Is Fiat planning to sell Tata Nano cars at its Chrysler dealerships in the United States?
Tata Motors head Ratan Tata has stated he’d like to sell his company’s Nano city car in the United States by 2011, but Mr. Tata has never addressed one of that plan’s the biggest obstacles– a U.S. dealer network. However, Fiat’s recent tie-up with Chrysler could provide Tata with a solution. Fiat and Tata already have a number of joint-ventures, and one more could be on the way. Tata sells Fiats in India and is currently developing a pickup truck for the Italian automaker. The two companies also share a factory in India. And, according to The New York Times, Fiat could soon market a version of the Nano in the U.S. for Tata. It remains unclear what banner the Nano would be sold under, but the city car could show up in Chrysler/Fiat dealerships by early next decade. Fiat could sell the Nano under the Tata name, or could decide to brand the tiny four-wheeler under a new budget brand. Although it might be difficult to imagine Americans buying in to such a small offering, the Nano could pro
Fiat and Tata already share many joint ventures. Tata sells Fiats in India and has access to the Italian company’s diesel engines. The two companies share a giant factory in India, and Tata has developed a pickup truck that Fiat will sell under its own name. Tata Motors, India’s largest domestic automaker, wants to introduce its low-buck Nano city car in the United States. Speaking at a meeting for Sustainable Global Enterprise at Cornell University last week, Ratan Tata, chairman and chief executive of the Tata Group, said he hoped to see the Nano arrive in North America by 2011. The company would need to engineer the Nano to meet United States safety and emissions requirements Sources: http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/tata-nano-at-fiat-chrysler-showrooms/?
