Auto News Updates

Fiat India has launched a new variant of the Punto, dubbed Fiat Punto Sport, at the inauguration of the Fiat Caffe in Pune. The Punto Sport is priced at 7.36 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Fiat India is in the process of expanding its new dealership network after the break-up with Tata Motors on the retail front. Fiat is also working on bringing up more Caffe outlets across India, right now it is present only in Delhi and Pune. There are only 12 Fiat Caffes around the world and India already has two of them!

Fiat Punto Sport Image Gallery

The Punto Sport is powered by the same 1.3-liter Multi-jet diesel engine that produces 93PS @ 4,000 RPM and 209Nm @ 2,000 RPM and is equipped with a VGT (Variable Geometry Turbocharger).

Extras on the Fiat Punto Sport

• Chrome door handles
• Chrome exhaust tip
• Sporty decals on the body
• Metallic pedals
• Red stitching on the seats
• Door sill that has Punto written on it
• ORVM painted in red

The Fiat Punto Sport calls to mind a special edition Renault executed with the Logan dubbed Logan Play Edition.

It is available in a choice of three colors (Red, Black and White) and has features introduced on earlier models such as steering mounted controls, Follow Me Home headlamps, leather wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, electrically adjustable ORVM units, steering-mounted controls for audio and phone and many more.

On the safety front the Punto Sport has ABS with EBD, dual front airbags and engine immobilizer. Refer the brochure below for the full list of features.

Fiat Punto Sport Brochure

Fiat Punto Sport Brochure

A couple of sources with knowledge in product developments of Tata Motors told IndianAutosBlog.com that dealers will receive the Tata Safari Storme in July by when the market launch is also expected to finish. The bigger development is Tata is not going to retire the currently selling model and will run it alongside the Storme.

Sources inside Tata Motors tell us that the new Safari will be launched in a phased manner across India as the production lines have to churn out both the new and old Safaris with some capacity constraints. Tata manages to shift about 1,000-1,500 units of the Safari every month.

The new Safari was showcased at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo sporting the current model’s powertrain but with a restyled body and improved interior. The new Safari is bodied on the Aria’s X2 platform and is not a monocoque like the Mahindra XUV500.

Tata Motors has started getting vocal about the new Safari. It has begun presenting spin-offs on its platform such as the Expedition variant showcased at the Expo and variants for special forces at the DEFEXPO held earlier this year. The company is also keeping its fans on Facebook guessing by featuring photographs of the car off-roading and jumping off crests.

Our sources tell us Tata will continue to sell the Aria as the flagship model and will not load the Safari with every feature. The model shown at the Auto Expo will reach the showrooms lacking high-end features like LCD display with navigation and steering-mounted controls for phone control.

Tata is said to price position the Storme slightly above the older Safari. The company has adopted the similar strategy in the past, cars such as the Vista and Manza have occupied positions higher than their predecessors. In the case of the Storme, that trend is expected to continue.

Update – We’ve posted the brochure of the Fiat Punto Sport after the break. It will be marketed as India’s most powerful hatchback. Its 1.3-liter MJD engine produces 93PS @ 4,000 RPM and 209Nm @ 2,000 RPM.

Fiat will inaugurate India’s second Fiat Caffe outlet in Pune this evening and on this special occasion, the Italian company, in the middle of a reshuffle, is previewing the Punto Sport variant.

Fiat relaunched the Punto as the MY2012 variant with new features in the first week of January and the Sport variant is expected to bear a spruced-up interior and source power from a 90PS Multi-jet engine.

We don’t have to wait very long as 7PM is hardly a couple of hours away. Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com for details on the Fiat Punto Sport.

Fiat Punto Sport Brochure

Fiat Punto Sport Brochure

Fiat will inaugurate India’s second Fiat Caffe outlet in Pune this evening and on this special occasion, the Italian company, in the middle of a reshuffle, is previewing the Punto Sport variant which we know little  about as of now.

