NF500 / car manufacturer

Following on from previous difficulties that have dented the production and reputation of the Fiat 500, manufactured at Fiat’s plant in Tychy Poland, yet another spanner has been thrown in the works, which, ironically, was part of a solution to previous strike threats from workers over pay and conditions.

Parent company Fiat has been instigating upgrades and improvements at the Tychy plant, one element of which was designed to instil a sense of pride in the workers’ association with the Italian car manufacturer. At the entrance to the plant, pictures of historical Italian figures and events have been placed, and the menu at the canteens has been upgraded and improved.

This, however, is apparently the source of the current unrest. When the “Itialianization” of the plant lead to traditional favourites such as beetroot soup and steam softened beef tongues were replaced with minestrone soup and spicy meatballs with spaghetti, the workforce saw this as a step too far and have downed tools until a resolution to this catering catastrophe can be negotiated.

Fiat’s spokesman in Poland, Mr Ingannare, has been quoted as saying

Italian cuisine is the finest in the World, and while we accept and value the tradition of our Polish workforce, we will not back down on this matter, even if it regrettably leads to some customers Fiat 500s being delayed by a few weeks. Eventually we are sure the Polish workforce will learn to love our great Italian dishes now on offer, in which we’ve invested a great deal of time and money as part of our ongoing improvement programme at the plant.

Last week Fiat UK launched their new website and online car configurator.

Produced in partnership with AKQA, Fiat claim their new website is revolutionising the online automotive experience.

Epitomising the ‘Fiat digital’ spirit, www.fiat.co.uk features a unique interactive design and online world firsts. Developed to dramatically transform the Fiat buying and ownership experience, the site aims to makes it easier to choose, configure and finance a new Fiat. At the same time, it opens up a new channel of communication between Fiat and its customers.

Fiat’s digital platform will be an instrumental part of the Italian car manufacturer’s objective to increase car sales in the UK to 100,000 units by 2010, once its full range, including the new Fiat 500, is in place. The launch of the new website coincided with the introduction of the company’s new mid-size five door hatchback, the new Fiat Bravo.

The new Fiat website takes its inspiration from the brand’s heritage of design and innovation. At the heart of the site is a dramatic 3D showroom that pays homage to Fiat’s world-famous Lingotto building – renowned by architects and industrialists as a feat of remarkable engineering. The showroom displays the company’s range of models available in the UK to emphasise that stylish design is a quality that is shared by them all.

Built entirely for broadband, the site features full-screen 360° images of the interiors and exteriors of the cars, combined with a tailored voiceover to give potential customers an audio-visual tour of every model.

In an automotive online first, www.fiat.co.uk gives visitors real-time contact with Fiat Customer Services. For the first time ever, customers can book and confirm a test drive, request maps for directions and model brochures, in real-time. The test drive booking is then qualified by a real-life customer services representative, rather than by just a confirmation email.

Managing Director of Fiat Group Automobiles UK Ltd, Giulio Salomone, says:

The launch of the innovative fiat.co.uk represents the first step in our Fiat digital journey. Our strategy is to embrace the latest technology to create an environment that is captivating, innovative, and customer-focused. Every aspect of the website has been designed to make the experience a pleasure for the user and to immerse them in the Fiat brand.

Ajaz Ahmed, Chairman of AKQA says:

Fiat’s spirit of pioneering innovation and fun enabled us to take a fresh approach to many of the challenges that often compromise automotive sites. The result is a fun digital experience that combines a number of world firsts, is visually stunning, user friendly, and unlike anything else.

Not much there for the Fiat 500 yet, but the tease (shown above) at least reveals the UK launch date of the new baby Fiat.

Fiat certainly have big ambitions for their small car.

At the press conference to launch the Fiat 500, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne was keen to emphasise Fiat’s strong commitment to be the global leader in CO2 emissions, stating that by 2012, the Fiat Group will have the lowest weighted average emissions of any other manufacturer.

Fiat is in the fortunate position in the small car sector of utilising engines that have a lesser propensity to emit CO2 and more importantly I think Fiat on the technology side is capable of mastering technologies which will make a contribution to technology…

Whatever the other car manufacturers do Fiat will provide the lowest weighted average emissions of any other manufacturers, and we are confident that Fiat is the only car manufacturer in the European car sector [to achieve this]. Not withstanding what others do, what Brussels does in terms of legislation, Fiat will have the lowest weighted average CO2 emissions

A bold statement indeed, but certainly achievable given Fiats already impressive position in the area of CO2.

But as if being the greenest isn’t enough, Fiat also want the new 500 to set new standards in mini-car safety. We’ve already reported how Fiat are confident enough in their new baby to declare it has class leading safety, but apparently not only are Fiat self assured of achieving five stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests (which would be the highest in the mini car segment), they’re already planning to retest the 500 when NCAP confirm specifications for six star crash results, and the company are reportedly fully confident of achieving a full six out six.