By Moses Ebosele –
After several months of research and planning, Fiat has finally settled in Nigeria courtesy Weststar Associates Limited, Authorized General Distributors of Mercedes-Benz, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Fiat in Nigeria.
Using the Fiat brand slogan, driven by passion, the Managing Director of Weststar, Mr Mirko Plath, explained at a colourful ceremony in Lagos that bringing back Fiat thoroughly satisfies and excites “despite the present economic circumstances and the challenging times”.
Speaking at the unveiling of Fiat Tipo in Lagos, Plath said: “The center of attraction is the FIAT brand rebirth and the FIAT TIPO which we are officially unveiling. Wow! FIAT is finally here in Nigeria. It is no longer a dream. It is a reality! This Italian brand promises to match the superior standards set by all the other brands we represent here in Nigeria”.
Meanwhile, in partnership with Air France, a 10% discount to Europe will be available (together with an additional 5% discount totaling 15% discount if traveling to Italy or London) for the first 20 purchasers of the FIAT Tipo. This promotion will last from 24th of May to 30th July 2017 and travel period is 2017. (Terms and conditions apply)
Plath said: “As we all know, FIAT is a major brand from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group. The formal merger between Fiat and Chrysler Group carries on the tradition of two historic automakers: Fiat founded in 1899 and Chrysler founded in 1925. Together the two automobile makers created a stronger alliance to produce cars that are more revolutionary. As the largest automobile manufacturer in Italy, the acronyms “FIAT” stands for Fabrica Italiano Automobili Turino.
“Born over a century ago, the FIAT brand has acquired a long history that includes war, automotive innovation and international conquest. Fiat was also involved in the manufacturing of military vehicles, machinery and commercial vehicles for the Italian Army and Regia Aeronautica. By the 1950s, FIAT resumed full car manufacturing thus, strongly benefitting from the Italian economic boom thereby putting four million Italians on the road with its famous two cylinder FIAT 500. FIAT also expanded its offerings to the U.S, rebuilding many of its former operations in the States.
“For all of us at Weststar, we are motivated to provide the best variety of automobile brands and this is why we relentlessly work towards delivering impeccable sales and aftersales services to our customers.
Speaking in a similar vein, General Manager for the FIAT Chrysler brands in Nigeria, Mr. Stavros Diamantidis said adequate plans are in place to provide quality after sales across the country.
According to him, customers will benefit from existing Weststar Associates after sales outlets, adding that plans are underway to expand the network.
The four-door sedan version of the FIAT Tipo is one of the first models which will be exclusively available at Weststar Associates Limited, Authorized General Distributors of Mercedes-Benz, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, FIAT and FIAT professional in Nigeria.
The FIAT Tipo is 4.54 meters long, 1.79 meters wide and 1.49 meters high. The 2.64-meter wheelbase emphasizes its excellent internal comfort. Two alloy rim patterns (16” and 17”) are available with a wide variety of body colours (pastel and metallized) as well as four different interior segments.
The FIAT tipo has a rigid, lightweight body chassis. This results in lower weight, first-class handling dynamics and impressive strength in the event of an impact.
Under the hood is a1.6V E.torQ Petrol (gasoline) engine with109hp that yields an economical fuel consumption of 15.9km/l. It also comes with a five-speed transmission and a Front-wheel drive. Thus, the weight of the engine and transmission is directly over the driven wheels to reduce weight and production cost, improve fuel economy and deliver better traction.
The Tipo comes with McPherson independent suspension up front and interconnected wheels with lateral dynamic control at the rear. Thus, the suspension system is lightweight, efficient and reliable while the Frequency Dependent shock absorbers filter out stresses more effectively to reduce body roll when
cornering.
According to Weststar, the Fiat Tipo 4-door basic model exudes style with its painstakingly simple designs inside and out. The interior comes with fabric upholstery, chrome and gloss black detailing. The instrumental panel possesses a clear and uncluttered design offering all the information needed on a thin film transistor screen.
These features are also found in the five-door model and station wagon. On the inside, this five-seater sedan offers 520 liters space in the luggage compartment and 1150 liters when the rear seats are folded back.
Other key features include 60/40 foldable rear seats, Uconnect TM system with a 5″ color touchscreen, hands-free Bluetooth system, audio streaming, text reader and voice recognition, AUX and USB ports with iPod integration, controls on the steering wheel and, on demand, a rear-parking camera with the new TomTom 3D Touch navigation system.
In terms of safety, “equipped with some of the most advanced safety systems, the Fiat Tipo offers simplicity and peace of mind to its passengers. Some key safety features include six airbags and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with Hill Holder, anti-lock brakes (ABS) complete with electronic brake force distribution (EBD), fog light with cornering function and Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). Also, even in the tightest maneuvers, the Tipo yields a record turning circle of just 11 metres.