Fiat relaunched the Punto as the MY2012 variant with new features in the first week of January and the Sport variant is expected to bear a spruced-up interior and source power from a 90PS Multi-jet engine.

We don’t have to wait very long as 7PM is hardly a couple of hours away. Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com for details on the Fiat Punto Sport.

Back in 2011, we informed you about the launch of Swift X-ITE accessories in Germany.

Suzuki Germany has gone one step further and has launched the Swift X-ITE edition in which all those accessories are fitted as standard.

So for a sum of 15,490 euros (around 10 lakhs), you get a three door Swift fitted with:

• Modified front bumper
• Extended side skirts
• Roof-mounted spoiler
• New rear bumper
• Vinyl graphics
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Aluminum gear knob
• Stainless steel door sills
• Embroidered floor mats

The Swift X-ITE is powered by a 1.2-liter petrol engine producing 93 bhp (which is more powerful than the Indian version) and achieves a fuel consumption of 20kmpl.

Unfortunately, Maruti Suzuki India is loaded with orders of the Swift to take any such bold decision. The company recently offered a special edition Swift but it was more of  stock clearance sale for petrol, which owing to the rising fuel prices, is difficult to shift out of stockyards.

Suzuki Swift X-ITE edition Image Gallery

[Source: WorldCarFans.com]

Yet another car will flaunt the magnificent Fiat MultiJet engine in India. Yes, we are talking about the Premier Rio, India’s first SUV for under 5 lakhs. As expected Premier has re-kindled its partnership with Fiat to source the Fiat MultiJet engine for the Rio and Rio+.

Under the agreement, Fiat will supply 28,000 engines to Premier for the next 3 years. The assembled diesel engines from Fiat’s Ranjangaon plant will be supplied to Premier’s factory at Chinchwad, Pune

The old Peugeot engine was an Achilles heel of the Rio. It lacked the punch and the refinement of a modern diesel engine. More importantly, it lacked BSIV compliance which made it unfit to be sold in metros – the Rio’s prime market. The petrol Rio was good but the rising fuel prices made sure it was a laggard in sales.

With the new diesel engine, Rio will get a bump in power from 64.8PS to a 76PS . It will also boost the fuel efficiency from 16 kmpl to 18 kmpl. Knowing that they have a winner in their hands, Premier is busy expanding their dealer network and sales and service network across the country to support the Rio. We have comprehensively covered Premier’s future activities over here.

Hopefully, Fiat engines will help boost Rio’s sales in the near future. Premier was supposed to launch the Rio Multijet in May, but it seems that the launch has been delayed to the festive season. The Multijet engine will give the Rio a fighting chance against onslaught of competition that is waiting at the doorstep of the Indian automotive scene.

Premier Rio Facelift Image Slideshow

Can’t see anything above? Head over to the Flickr Page for the images.

News comes in from China that Volvo has handed over the old XC90 platform to the parent company Geely to pursue their dreams of producing a  luxury SUV under its own umbrella.

The idea is that Geely will have its own luxury marquee (like Toyota has Lexus) which will make luxury SUVs for the Chinese market. The existing XC90 platform will form the base of the new SUV from Geely’s luxury SUV division.

The XC90 platform is essentially a Ford Taurus sedan platform and is as old as the 1990s. Volvo is busy working on an all-new platform for the next generation XC90 which will debut in 2014 or so.

Thus, instead of scrapping the old platform completely, Volvo has handed the platform to Geely so that it can be recycled into another SUV for the Chinese market. Recycling old cars with new faces under sub-brands is a common occurrence in the Chinese auto market. Because most of the research cost on the platform is already recovered, it enables the manufacturer to reduce the price of the recycled car.

[Source: AutoEvolution.com]

Ashok Leyland is eying to generate fat profits this year.

The company has set a target of selling 1.1 lakh units of their heavy and medium commercial vehicles. Their main focus is to secure a strong position in the light commercial vehicle market and dispatch around 36,000 units of Dost.

With an approximate commission of about Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 18,000 per unit of Dost, Ashok Leyland would be able to generate Rs. 54 to Rs 65 crore if this target is met.

