Fiat India has launched the Linea and the Punto in Nepal. The move comes at a time when the Italian automaker and its rivals in the Indian market are facing a slump in sales due to a weakened economy.
The 2012 Linea and Punto will be sold in nine variants and three engine options by Batas Brothers Motors, the sole distributors for Fiat cars in Nepal. Given that Nepal’s roads are far worse than the one’s in India, the Italian marquee hopes to cash in on of the main features of both 2012 models, increased ground clearance.
The company aims to sell around 300 units by the end of the fiscal year in the Nepali market. Speaking on the competition, Rajeev Kapoor, President and CEO of Fiat India said that the biggest challenge for Fiat in Nepal is to make its presence felt. Its main rivals Hyundai, Toyota and Maruti had been selling cars in Nepal for many years now and were well established. To make up for lost time, it had undertaken a strategy of establishing its service centers and spare parts supply firmly before launching the cars.
Given the exorbitantly high duty structure of the country, the Punto will retail for Rs 14-18 lakh (Nepali Rs 23-30 lakh), while the Linea will sell for Rs 19-24 lakh(Nepali Rs 31-40 lakh).
