Fiat has opened its revamped EUR1bn (US$1.3bn) plant in Serbia which will produce the 500L.

Reconstruction of the 1.4m sq m former Zastava plant at Kragujevac has taken three years and the opening ceremony was attended by Serbian prime minister Mirko Cvetkovic and Fiat chief Sergio Marchionne.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Fiat said the work included updated infrastructure, new roofing, new production shops, land remediation and the installation of new machinery and production systems.

The 500L, unveiled at the Geneva show in March, will be exported within Europe and around the world with commercial launch planned for the last quarter of this year.

By the end of 2012, some 2,400 people will be employed at the plant plus a further 1,000 with suppliers nearby. Once fully operational, the plant will have a production capacity of up to 200,000 cars a year.

Just Auto Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Auto Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Continental has secured the Window Displays Innovation Award in the 2025 Just Auto Excellence Awards for its Window Projection solution, transforming side windows into dynamic, data-rich canvases. Discover how this compact projection technology and intelligent software are reshaping in-car UX and opening fresh revenue streams for OEMs and mobility providers.

Discover the Impact