Fiat India is playing the lineage card, putting the spotlight on both its own technological pedigree and the brilliance of Italian invention, innovation and design in general, in its bid to increase visibility and push sales of its brand.
The current campaign, which is happening at the two Fiat Caffes — one each in Pune and Delhi — showcases Fiat’s automotive prowess in inventing the direct injection diesel engine and subsequently launching the common rail direct injection 1.3 l multijet diesel engine.
Elsewhere, posters remind you that Alessandro Volta made the first electric battery in 1800, or that the internal combustion engine was first built in 1851 by Eugenio Barsanti and Felice Matteucci, aspects of Italian invention that are still valid in today’s cars.
“We are working on increasing visibility with the technology campaign through July and August,” Mr Enrico Atanasio, the Managing Director of the soon-to-be-formed Fiat sales company said, adding more initiatives will follow.
Around a third of the new cars on Indian cars run on Fiat technology, Mr Atanasio said. Asked whether the company will consider bringing in larger cars from the portfolio into India, he ruled this out for now saying that the company will develop in the B and C segments of the market.
While sales of Fiat cars have dipped to around 1,000 units each month, sales agreements with joint venture partner Tata Motors, Maruti, Premier, have ensured that the engines plant at Ranjangoan is working to nearly 80 per cent capacity.
The company is currently producing around 15,000 engines per month, translating to 1.8 to two lakh engines annually, Mr Gurpratap Boparai, head, Fiat Powertrain, said.