After a long absence from the U.S. market, Italian automaker Fiat is finally going to be selling cars here once again. Thanks to its 20 percent stake in Chrysler, Fiat will leverage Chrysler’s dealer network to sell the Fiat 500 minicar.
Fiat is looking to sell 50,000 500 minicars in the U.S. in 2011 alone. That target was outlined in a meeting Fiat held with 400 Chrysler dealers. However, the 500 will be marketed not as a Chrysler product, but within the 165 planned Fiat dealerships across the country. The locations were specially chosen as they’re thought to be the largest small-car markets.
“Our dealers will be able to interact with a group of individuals that are not part of their current customer base. These are individuals interested in Italian automotive design coupled with fuel efficient technology,” said Laura Soave, Head of Fiat Brand North America.
The upcoming Fiat 500 will be built at a plant in Toluca, Mexico – the same plant that built the Chrysler PT Cruiser.
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