The new Fiat Grande Punto was the best selling car in Europe during February, its second consecutive month at the top, Fiat Group and Auto Division CEO, Sergio Marchionne, said in Chieti on Friday morning,  where he went on to discuss the new strategically important Stilo replacement, as well as the next-generation Ducato commercial vehicle. Marchionne was in Chieti to receive one of the three special awards being handed out by the Chieti Chamber of Commerce. He received the "Fedelta' al Lavoro" (adherence to work) prize. "Fiat's reorganisation process began twenty two months ago. The process is a long one so the 2005 results are important. The real challenge though began in 2006 and it has started really well. After just two months the Punto has become the best selling car in Europe," he added.

"The next big challenge is to replace the existing model in C-segment, so the car that will replace the Stilo is a very important car which will be launched in Turin in January 2007. We will present it at the Geneva motor show on February 2007," Marchionne said, as he turned his attention to the development project underway which will see the current Stilo model replaced. Following the highly successful arrival of the B-segment Grande Punto last autumn all attention at Fiat Auto has been focused on replacing the unloved Stilo model which has proved to be a major sales flop, and the resurgent carmaker really needs to create another big hit in this hugely important European category. The new model will be brought to production in a record time for Fiat.
 

"We are working on this new car which will be an essential part of the re-launch of our group" he continued to say, before adding that the new model would be much more Italian in character, a a vital feature that is painfully missing from the existing Stilo model, a car which he was quite dismissive of.

Speaking about the Sevel assembly plant in Atessa, Marchionne said that Fiat Auto has invested more than one billion euros in its on-going development. "We made the decision with our French partners so it is an international pledge. The Atessa plant is the most important plant we have in Italy because it is the only one in which we have a foreign partner. Next spring we will launch the new version of Ducato van. It will be a very important launch because the Ducato is one of the most important vans in our portfolio of commercial vehicles. We are working with the Fiat management of the Atessa plant to prepare for this launch" he said.

According to Marchionne, the Sevel plant is guaranteed have a strong future. "We have opened a new round of negotiations with the trade unions to expand the production. I believe that our French partners are ready to invest in the region but we must be sure we have the proper industrial flexibility to do it," he concluded.