Fiat plans to launch the CNG version of its small car Fiat Palio in India. Currently, the model is available in petrol and diesel versions only. The Grand Punto shall be on Indian roads next year and Linea shall be unveiled in September in India. It would also import its model ‘500’ in India next month. 500 shall be imported from Italy as completely built unit which may make its more expensive due to heavy duty structure.
Linea and Punto shall be manufactured locally at the company’s Ranjangaon production unit in Maharashtra. The Grand Punto shall have some price differential as compared to other cars in the same segment. However, the exact price of Punto still remains unclear.
Fiat is also planning to step up its operations and increase its product catalogue in India to grab a larger market share in the country. It shall also be sourcing auto parts from India worth at least 250 million Euros. It currently sources auto parts worth 30 million Euros from India.
“We will source auto parts worth a minimum of 250 million euro from India by 2010,” said Fiat Group purchasing s.r.l. CEO, Gianni Coda. The company is already in talks with vendors and is asking them to upgrade their facilities to meet the demand.
