05 July 2010

Chrysler: Separate FIAT Dealer Network

FIAT 500 to be launched just in-time for Christmas-
The Auburn Hills, Michigan-based automaker said existing Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram dealers will get a chance to apply to sell the Italian Fiats, but they must be able to operate separate facilities with different sales and service teams in order to win a franchise....

The Fiat dealers will be located in roughly 125 U.S. metropolitan areas that Chrysler has found to have high small-car registration and high potential for growth in selling smaller cars, said spokesman Ralph Kisiel. The company expects to have 200 Fiat dealers in 41 states.
Letters will go out Monday to Chrysler Group's roughly 2,300 dealers nationwide giving them general guidelines for applying to become Fiat dealers. More specific requirements will come in application packets for interested dealers.
"Dealers are going to have to demonstrate how they will market, sell and service Fiat vehicles with a new customer service model," Kisiel said.
He would not say if dealers will have to pay to buy a Fiat franchise. Generally, interested dealers must be in the 125 designated markets, meet customer satisfaction and minimum sales requirements, and show that they have the financial resources to support the brand, Chrysler said in a statement.

2 comments:

  1. So that means that Fiat cars will be branded under Chrysler group? I want to check out new cars models for Fiat in the USA but I have not found a dealer yet.

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  2. No Ana, some models will come as FIATs, and the ones that do will be sold in a seperate dealership, sometimes attached to a Chrysler or Dodge/Jeep store, but apparently stand-alone FIAT only stores are possible too.

    The FIAT dealers have not been chosen or announced yet- we will be publishing them immediately here at FIAT Returns, and that is expected the first week in September... bookmark us and see you then!

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