Tata Motors, Fiat to stop competitive launches

[rickaren]

Tata Motors, Fiat to stop competitive launches

Posted Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009, 2:39 pm in Employee News

Italy’s Fiat and India’s Tata Motors have agreed not to launch models in segments where they would have to compete with each other, the Hindustan Times reported.

A top Fiat official said to the paper that the two companies, which are in a wide-ranging tie-up, would have a common strategy to take on competition in India. Rajeev Kapoor, Managing Director, Fiat India Auto, told the paper. ”Between the two of us, beginning with the Nano, we will have a lineup of cars that would pretty much cover that part of the market.”

Tata Motors gets Fiat’s technology and support and it gets to manufacture cars in Fiat’s new Ranjangaon plant, the paper said. Fiat and Tata motors aim to cooperate in the arenas of development, purchasing, production, components and sales in the automotive sector, the story said. (Automotive Business Review)

[rickaren]

Fiat launches 'Grande Punto', "small but quintessentially Italian"

Posted 17 June 2009 @ 11:59 pm IST

A week after Honda launched its first small car, Jazz, Intalian carmaker Fiat also introduced supermini car 'Grande Punto' in India. Both in petrol and diesel are available priced between Rs 3.99 lakh and Rs 6.11 lakh.

The car, a hatchback in both petrol and diesel variants, is a joint venture of Fiat and Tata Motors and has premium features like ABS (anti-lock braking system) and EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution).

While the petrol variant is equipped with 1.2L and 1.4L engines that pump 65 and 77 horses respectively, the diesel variant has a 1.3L multijet diesel engine.

"The launch of Grande Punto marks a new milestone for Fiat in India as we bring the quintessentially Italian designs to Indian shores," Fiat India official said.

The company believes that the small-car segment which contributes to over 70 % of Indian market is hoping more international carmakers to enter to beat the global slump.

Grande Punto, which was first launched in the European market in 2005, would be rolled out from the company's plant at Ranjangaon in Maharashtra in four variants each in both petrol (1.2 litre an 1.4 litre) and diesel modes (1.3 litre).

LINK:Fiat launches 'Grande Punto', "small but quintessentially Italian" - International Business Times