Thursday, July 05, 2012
By Manoj Kumawat
Renault Duster rival Fiat 500X to debut in 2013
Renault Duster launch has brought with it, its rivals as well. Where the Maruti XA Alpha and Ford Ecosport are in the soon to be launched list, there is another SUV that will be making the market tough for Duster. This is from the Fiat stable and it will be Fiat 500X. To be based on the Fiat Punto hatchback, the 500X will be giving sleepless nights to compact SUVs in India. Notably, the Duster launch yesterday at a start price of Rs 7.19 lakh has created much abuzz. Some auto industry experts believe that the Duster has failed to create a miracle as its start price Rs 7.99 lakh for the diesel variant is just the same as that of Tata Safari and at this price, one cannot term it to do wonders. Though some class features will help Duster grab sales and the ageing Safari factor will also work in favor of Duster.
The Fiat 500X crossover will be launched in India hopefully next year and as per the reports, the Fiat car will have an attractive price as it will be based on the Punto platform. As per the details available, the new Fiat car will be around 4.2 meters long and will be a little wider than Punto. To be launched in diesel and petrol engine options, the new car by Fiat will have the iconic 1.3 L multijet diesel engine and 1.4 L turbo petrol engine options powering it. This engine configuration will not only give it enough power but will also give the new car greater fuel efficiency to break the record of over 20 kmpl mileage delivery by Duster SUV.
Currently, it is quite unsure as to whether the Fiat 500X will head to India or not but sensing the rising craze for SUVs in India as well as the growing number of players in the SUV segment, Fiat will be pitching in the SUV and it must be on its expansion plans. Meanwhile, Fiat has started taking orders for the new model of its 500L hatchback internationally.
