Purpose

I will try my best to provide detailed info on various cars and what is like to live with them, I have already produced a few for Jaguar-car-forums, I will do my best to be unbiased, but it will be hard for some cars. I will re-produce press releases and copy from other motoring news.
Showing posts with label Tofaş plant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tofaş plant. Show all posts

Friday, 22 May 2015

FIAT Launches all new Saloon, the first in a new range for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

  • Conceived from the outset as a three box sedan, it combines harmony and stylistic balance with a highly efficient use of space.
  • Italian style and "made in Fiat" technology for a global vehicle, designed in Italy by the FCA Style Centre, developed together with Tofaş R&D in Turkey, and manufactured in the Tofaş plant in Bursa, one of the most innovative industrial sites in the world as proven by its Gold Medal awarded by World Class Manufacturing.
  • Hence the name of the project - Fiat Ægea - pays tribute to Turkey, which has always played a strategic role for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and represents a symbolic bridge between East and West.
  • On sale from November in Turkey, it will gradually reach over 40 countries of the EMEA region.

A global model for a global brand: Fiat presents its new Compact Sedan, designed in Italy at the FCA Style Centre, developed in Turkey together with Tofaş R&D and manufactured in the Bursa plant to be sold in over 40 countries of the EMEA area. 

Hence the name of the project - Fiat Ægea - which pays tribute to Turkey which has always played a strategic role for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and represents a symbolic bridge between East and West.


For its début, the brand has chosen the Istanbul Motor Show, thus reiterating the importance the Turkish market holds within FCA strategies and sealing the equal share joint venture first begun in 1968 between what was then the Fiat Group and Koç Holding.

It stands to reason that FCA should assign a primary role to this model with which it aims to increase its presence in the EMEA region, as well as reinforcing its unrivalled leadership in the Compact Sedan segment in Turkey, thanks to its excellent interior roominess and load capacity, a very complete range and a style that allows no compromises.

The new Fiat model comes into the world as a unique combination of comfort, efficiency and technology. With the added touch of the exclusive Italian design that delivers a quality project with the proportions of a pure and powerful sedan.

The car will be produced in Turkey in the Tofaş plant in Bursa - one of the best industrial automotive sites in the world as proven by the awarding of the Gold Medal according to the assessment of World Class Manufacturing - and sold at first in Turkey, from next November, and then gradually in the other countries of the EMEA region.

Italian style
Designed in Italy at the FCA Style Centre and developed together with Tofaş R&D, one of FCA's largest research and development centres, the Fiat Ægea project was conceived from the outset as a completely new three volume sedan, created by a team of over 2000 people, who worked on the project during its three year development period.

Often Sedan vehicles are a spin off of the hatchback with a third volume added, which can lead to overall shapes that are not always coherent. The new Fiat car, on the other hand, was "Born to be a Sedan" and therefore features a design project that integrates the various sections by means of natural flowing lines which create a real, uncompromised, vigorous compact sedan.

Seen from the side, a distinctive line runs from the headlights to the rear light clusters and the glazing creates a dynamic appearance conferring an idea of airiness and ample access spaces for driver and passengers. Exclusive Italian style is finely expressed in the rear where the harmoniously proportioned third box hosts bright light cluster surrounds. 

The front end is characterised by a captivatingly shapely bonnet with central ribbing stretching up to the roof to create a continuous line. Similarly, the grille is a single element with the light clusters. Intercalated chrome-effect accents which form an original, unmistakable graphic pattern on which the Fiat logo is proudly sported.

Top in class liveability and load capacity
A perfect marriage of beauty and function, the new Fiat Ægea project knowingly brings together great load capacity and compact dimensions of a sedan 4 and half metres long, 178 centimetres wide and 148 cm high with a wheelbase of 264 cm that heightens its excellent interior space. 

All this is confirmed by the very appreciable size of the passenger compartment, large enough to seat 5 well built passengers comfortably with a load capacity of over 510 litres.

Reliable and fuel-efficient engines
The new Fiat car offers a wide range of power units, all reliable, high performing and economical in terms of fuel consumption and emissions - two Multijet II turbodiesel engines and two petrol ones, with manual or automatic transmission - with power ratings of between 95 and 120 HP.

It is also worth noting that the diesel engines are particularly fuel-efficient: less than 4 litres of diesel fuel for 100 km, comparable to that of a city car like Fiat Panda.

Uconnect TMstate-of-the-art technology
In the true Fiat style, the new sedan is provided with a number of ingenious solutions that improve the life of both the driver and the passengers. The proof of this lies in the many standard features and the availability of the Uconnect TM system equipped with a 5" colour touch screen, a hands-free Bluetooth system, audio streaming, text reader and voice recognition, AUX and USB ports with iPod integration, steering wheel controls and, on request, a rear parking camera and TomTom sat nav.

Tofaş, a world famous manufacturing centre
The new Fiat Compact Sedan will see the light at the Bursa site where for the past half century Fiat has been building its cars and commercial Fiat Professional vehicles. 

