FIAT and Tata have been cosying up to each other for some time. Ratan Tata was elected to the board of Directors at FIAT at Sergio Marchionne’s request, FIAT are looking to supply engines for Land Rover and Jaguar (A Jaguar XK with a Ferrari sourced engine? Fancy that!) and their joint ventures in India. But it seems, FIAT want a slice of Tata pie now (no, dirty jokes, please). The Economic Times of India reports that FIAT want to launch their version of the “world cheapest car” by 2010. However, Sergio Marchionne (FIAT’s CEO) didn’t disclose the price of the car. I’m no Sherlock Holmes, but I’m guessing it’s got to be less that Tata’s $2500 for the Nano, if it’s to qualify as “the world’s cheapest car”. Marchionne also didn’t say how it would be built, where it would be built, how much would be shared with the Nano, or how many Bothans died to bring us this information. Meanwhile, doesn’t Tata need to sort out its own production issues first?
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FIAT needs to drop their fugazi front-wheel-drive Ka-based 500 and make a two-door, 6-speed Nano their new 500.
FIAT wants a cheap EV platform. That’s what this is about.
Everyone move along, nothing to see here, etc.
No, really – just a false alarm, due to some overoptimistic reporting, as this article makes clear:
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/fiat-to-launch-its-cheapest-car-by-2010-lead_10092610.html
“Auto major Fiat Thursday said it would bring out a new low-cost car that would be the cheapest among its stable of vehicles. ‘By 2010, Fiat is planning to launch a low-cost car, not under the Fiat brand, but under another brand,’ Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne told reporters at an automobile conclave here.”
He means the mooted ‘nuova Uno’, otherwise known as the Palio replacement. But just in case there was any doubt:
“The car will not be manufactured in India. ‘This car is not to be compared with the Tata Nano concept,’ Marchionne said.”
Its not going to be $2500 but what the heck is going to be a cheap car. Probably they have to strengthen the structure quite a bit as u trying to sell in EU u need so thick & so fast to be in the game.
You don’t need to be the cheepest if you have an attractive product. The Fiat 500 is proof of that. Fiat has raised it’s price massively since introduction due to high demand. But if cheep does become the name of the game Renault’s Dacia Logan is living (well driving anyway) proof that the european car industry can do cheep too, to the point that Chinese and Indian manufacturers don’t even need to bother to show up. At least not until they have something halfway decent to offer (hint: something that doesn’t look like the Nano).
the Nano mother company could be in the danger of becoming Na na soon.
Factory is being kybosh, global market is frantically finding any pulse left or try slapping your own ear real hard to pray is your own problem.