Fiat may start local assembly of Abarth from 2015

Italian car maker Fiat is looking to start assembly of its Abarth brand in India in 2015.

Abarth is the performance brand of Fiat. At present the company has two models that sport the Abarth treatment - 500 and Punto. The company displayed the Abarth 500 at the 12th Auto Expo, which was held at Greater Noida in February 2014. The car will be launched in India later in the year and will be brought in as a Completely Built Unit.

In the year 2015, Fiat plans to start assembling Abarth locally. However, it is not clear which model will be chosen. The Punto, which is manufactured in India, could be the more likely option.

Fiat has 108 dealerships in the country at present. The company will sell the Abarth model in a special corner in the dealerships. To start with, it will be available in select cities.

Fiat recently launched the Linea facelift in India. The Abarth 500, Avventura and Punto facelift are expected to be introduced before the end of the year.

Source: Hindu BusinessLine