Fiat India Plans New Strategy, May Bring A Small Car
Living with a dubious tag of only automobile company in India with not so encouraging sales numbers is quite embarrassing for Italian giant Fiat Auto. The Fiat had target of selling fifty-thousand cars this 2010 which is unlikely to be achieved now. Fiat India has planned to sell 1,40,000 units which will translate into 5 percent share of of India’s automobile market. So, what it will do to achieve that figures? The Fiat is now readying a new retail strategy with partner Tata Motors. It is also planning a model below the range of Fiat Punto in small car segment which is a sure shot way to increase your sales in the country.
“The small car will come with a new technology in the hatchback segment. The small wagon from Fiat will not be a look alike of Fiat Uno which has been launched in the global auto market recently. This new small car design has been widely studied from the various car models from Fiat which are already established in other auto markets,” said Mr Rajeev Kapoor, Managing Director, Fiat India. The small car will be priced competitively in the Indian market. The new small car will be pitched against Maruti Alto and have a one litre engine. He added that the small car from Fiat will truly be a Indian car as it will be crafted as per the needs and conditions of the sub continent.
Fiat India’s new retail plan:- Fiat would like to convey its India vision to the customer. This is particularly relevant when some of its earlier offerings such as the Uno and Fiat Palio, which promised plenty, lost their way after dramatic starts. The Uno, in fact, was touted as the 1st challenger to the Maruti Zen way back in 1995-96. It had everything going in its favour, including a diesel engine, but a lockout at the Mumbai plant resulted in production schedules going haywire. This was a big setback for a car that had garnered nearly 3 lakh bookings at that time. Since that time, Fiat India has decided to start on a fresh note with Tata Motors. India is just too important a market to ignore and from the company’s point of view, it makes more sense to take one thing at a time.