Fiat Debuts Viaggio in China

Fiat SpA's new Dodge Dart-based Viaggio small sedan debuted today at the Beijing auto show.

The car, which goes into production in Changsha in July, is the first result of Fiat's three-year-old, $400 million venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. The Changsha factory will have initial annual capacity of 160,000 vehicles but could be expanded to 300,000 units.

Fiat Group sold about 35,400 vehicles in China last year, but only about 1,500 of its Bravo hatchbacks and 500 city cars under the Fiat brand.

The company lags virtually every other foreign carmaker in the Chinese market. It hopes its now-energized Guangzhou venture will enable it to achieve annual sales in China of 300,000 units including its Chrysler and Jeep brands by 2014.

The five-passenger Viaggio, which Fiat says was designed specifically for the Chinese market, spearheads Fiat's ambitious sales plan. The midsize car is virtually identical in profile to the Dart but has its own front and rear design treatments. Both models ride on Fiat's "compact U.S. wide" platform. The Viaggio sits on a 106.6-inch wheelbase and measures 184 inches long.

The car will be offered in China with a standard turbocharged 1.4-liter engine producing 120 hp. A 150-hp variant will be optional. The car will come with a standard five-speed manual transmission or optional six-speed dual-clutch gearbox.