Since there has been the merger between FCA and PSA, Fiat it has probably lost its driving function as it has gone from confrontation with the not irresistible Chrysler to the much more respected Peugeot and Citroen. But despite this less ‘political’ weight, was in 2021 one of the brands able to bring more satisfaction within Stellantis. In a market made complicated by Covid and the chip crisis, Fiat has maintained truly useful sales volumes for the entire Group, albeit on the basis of outdated projects. In the near future and also in the distant future great things are expected from the Turin brand, because it will be able to exploit the technologies shared with the former PSA brands by launching renewed or totally new products on the market.
The CEO of Fiat, Olivier François, he made it clear to the British magazine Auto Express, in response to a definition of Fiat suggested by John McIlroy: “I like the fact that Fiat can be considered as a sleeping giant. Because it is exactly the same as my point of view: to date we have not even begun to wake the giant“. As if to say that Fiat has great things to show, in the wake of the success of the electric 500 and Panda’s consistently exceptional performance. But where will this Fiat, which has to project itself towards the electric, go?
The answer is in tradition. François, also to Auto Express, said: “My idea is to cover the market for cars between 3.7 and 4.3 meters long. We are talking about segments A and B, compact B-SUVs and long B-SUVs. We are not going to force models beyond what they can offer. For example the 500X is at the limit of the typical measures of a 500. What is more important, and here I will put all of myself, is that future cars are perfectly recognizable as Fiat, without even having to put the logo on them. We will have to be obsessed with synergies with Stellantis’ other brands: if we succeed, we will have a satisfactory profit margin on PSA’s larger markets, combining it with the Group’s large overall volumes.“.
Will Fiat be able to be connected with the past, through established names. The trio perfect of models for Fiat could be made up of Panda, 500 and Punto, with the possibility of revising the ‘Uno’ badge as a fourth force. The arrival of the electric will also allow the renewal of Abarth always on the same current premises: performance and aerodynamically driven cars. The presence in the first two segments of Fiat will also bring brands such as Opel to different shores, orienting them towards higher segments in relation to SUVs and sedans (Astra is an example). At the Stellantis home, the strategy will have to be meticulously prepared, to prevent the various brands from cannibalizing each other, and the advantage of Fiat is not to have a real rivalry in its field.
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