The Dost is the outcome of the Ashok Leyland-Nissan JV, which is being marketed and sold by Ashok Leyland through its dealer network. In the future we can expect variants based on the Dost platform to compete with Tata and Mahindra products. A passenger carrier along the lines of the Venture is being developed and shall soon see the light of day.

Apart from the Dost, the Ashok Leyland-Nissan JV would come out with the Stile, which is a commercial application of the Nissan Evalia (NV200 in international markets). The Stile could be price positioned to attract the taxicab market thus keeping the “Taxi Car” image from sticking on to the Evalia.

Market analysts predict there will be a rise in demand for Commercial Vehicles at a fast pace. With major brands trying to get into the market Ashok Leyland isn’t keeping mum. The company recently slashed prices on their vehicles by 1% after corrections were made to the excise duties and appointed a brand ambassador.

[Source: thehindubusinessline via moneycontrol]

The Fiat Viaggio or Fei Xiang as it is called in China was spotted being tested undercover for the first time outside Chinese borders. The test mules were spotted in Naples, Italy by Quattroruote.it.

Though Fiat has not made an official announcement, sources suggest that the Viaggio would be exported from China to selected European cities. Fiat is said to be secretly working on the same platform to churn out a 5-door hatch which would take the place of the Bravo by next year.

The Viaggio is the first vehicle to be produced under the joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group. It will be manufactured at the GAC-Fiat plant in Changsha, Hunan province.

A look at the technical specs of the Fiat Viaggio

The Viaggio is one of the most important products from the Chrysler-Fiat joint venture. It is based on the CUSW (Compact Wide U.S.), which is the most advanced platform within the Fiat group.

Measuring 4,679 mm in length, 1,850 mm in overall width and with a 2,708 mm wheelbase, the Fiat Viaggio is is comparable to a few D segment cars. It will be offered with a choice of two 1.4-liter T-Jet turbocharged petrol engines producing 120HP and 150HP, mated to either a 5-speed manual transmission or the latest Dual Dry Clutch Transmission (DDTC) developed by Fiat Powertrain.

Fiat has announced that the first lot of the cars will be built by July and sell in China during the third quarter of the year.

[Source - QuattroRuote.it]

Twitter has been used for celebrity rants, assisting charitable organizations, updating sports scores, breaking news stories, and drawing the world closer.

But have companies used it as a medium to sell goods? Fiat has!

That’s right, Fiat used Twitter to carry out an auction for its Fiat 500 America Limited Edition. Note that this is not a car for America even if the name suggests so. It is a special edition vehicle launched in Europe.

To participate in this initiative it is obvious that you have to be registered on Twitter and on “500America.fiat500.com”. Once the registration is complete, each user sends a tweet with the offer price abiding by the rules.

During this TwitBid, which lasted from March 1 to March 15, 293 users from 11 different countries made more than 700 “twit-offers”. The whole initiative registered 787 tweets with the official hashtag #500America and 140 retweets. The number may sound less but remember this wasn’t a sale or a giveaway. Only those who were considering the 500 as their next car tweeted.

The TwitBid came to an end with Fiat announcing “Adelheid D. Kieper” (@KanzleiKieper) as the winner. With an offer of 15,165 euros (approx 10.5 lakh INR) , she won the TwitBid and will be awarded with the first unit of the Fiat 500 America limited edition in Europe.

About the Fiat 500 America Edition

The styling and the concept inspiration is the United States of America. The car gets a blue metallic exterior paint job with the outside mirrors adorning USA’s national flag. Pinstripes on the body panels have been inspired by the national flag’s red and white colour scheme. Interiors have details which convey that the car is a limited edition model. To complete the look the car sits on multi-spoke 16” alloy rims.

Power is provided by a 1.2L, 69HP engine which is Euro5 compliant. ABS and EBD with driver, passenger and side airbags are equipped to provide high levels of safety.

I norder to make it extra special Fiat will provide a badge bearing the serial number ’1/500′ and the twitter nickname of the winner!