16.05.2003 FIAT PLAN TO DOUBLE CAPACITY OF NANJING PLANT AS CHINESE DEMAND ACCELERATES
| Some good news has come
from Fiat's China operation, which expects to double production capacity
by the end of next month to cope with increasing demand. Fiat's China CEO
Flavio Ciappa, also promised a third model would be introduced next to
the Palio and Siena models already rolling off the production lines.
By the end of June production is expected to rise to 120,000 units per year while a 200,000 capacity is being talked about as a realistic target for early next year. Initial production has been hampered by delays processing cars through the bodyshop, a problem that has now been addressed. Ciappa would not be drawn on the third model to be introduced, but implied that for Fiat to become serious players in China it would have to offer a significantly higher specification model than the basic Palio and Siena. Nanjing Fiat is a joint venture between Fiat Auto of Italy and the Yuejin Motor Group. Its total assets amount to 2.5 billion RMB, with each partner accounting for 50% of the share capital. It is located in the Industrial New Technology Park of Jiangning District, Nanjing, with a surface area of 640,000 square metres and a covered area of 270,000 square metres. |
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