Fiat India plans to sell 70,000 vehicles by 2010

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Mumbai, Feb 27: Fiat India Automobiles Private Limited is not looking at big sales number this year. With new launches planned at the tail end of the year, Rajeev Kapoor, president and CEO, Fiat India, said, “We are not expecting big numbers in 2008.” However, he adds that by 2010, the company plans to reach a sale target of 70,000 units.

Asked what the sales figure was in 2007, Kapoor said, “It was very small,” and did not divulgethe exact figure.

Fiat has lined up five launches at different times of the year including Fiat 500, Bravo, Grande Punto, Linea and Alfa Romeo. The company is looking at selling 100-200 units of the new five door hatchback, Bravo and sees small numbers from Fiat 500, said Kapoor. These two cars will be available in the Indian market by June as completely built units (CBUs).

On the much talked about Alfa Romeo, Kapoor said that market evaluation is going on and Fiat-Tata together were zeroing on the model and pricing. “By mid this year, the study will go on and we will zero in on which model to bring in India, followed by setting up of dealership network and marketing activities," Kapoor said.

“For Alfa Romeo, we will have separate dealership around 5-6 in major cities,” he added. To start with, Alfa Romeo will be imported as completely built units (CBUs). “But once the volumes pick up in 2009-10, we may look into completely knocked down units (CKDs),” Kapoor added. The car is expected to be launched by the year end. Also to be launched around the same time is Grande Punto. Linea will be launched by September. Asked what the capacity of the new Tata-Fiat joint venture plant at Ranjangaon will be, Kapoor said, “By end of next year, we are looking at a capacity of 130,000 units of cars and 200,000 units of engines.”