autoevolution
 

Fiat Begins Build of the Suape Plant

Italian manufacturer Fiat is ending the year with dreams of greatness and announced today that it had laid the foundation stone at the new plant it would erect in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. The ceremony was attended both by Italian officials, including Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne and by Brazilian president, Luís Inacio Lula da Silva.

The plant in the Suape district will be in charge with manufacturing new Fiat models, including models purpose built for the Brazilian market and other South American countries. The complex will house the manufacturing plant, an R&D center and training grounds for employees.

"Today, Brazil is one of the safest and most promising places to invest,"
said Marchionne, motivating the reasons which made the Italians take the decision to bet their money on the local market.

Fiat, one of the biggest players on the Brazilian automotive market, bets on the appetite Brazilians proved to have for new cars, especially locally built ones. The fact that Brazil survived pretty much unchanged last year's crisis, at least from Fiat's point of view, also contributed to the decision made in the end of this year.

Rumors which surfaced last week pointed to Fiat rolling off the assembly lines of the plant in Suape a new low-cost car which will replace the current Mille, one of Brazil's oldest vehicles.

"This combination of factors will produce competitive advantages for Fiat, particularly in light of the growth expected for the Brazilian auto market, and will transform the region's economic landscape," Fiat Latin America president Cledorvino Belini added.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Daniel Patrascu
Daniel Patrascu profile photo

Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories