Fiat is going to have to play a delicate game so as not to step on the toes of any Chrysler models in the US.
According to reports from Autocar, the Fiat 500 will be followed by another of the brand’s compact cars – the Fiat Bravo.
For us, that’s a dubious choice as even in its home market of Italy, the more upmarket Bravo has been outstripped by sales of the very utilitarian Fiat Punto.
When buying a Fiat, most Italians themselves are more prepared to purchase lower in the line-up because once they’ve got to a Bravo, they’re more likely to switch to a German-branded car.
The British mag quotes Fiat’s brand head Laura Soaves as saying: “Fiat will be the small car brand.
It will never have anything larger than a C [segment].
” We can’t help wondering if that isn’t extremely limiting for the brand on the US car market.
A big deal was made of debuting with the Fiat 500 but its successful sales must surely be put down to its style and image, and not its size.
We’re in America after all.
According to the report, the model won’t necessarily be the Bravo as such, but rather a larger car that will replace it.
Sergio Marchionne has said that it will be radically styled car and “not a traditional offering”, but we’d ask if the job of a larger Fiat Group vehicle isn’t better left to Alfa Romeo.
Meanwhile, with the redesigning of the Alfa Giulia, apparently we’re still heading to the US for that brand with the Alfa 4C.
It will still have to be good, though, and not just good looking.
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