Fiat joins the fray

The Viaggio, the first model from China-Italian joint venture GAC Fiat, rolled off the production line at its Changsha plant in central China's Hunan province last Thursday as a newcomer to the intensely competitive compact auto segment.

The model is 4,676 mm long, 1,827 mm wide and 1,483 mm high, a little longer than its counterparts.

Expected to go on sale in September, it is likely to be priced in a range from 110,000 yuan to 150,000 yuan, according to insiders at the joint venture.

"China is Fiat Chrysler Group's most important market in the world. We hope the Viaggio will allow consumers to experience high-quality automotive products and a beautiful Italian-style life," said Sergio Marchionne, CEO and chairman of Fiat Group Automobiles SpA as well as CEO of Chrysler Group.

GAC Fiat Co recently completed construction on a new 5 billion yuan plant covering 750,000 square meters that will have an initial production capacity of 140,000 units, which can be expanded to 300,000 vehicles if demand warrants.