Fiat Palio to Wane from Indian Auto Market

Fiat India has decided not to upgrade its Fiat Palio model according to the new BW IV norms that come into effect from April 2010. The company will phase out Fiat Palio from its Indian product portfolio. The car sells less than 50 units per month which is an insignificant figure as compared to its other popular models like Fiat Linea and Grand Punto.

“There will be no upgrades for Palio and the current product will continue to sell,” said Rajiv Kapoor, Fiat India, Chief Executive Officer. Fiat India intends for Palio customers to opt for Grand Punto as their next best bet.

Fiat Palio Stile is currently available in India in 1.1L and 1.6L variants priced at Rs. 3.5- Rs. 4 lakh. the car was launched in 2001 but it has been witnessing constant decline in its sales every since Maruti, General Motors, Hyundai and Tata Motors had constantly flooded the market with newer and better models each year. However, the company remains optimistic about Grand Punto sales in India. “We will double our current market share to 4% by the next year on the back of upgrades of Grande Punto and Linea,” said the Fiat spokesperson.

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