Fiat to open 100 dealerships across India

Fiat Group Automobiles India said on Thursday it will open 100 exclusive dealerships across the country by the end of this year.

"We will open 100 exclusive dealerships by the end of 2013.

"We have already signed agreements for top 35 cities in terms of market across India," Fiat Group Automobiles Private Ltd Managing Director Enrico Atanasio told PTI.

In the first phase of dealership expansion, the company plans to target metros and tier-1 cities, he added.

He was speaking on the sidelines of inauguration of first exclusive dealership in the national capital region.

"The target of 70 exclusive dealership would

be completed by March this year," Atansio said.

As part of the product expansion, the company will launch a sporty racy version called Punto Abarth in the third quarter of this year and launch Fiat-Chrysler's Jeep Wrangler and the Grand Cherokee in the fourth quarter.

In the second phase of expansion we will consider the tier 2 and 3 cities, he added.

The next openings will be in Chennai, Thane, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru among others.

Fiat, which currently sells only two car models, Punto and Linea, has under 0.5 per cent market share in the domestic auto market, though it has been one of the oldest foreign brands in India having entered here as early as in the 1950s, first in association with the Mahindras and then with Premier Automobiles.