Fiat plans to make India an export hub for small cars -EXCLUSIVE

Fiat India might be introducing the Abarth and Jeep brands, but this isn’t being done only to get more premium products to India. Fiat India is developing products that will be manufactured and exported from the Ranjangaon facility.

Fiat India has been developing a new platform X3U, which will be a new modular platform that will be used to build a new hatchback, sedan and even an SUV. The SUV will be a compact one, and it will be for the B-segment. Fiat might introduce this SUV under the Jeep brand and for India this will be a front-wheel drive. For other export markets, this new SUV will have an all-wheel drive option too, this is one reason why Fiat is studying its own product, the Panda 4×4 to develop a more affordable technology. There is no clarity if the new hatchback and sedan could be the new Punto and Linea. Mostly it will be and these vehicles will be tweaked in design and styling to cater to the Indian car buyers. These will products will be ready by late 2017 or early 2018.

Fiat brand has increased its R&D team in Ranjangaon as this team earlier had a work force of about 30-40 employees, which is now in excess of 650. The company is developing this new platform for Indian car market and at the same time looking at exporting to increase its volumes and make the product a lot more affordable. Fiat India is also developing the 1.5-litre multijet, which will be derived from the existing 1.6-litre engine. This will not just reduce the cost but even make the new generation products a lot more powerful. The company has heavily invested in this project and once the production for these vehicles commences, the Ranjangaon will be running in almost its full capacity. For more such updates, sign up for our weekly newsletter.