Comments on: Fiat set to double Indian sourced components in 2010

By: Frank

Frank — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 01:54:51 +0000

I do not think the Chinese A4 is for anywhere outside China.

By: Gary

Gary — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 01:27:42 +0000

It’s a long time since Alfa Romeo made anything in Milan and the last of it’s association is being currently being moved to Turin .
http://www.italiaspeed.com/2009/cars/alfa_romeo/06/centro_stile_alfa_romeo/1706.html
In reality Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili (ALFA) has now become Anonima Piedmontese Fabbrica Automobili (APFA) Romeo
So after all those GM components stuck in Current FIAT Alfa Romeos, a few Indian parts will not make much difference….

By: Fernando

Fernando — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 15:54:20 +0000

I think nothing is wrong with Indian sourcing as long as Fiat keeps good quality control. I found Made in China products from IKEA are pretty descent. However, I don’t feel like Fiat and reliability don’t go together.

By: The Salesman

The Salesman — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:31:26 +0000

It’s a viscous circle. Customer demands better value with more and more brands coming onto the market of course manufactures are going to look at keeping productions costs down. I can not see any car manufacturer deliberately damaging their brand by using inferior parts.

By: Carazoo.com India

Carazoo.com India — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:17:59 +0000

Thats a great news.

By: absi

absi — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:02:24 +0000

Audi A4′s are built in China and soon the Q5 will also be built there … not just part sourced!

Its all about quality control of the individual company….

By: Wheelnut®™

Wheelnut®™ — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:48:12 +0000

Fiat is the largest car manufacturer in Italy – they own Ferrari Maserati and Alfa -Romeo [among others].. so I wonder how customers of their more exclusive brands would feel knowing that the leather [for example] is from Madrid instead of Milan?

By: John of Perth

John of Perth — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:55:39 +0000

Perceptions, perception, perceptions.

Parts sourcing is now a global exercise not just in autos. As long as the quality assurance and testing mechanisms are in place to screen the parts, it comes down to the integrity of the overall design not just of the vehicle, but of the parts that go to make up the whole. Design tolerances need to be engineered to allow high quality manufacturing with reproducbilty, regardless of where they are made. ISO standards are just as much a part of Indian manufacturing rigour as they are anywhere else.

With respect to Fiat outsourcing to Fiat-Tata India, the engineering & manufacturing capability of this conglomerate, would surpass many Australian and other companies.

Parts failure will occur no matter what the country of origin – eg, a Bosch MAF made in Germany is just as likely to fail as one made in India or Brazil.

Not all Mazda’s inventory is produced in Japan and their success has more to do with meeting the market equation of design, packaging and price.

By: observer

observer — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:49:39 +0000

So What…VW has been building cars in china and Mexico for decades and Audi will start production soon as well.

Sourcing some minor components hava a lot less implications to quality than actually building the entire car.

A manufacturer can reject a poor component but you cant reject an entirely built car.

By: Jinsei

Jinsei — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 06:41:36 +0000

Indian sourced parts.. a negative implication for Fiat’s quality. Many Japanese and German makers source their parts from Thailand, South Africa and the likes and i belive that s a negative impact on the quality of their vehecles. Mazda’s sales remain strong despite an economic downturn like now because most of their cars are still Japanese-built (ie. outstanding build quality and finishing).

Outsourcing components maybe cost-efficient for short-term but I m not sure about it s long-term implication for quality and in turn for their sales.