Italian auto company, Fiat, is planning to re-launch its premium compact car, the Fiat 500, in India. The company had earlier discontinued the car, due to its low sales, but is now launching it again seeing the success of the very steeply priced Volkswagen Beetle. Officially known as the Cinquecento, the Fiat 500 was first launched in the country Read More...

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• Filed Under: Fiat

Fiat India has launched a new variant of its premium hatchback, the Grande Punto, priced at Rs 6.79 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Powered by a 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine, the Fiat Grande Punto 90HP MULTIJET will set a new benchmark for diesel hatchbacks in the country. It delivers a maximum power of 93 PS and a fuel efficiency of 20 km/litre, Read More...

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Most car companies in India posted a double-digit growth in their domestic sales in June 2010, with General Motors and Ford India growing by as much as 112 percent and 267 percent respectively. The two American companies owe their success largely to the popularity of their small cars Chevrolet Beat and Ford Figo. Tata Motors, too, saw a 63 percent Read More...

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• Filed Under: Chevrolet, Fiat, Ford, Hyundai, Maruti Suzuki, Tata

Fiat India will be re-launching its compact car, Uno, with a new engine and a more contemporary design, by the end of 2010. According to media reports, the company will discontinue the Palio once the Uno is re-introduced in the country. Sales of the Palio have dwindled by a significant percentage since the launch of the Grande Punto. Also, the Read More...

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The Indian auto industry continued to grow at a rapid pace in May 2010, in spite of repeated price hikes following the announcement of Budget 2010. Maruti Suzuki did particularly well, posting its highest ever domestic sales in the month at 90,041 units – 27 percent higher than its sales in May 2009. The company’s total sales in May 2010 stood at Read More...

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• Filed Under: Chevrolet, Fiat, Hyundai, Mahindra, Mahindra Renault, Maruti Suzuki, Tata

Jagdish Khattar’s Carnation Auto will be starting its spare-part business by the end of 2010, along with Italian auto component maker, Magneti Marelli. In 2009, Carnation had tied up with the Fiat Group’s Magneti Marelli to service premium cars and sell spare parts. Mr Khattar said that while Magneti would take care of component sourcing, Read More...

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After the end of a successful financial year in March 2010, passenger car companies in India continued on their upward trajectory in April 2010. Maruti Suzuki’s total domestic sales stood at 80,034 units in April 2010, up from 64,857 units in April 2009 – an increase of 23.4 percent. While the company’s passenger car sales grew substantially, its Read More...

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• Filed Under: Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Mahindra, Mahindra Renault, Maruti Suzuki, Tata

Italian car company Fiat has appointed John Elkann as its new Chairman. Mr Elkann, 34, will replace Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, 62, who took over as the company’s head in 2004. Fiat’s Board of Directors thanked Montezemolo for his accomplishments during “an especially delicate period” for the company. Meanwhile, the company has decided to Read More...

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Fiat India this week launched two new variants of its premium hatchback, the Grande Punto. The 1.2-litre Punto Fire ‘Dynamic’ is priced at Rs 4.57 lakh, while the Punto Fire ‘Emotion’ is priced at Rs 4.87 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). With the hatchback segment in India growing at a remarkable pace, the Italian carmaker expects to double its sales in Read More...

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A number of auto companies in the country have hiked car prices following the announcement of Budget 2010-11 last week, which increased the excise duty on all non-oil products from 8 percent to 10 percent. The excise duty on bigger cars, which stood at 20 percent earlier, has also gone up to 22 percent. The companies that have announced definitive Read More...

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• Filed Under: Chevrolet, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, Tata

Italian car company Fiat is taking inputs from its partner in India, Tata Motors, to develop its new small car, scheduled for launch in 2012. Fiat India President and CEO, Mr Rajeev Kapoor, told mediapersons that the company is taking customer feedback from the Tatas, who are its front-end partners in distribution. This will help the Italian Read More...

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Italian car company Fiat showcased six new variants of its existing models at the 2010 India Auto Expo this week. These are Fiat 500 by Diesel, Linea Dualogic Transmission, Linea T-Jet, Grande Punto Natural Power, Grande Punto Sports and Grande Punto Trendz. The company’s showstopper at the show is the Fiat 500 by diesel (the denim brand), Read More...

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Passenger vehicle sales in India continued to grow at double-digit rates in December 2009 on the back of government stimulus, easy car loans and a spate of attractive offers by car companies. Maruti Suzuki’s passenger car sales were up from 52,029 units in December 2008 to 71,000 units in December 2009 – an increase of 36.5 per cent. Tata Motors Read More...

