on offer. Apart from this, Fiat India also has two new color options – called Perla Nadir and Magnesium Grey.


Linea Active will come with ABS, disc brakes on all four wheels, central locking, dual tone dash, auto headlights, rear AC vents, power windows, electrical ORVMs, mileage indicator, tilt steering, rear defogger, rain sensing wipers, programmable follow-me-home headlamps and chrome exhaust tip. Linea Active Petrol will cost Rs 7.64 lakh, and Active diesel will cost Rs 8.24 lakh.


Features on offer with the new Linea Dynamic trim are 15 inch alloys, 195/60 tyres, dual stage front airbags, climate control, adjustible driver’s seat, steering mounted audio controls, rear AC vents, music system with four speakers and two tweeters, connectivity in the form of USB, Bluetooth, Aux-IN, CD, MP3, reverse parking sensors, leather wrapped gear knob and steering wheel, Microsoft’s ‘Blue & Me’ app that will allow pairing upto five devices. Linea Dynamic petrol will cost Rs 8.56 lakh, and diesel will cost Rs 9.36 lakh.

Speaking about the top of the line Linea Emotion, it will come with all the above features, plus 16 inch alloys, 205/55 section tubeless tyres, chrome accents on the exterior, more leather on the inside, and cruise control. Price of this variant will be Rs 9.22 lakh for petrol and Rs 9.79 lakh for diesel.

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Fiat inaugurates first exclusive workshop in Pune

 

Pune: Fiat Group Automobiles India Private Limited (FGAIPL) inaugurated its first independent state-of-the-art workshop in Dapodi, Pune

The workshop will be FIAT’s first exclusive workshop in India. The 20,000 sq ft service utility is specially designed to give a good servicing experience to its customers.


This is another move by the company in strengthening its brand presence in India, after having launched its Fiat Caffe in Pune a few months ago.


Speaking on the occasion, Ravi Bhatia, head of business development, FGAIPL, said: “This first exclusive and world-class FIAT workshop is our inexorable attempt to provide each of our customers with an unmatched servicing experience leading to a delightful vehicle ownership experience.”

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