Indian Autos blog

The inclusion of Bravo, a 5-door hatchback a renowned badge from Fiat, is most certainly in doubt. The main reason for this problem is the whopping 100% import duty it will invite just like its three-door relative 500 (which is retailed above Rs. 13 lakhs) in India.

And add the recent downfall in the automobile sales in India. Conditions are improving, yes, but certainly isn’t he best time for a premium hatchback from a company that is recovering lost ground in the country.

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Rumors have surfaced on the possibility of the Tata Nano sold and serviced by Chrysler’s network in the U.S.A. The U.S-spec Tata Nano could host a 3-cyl engine that should produce twice the power of the Indian version with an array of safety devices like airbags, ABS, ESP and re engineered crumple zones to pass U.S crash test requirements as mentioned by Ratan Tata during the car’s launch in Mumbai and recently in a press conference.

Station wagon, 2-door and convertibles might eventually make the cut, but only after gauging the feedback of the regular car in the unpredictable U.S market.

We don’t have any more information on this topic, but the Tata-Fiat deal isn’t going to stop with India and that’s for sure. During the Nano launch, Tata Motors’ boss Ratan Tata stressed on how the Indian company is cooperating with Fiat on a Brazilian plant that will manufacture commercial vehicles.

For a start, the Xenon pickup truck will be manufactured in Brazil and sold with a Fiat logo, while bigger and more powerful vehicles were not ruled out in the future.

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Cars are growing bigger in size. Part of the reason is safety, as thicker and wider steel and iron sections become unavoidable in making a safe car.

Maybe the size of the average man has also got to do something, which we are not able to verify at this moment.

Then of course there is space and comfort. Almost every car in India today is bigger than what it was previously. The Indica, Alto, Verna, Laura have grown in dimensions and there is nothing wrong in saying the future models will marginally grow.

Someday in the future, the Fiat Palio will be born, again. It will be bigger, more stylish, more powerful and more fuel efficient. It will be more comfortable, more spacious, more stylish and more popular among Indian buyers.

Well, maybe.

The future Fiat Palio should utilize the services of the Multijet 2 engine, which if reports can be trusted, debuts on the Fiat 500C this year.

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The much awaited Tata Indigo Vista will be set afloat next month for a price tag displaying 5-lakh rupees or more. The car will be put together in the Ranjangaon plant where Fiat manufactures all its cars for India. The engine options include the 1.3-liter Multijet and 1.4-liter FIRE petrol engine.

Earlier in 2007, Fiat’s outgoing CEO Luca De Meo revealed two very important future models at an investor conference. One was B-Compact Fiat Uno, while the other was called CX-OVER (shown in the picture).

Fiat is said to have started working on the CX-Over (crossover) that will be bigger than Fiat Panda 4×4 and will pack the functionality of an MPV (as quoted by Fiat in the title). The car will measure about 4.5 meters in length, meant to be easy to use in the city and perform as a good offroader.

The Fiat Linea was, or should I say is Fiat’s trump card, life jacket and oxygen mask in India. Preceding to the launch, their pulse rate was slipping in spite of such successful products like the Palio and the Siena, they were doing wretchedly in India.

Fiat’s Indian operation was counting on the Linea for its survival. And that was an excellent idea.

Fiat’s declared 4,600 Lineas were sold in the country since the launch on the third week of January. The sedan, which is offered in petrol and diesel formats, is carrying Fiat back in terms with the competition.

Fiat will use the Ranjangaon plant built with backing from Tata Motors as an export hub. Right-hand drive markets Australia and New Zealand will be the first to host Indian Lineas on its roads.

Fiat plans to introduce the Grande Punto in India in the coming months. Apart from that, a small car and a facelifted Palio will additionally occupy Tata showrooms before the end of next year.

Fiat has recently unveiled teaser sketches of the convertible version of its immensely popular Fiat 500, who managed to sell a few cars in India. The first official images will be revealed this Monday, 16th Feb. 2009, just 2 weeks ahead of the car’s world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show.

The Fiat 500 has been tuned by the World’s best tuners and this time around, it is German tuning house Merkur’s turn. They have installed new front and rear spoilers, a new set of 16? or 17? wheels and puffed wheel arches.