Fiat launches its premium small car Grande Punto in India
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Italian car maker Fiat has launched Grande Punto, its first premium small car in India, in both petrol and diesel variants. The models are priced between Rs3.99 lakh and Rs6.11 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
The launch of the Grande Punto comes a week after Honda introduced its small car Jazz. Grande Punto was first launched in Europe in 2005. The small car segment comprises 70 per cent of the Indian market
The car would be rolled out from Fiat's plant at Ranjangaon in Maharashtra in four variants each in both petrol (1.2 / 1.4 litre) and diesel versions (1.3 litre).
Commenting on the launch of the car, Fiat India Automobiles' chief executive officer Rajeev Kapoor said, "The launch of Grande Punto marks a new milestone for Fiat in India as we bring the quintessentially Italian designs to Indian shores."
Fiat believes the small-car segment is under-tapped, and there is demand for international brands on Indian roads, he added.
Grande Punto is a hatchback and a joint venture Fiat and Tata Motors. The car comes with premium features like anti-lock braking system and electronic brake distribution.
The petrol version has 1.2 litre and 1.4 litre engines delivering 65hp and 77hp respectively and would cost Rs3.99-5.61 lakh. The diesel variant comes with a 1.3 litre multijet diesel engine and would cost Rs4.85-6.11 lakh.
Fiat India Automobiles is a 50:50 joint venture between Italy-based Fiat SpA and Tata Motors.
The new car will have as competition other premium hatchback models like Honda Siel's Jazz, Skoda's Fabia, Maruti Suzuki's Ritz, and Hyundai's i20. (See: Maruti Suzuki launches India's first BS-IV compliant small car, Ritz)
Toyota Kirloskar is also set to enter the small car market by end-2010. (See: Toyota Kirloskar to join small car bandwagon by end-2010, launches Land Cruiser)
Grande Punto would be available at over 100 Tata-Fiat dealers network across India.
The Ranjangaon facility can produce two lakh cars and three lakh engines in a year. Palio Stile and Linea are currently manufactured at the plant.
