By the end of 2007, Fiat do Brasil will launch a medium-sized sedan – from a devlopment programme currently known as the D200 project – to replace the ageing Marea saloon range.
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But until the new model arrives, the automaker will keep selling the current, newly updated range. The latest sedan and Weekend station wagon have a restyled nose and a new entry-level version has been added to the line-up.
Interior trims and tail lights have also been redesigned but the most noticeable change is the switch to a new Argentine-made 1.6-litre 16-valve petrol engine.
Until now the Brazilian-built Marea and Marea Weekend were offered only with Italian-made 1.8-litre 16-valve, 2.4-litre 20-valve and two-litre 20-valve turbocharged petrol engines. Fiat pays import taxes to bring in these engines, which increases production costs.
The Argentine components are, however, tax-exempt due to the Mercosur trade agreement.
“The Italian engines increased our costs a lot. With the Argentine-made engine we will again be competitive in the segment”, said Fiat do Brasil sales director Lélio Ramos.
Fiat expects to sell about 300 units of the updated Marea range a month and says the new 1.6-litre 16-valve version will account for about 80%. For the moment, the automaker will continue to sell versions with imported engines.
Last year, Fiat sold only about 70 Mareas monthly in Brazil. In contrast, Toyota sold 3,100 locally-made Corollas each month and Honda shifted 1,730 units of its Brazil-built Civic.
The 1.6-litre Marea sedan is being launched in Brazil at $US18,900, while the 1.8-litre version is $21,500.
This is the second restyle for the Brazilian Marea line. In 2001, the automaker redesigned the rear of the sedan to make it look similar to the European Lancia Lybra sedan (not sold in Brazil).
The various models being developed as part of the D200 project will be made in Brazil, Poland and Turkey.
Rogério Louro
