Fiat India Automobiles (FIAL), the joint venture of Fiat and Tata Motors, has despatched the first batch of 100 Lineas from its plant in Ranjangaon near Pune, reports Sify. The cars, targeted at the premium C-segment, have reached 50 of the 65 dealerships under the Tata Fiat umbrella across the country. This joint retailing initiative will see cars of both companies under one roof.

More Lineas will be seen in these outlets in the coming days even though its official launch is in mid-January. This is the time when the price of the car, tipped to be in the range of Rs 7-9 lakh, will be announced. For the next fortnight, prospective customers could get an idea of what the Linea represents. This is clearly part of a brand building approach intended to pave the way for a faster booking schedule.

The company has indicated in the recent past that it is targeting monthly sales of 2,500 Lineas. In the context of the slowdown, this may seem a challenging task coupled with the fact that there are strong competing models in the premium C-segment such as the SX4, Fiesta and Honda City. Fiat has, however, reiterated that it is confident that the car will do well.

The Linea will be available in both petrol and diesel versions. From the Italian carmaker’s point of view, it is significant because it is the first manufactured model from the Ranjangaon facility in contrast to the Cinquecento (Fiat 500), which is directly imported and costs a handful thanks to the 100 per cent plus import duty.

The next model that will be part of the manufacturing agenda is the Grande Punto sometime in the first quarter of 2009-10. Prior to this will be the Bravo which, like the Cinquecento, is also being imported. Fiat has gone on record to state that it is looking at annual volumes of 70,000 cars in 2010 by which time its ally, Tata Motors will have clocked 60,000 units. The company is also targeting production of 300,000 engines (200,000 diesel and 100,000 petrol) and transmissions in this timeframe.

Fiat is also seriously looking at Ranjangaon as a strategic global base for small cars. The plant could also be home to the affordable car, which is now at the drawing board stage. This car is intended for Europe but will not sport the Fiat badge.

Report: Sify