Manza production to move out of Ranjangaon to make way for Jeeps?

According to a report on Overdrive.in today, the joint venture between Fiat and Tata Motors could be reduced to just engine manufacturing as the Indian auto maker has reportedly planned to move production of the Manza sedan out of Tata-Fiat JV plant in Ranjangaon to its fully-owned factory in Pimpri, Pune where other Tata models are manufactured.

Why? Because Fiat could be making way for the assembly of Jeep models in Ranjangaon.

Fiat India confirmed yesterday that it will hold a press conference on the 6th of December in Mumbai to discuss the future roadmap for Fiat-Chrysler in India.

The Overdrive report adds that component vendors have been notified about the shift in production site and components would start shipping to Pimpri in the coming months. To accommodate the Manza in Pimpri, production of Tata's slow-selling vehicles would be shifted to its Pantnagar facility where the Ace and Magic roll out of.

The joint venture on retail was dissolved after Fiat decided to establish its own network of dealers starting with 20 main cities. The servicing of Fiat cars at Tata-authorized workshops will also be discontinued next year.

Both companies however will continue manufacturing Fiat petrol and diesel engines at the Ranjangoan plant to be fitted on to cars from both brands, for India, as well as export markets. Tata brands Fiat's Multi-jet technology as 'Quadrajet' and the FIRE petrol engines motor Tata cars under the name 'SAFIRE.'

[Source - Overdrive.in]