Fiat to Launch New Small Car in India

Jan. 6, 2010
The car, which will be launched in 2012, will be a smaller version of the Grande Punto.

Fiat said on Jan. 6 it would launch a new small car designed for India in two years, joining the gaggle of foreign auto makers targeting the fast-growing market.

Fiat India Automobiles, a joint venture between Fiat and India's Tata Motors, said the launch in 2012 was part of its strategy to capture a tenth of Asia's third-biggest automobile market in the next five years.

"The small-car segment is seeing phenomenal growth. There is space there and we see an opportunity," Rajeev Kapoor, CEO said at the Delhi auto show.

The car will be smaller than Fiat's present small model, the Grande Punto, and will be developed in Italy.

More than three-quarters of all sales are small cars, with India-based Maruti Suzuki the overwhelmingly dominant producer with a 55% market share.

Toyota, Volkswagen, Renault, Ford and General Motors have all unveiled cars, or plans for cars, designed to capture a significant share of the Indian market.

The project "is an important step for the India market because Fiat has a lot of technology for small cars. We want to bring it (the technology) back to India," Kapoor said.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2010

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Empowering the Modern Workforce: The Power of Connected Worker Technologies

March 1, 2024
Explore real-world strategies to boost worker safety, collaboration, training, and productivity in manufacturing. Emphasizing Industry 4.0, we'll discuss digitalization and automation...

3 Best Practices to Create a Product-Centric Competitive Advantage with PRO.FILE PLM

Jan. 25, 2024
Gain insight on best practices and strategies you need to accelerate engineering change management and reduce time to market. Register now for your opportunity to accelerate your...

Transformative Capabilities for XaaS Models in Manufacturing

Feb. 14, 2024
The manufacturing sector is undergoing a pivotal shift toward "servitization," or enhancing product offerings with services and embracing a subscription model. This transition...

Shifting Your Business from Products to Service-Based Business Models: Generating Predictable Revenues

Oct. 27, 2023
Executive summary on a recent IndustryWeek-hosted webinar sponsored by SAP

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!