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• Filed Under: Fiat, Honda, Hyundai, Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, Tata

Fiat India is planning to increase the prices of the Linea and the Grande Punto by up to 2.5 per cent, starting from January 1, 2010. The company said in a press release that the prices of the two cars will be hiked by an average of Rs 15,000, and may go up by Rs 25,000 for some versions. The prices of the Fiat Palio Stile will remain the same. Mr Read More...

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Indian car service provider Carnation Auto tied up with the Fiat Group’s Magneti Marelli last week, to service premium cars. Carnation Auto Chairman and Managing Director, Mr Jagdish Khattar, told mediapersons that the company had so far dealt with only entry-level cars, and that with this new venture, it would also start servicing premium cars Read More...

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• Filed Under: Fiat, Tata

Tata Motors and Mahindra and Mahindra are reportedly in talks with Italian car company Fiat to take over its manufacturing facility in Termini Imerese, Italy. The Imerese plant manufactures a three-door hatchback, the Lancia Ypsilon, and has a daily production capacity of 400 units. Fiat’s Chief Executive, Mr Sergio Marchionne, had said last week Read More...

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• Filed Under: Fiat, Mahindra, Tata

Fiat India is expecting to end the current calendar year with a sales figure of approximately 23,000 units. The company has sold 20,000 units in the year so far. Fiat India CEO, Mr Rajeev Kapoor, told mediapersons that the company is hoping to double its sales next year, to almost 50,000 units. By 2011, it expects its sales to touch 70,000 units. Read More...

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Passenger car sales in India rose significantly in November 2009, on the back of a low-base effect and festival discounts. Car sales had plummeted by 19.3 per cent in November 2008, compared to sales in the same month in 2007. Maruti Suzuki posted a 61.6 per cent growth in domestic sales, up from 47,103 units in November 2008, to 76,106 units Read More...

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• Filed Under: Chevrolet, Fiat, Honda, Hyundai, Maruti Suzuki, Skoda, Tata

Italian carmaker Fiat’s first small-car to be built specifically for the Indian market is off the drawing board, and will reach the road-testing stage within an year. The car has been designed at Fiat’s design studio in Turin. Its 700-1,000cc engine is already being tested on Indian roads, and will be adapted to the country’s driving conditions to Read More...

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Fiat India is planning to hike the price of its high-end hatchback, the Grande Punto, sometime soon. Launched in June 2009, the car currently costs Rs 3.99 lakh for the 1.2 litre petrol variant and Rs 4.66 lakh for the 1.3 litre diesel variant (ex-showroom Delhi). After the price hike, it will be costlier by Rs 10,000-12,000 across variants. A Read More...

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Festival discounts and new car launches continued to provide an upward thrust to auto sales in October 2009. Market leader Maruti Suzuki saw a 21 per cent increase in domestic sales, and a whopping 158.5 per cent increase in exports. The company sold a total of 71,551 units in India in October 2009, compared to 59,127 units in October 2008. Read More...

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• Filed Under: Audi, Chevrolet, Fiat, Honda, Hyundai, Mahindra, Mahindra Renault, Maruti Suzuki, Skoda, Tata

Italian automaker Fiat is considering the option of manufacturing Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) in India. The Fiat Group’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr Silvirio Bonfiglioli, told media-persons that the company had sufficient capacity in India to build light commercial vehicles, and that there was a possibility that it would enter this segment. Read More...

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• Filed Under: Fiat

The joint venture between Fiat India and Tata Motors, Fiat India Automobiles Limited (FIAL) may soon launch a number of Chrysler models in India. The first of these is likely to be the iconic Jeep Cherokee, which will be followed by other vehicles. Fiat had acquired a 20 per cent stake in Chrysler earlier this year, after the latter filed for Read More...

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• Filed Under: Fiat, Tata

Fiat India will soon be launching a new version of its oldest existing hatchback in the country, the Fiat Palio. The 1.1 litre and 1.6 litre petrol engines of the car will either be upgraded to meet Bharat Stage IV emission norms, or be replaced by the engines that power the Grande Punto. Its 1.3 litre diesel engine already meets the BS IV norms. Read More...

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Auto sales in India continued to rise in September 2009, on the back of low interest rates on auto loans, the revival of the economy and the beginning of the festival season. Several auto companies in the country are hoping to maintain the upward surge in the coming months. Maruti Suzuki, the biggest passenger car company in India, sold a total of Read More...

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• Filed Under: Chevrolet, Fiat, Honda, Hyundai, Mahindra, Mahindra Renault, Maruti Suzuki, Skoda, Tata