Though the automobile sales in the country may be growing at a slow pace but the manufacturing sectors have grown exponentially. India is a very important hub for global exports; with many countries setting up manufacturing units across the country. FDI, special economic zones, cheap labor and overhead costs have lured foreign companies to set their foot on our soil creating not just jobs but also supplementing our economy through exports. It’s not just vehicles but also core parts like engines and gearboxes which are being manufactured in the country, meeting global standards. In fact Renault and Ford are planning to make India as single global source for their engines. Currently we export vehicles and powertrains in decent volumes to Asia, Africa and Europe.
The Fiat Avventura, the crossover version of the Punto was unveiled a month ago at the 2014 Auto Expo that was held at Greater Noida. The Fiat Avventura is expected to hit the streets in the fourth quarter of this calendar year. Fiat is planning to export the same after its launch in the domestic market. The company would be first targeting Right Hand Driven countries as a part of their plan. The automaker is planning to produce a decent volume such that the sub-continent demand is met. This crossover would be available in both the fuel variants.
Fiat has also stacked up the Abarth 500 for launch and this is also expected to be launched somewhere by the end of this year. The Abarth 500 would be initially sold as completely build units (CBU) but later Fiat would bring in the Punto Abarth which would be completely localised to offer an attractive price tag. Looks like crossover fever is hitting the market with the Fiat Punto and Volkswagen Polo taking the pole position. It would be interesting to see if Maruti Suzuki plans to enter this segment with Swift being its only possible option.