Stretching over a surface area of 934,000 square metres and with an annual production capacity of 400,000 units, the plant currently produces vehicles for the Turkish market and large volume Fiat models for export: these include the Linea, the Qubo, the New Doblò, the Fiorino and the Doblò Cargo.

The Tofaş company employs as many as 6,500 staff, has about 2,000 supplier companies and a distribution network that boasts about 120 sales outlets and 140 service centres in Turkey. 

A paragon of excellence therefore, that is currently the sixth largest company in the country and one of the first three companies in Turkey in terms of its investments in research and development, besides being one of the market leaders with an 11.6% share of the car and commercial vehicle market.

Monday, 15 December 2014

The new FIAT Doblò unveiled with bold new exterior style

  • The new FIAT Doblò unveiled with bold new exterior style
  • New Doblò retains outstanding versatility, practicality and dynamics of the current model but with improved refinement
  • UK range completely revised to focus on key models and offer customers more value
  • On sale in the UK in January 2015 priced from £13,480
The new FIAT Doblò has been unveiled, building on the strengths of the current model as it evolves to meet the ever-more diverse needs of its demanding and loyal customers.

The fourth generation of the FIAT Doblò, which has amassed 300,000 sales since it was first launched in 2000, features a restyled front end for 2015 with a sculpted bonnet; new front wings; distinctive new headlamps and a bold new grille, all of which bring an air of sophistication and elegance to the new FIAT Doblò’s design.


The sleek new front bumper, lower air intakes and fog light shrouds adopt a more car-like appearance while also exuding solidity and robustness, and at the rear there are new light clusters, with a sleeker shape and more sophisticated graphics and a new body-coloured moulding across the tailgate. A new dark grey exterior colour and new wheel cover / alloy wheel designs round out the exterior revisions.

The 2015 FIAT Doblò continues to offer one of the broadest and most comprehensive ranges in its segment, with three engine/transmission choices, three trim levels, two roof heights and a choice of five- or seven-seat versions. Twin sliding rear doors are standard, while a choice of tailgates and the option of a fold-flat front passenger seat give customers even more scope for choosing the perfect Doblò to suit their lifestyle.

Inside, the new FIAT Doblò retains its outstanding versatility and practicality – five seat models have a vast 790 litre boot (up to the parcel shelf) which can be boosted to a class-leading 3,200 litres when all the passenger seats are folded down, and even the parcel shelf does its bit: it can be positioned at different levels and can carry loads of up to 70kg! Other subtle improvements to the 2015 FIAT Doblò include lighter and more precise gear changes, a more responsive throttle pedal, new instrumentation and even better noise insulation.

The new FIAT Doblò continues to offer the best ride and handling in its class, mainly thanks to its segment-exclusive, bi-link, independent rear suspension, with dual-rate shock absorbers, high-performance springs and a rear anti-roll bar all tuned to provide the ideal combination of handling and damping performance on all roads.

The UK range has been completely revised for 2015, offering better value on key models and aligning it more closely to customer expectations in the segment. A new entry-level Pop trim joins the range for 2015, equipped with Start&Stop, remote central locking, electric front windows and a 60/40 split rear seat as standard. In terms of safety, every new FIAT Doblò is equipped with ESC (Electronic Stability Control); ASR (Anti Slip Regulation), HBA (Hydraulic Brake Assist), Hill Holder; ABS with EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution); front airbags (side bags are optional) and TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System). 

Available with a 95hp, 1.4-litre petrol engine, the new FIAT Doblò Pop starts at £13,480 OTR, reducing the entry-level price of the FIAT Doblò range by £1000 compared to the current range.

The “MyLife” trim level is replaced by the new “Easy” version and adds body-coloured bumpers front and rear, front fog lights, body-coloured electric door mirrors, steering wheel audio remote controls and a height adjustable driver’s seat compared to the Pop specification. 

Prices for the FIAT Doblò Easy start at £14,650 OTR for the 95hp 1.4-litre petrol engine, with the 1.6-litre MultiJet 2 105hp priced from £15,900 OTR. A new “Easy Air” special edition adds manual air conditioning to the Easy model for only £345 more (normally a £655 option) and the FIAT Doblò Easy 1.6-litre MultiJet 2 90hp Dualogic (equipped with FIAT’s automated-manual transmission) is priced at £16,700 OTR.

The new top-of-the-range Lounge trim replaces the Eleganza version and, compared to the Easy model, comes equipped with air conditioning; 16-inch alloy wheels; rear parking sensors; an audio system upgrade including Bluetooth and USB/Aux-in connectivity; rear electric windows; power folding door mirrors; a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear knob; dark tinted windows and cruise control all as standard. 

Pricing for the Lounge version starts at £17,980 OTR for the 1.6-litre MultiJet 2 105hp, while the 1.6-litre MultiJet 2 90hp Dualogic version (equipped with FIAT’s automated-manual transmission) is priced at £18,780 OTR.

Built at the Tofaş plant in Bursa, Turkey (a Gold Medal winner in the World Class Manufacturing assessment) the new FIAT Doblò goes on sale in the UK in January.