Motor Trader The award-winning and longest running UK magazine for car retailing professionals. Your first stop for News, Jobs and Reports for the motor industry.
Fiat’s Focus challenger will launch this September with a bespoke UK business model aiming to reach 45% fleet penetration of an estimated 12,000 annual sales total.
The second-generation Tipo ‘business edition is set to account for a fifth of total sales and is based on the mid-range trim which already offers rear parking sensors, 16-inch alloys and an updated 5-inch Uconnect colour touchscreen.
In addition, the business spec adds satnav, autonomous emergency braking, electric lumbar support and the Eco pack, which helps the car fall into the sub-90g/km CO2 benefit-in-kind company car tax band.
Available only on the 120hp 1.6 diesel, that equates to 83.1mpg and 89g/km (bettering 76.3mpg and 98g/km for the regular 1.6 diesel) and costs £16,995 for the manual and £17,995 for the dual-clutch model following in November.
The hatchback should account for 80% of the tally and the Station Wagon estate 20%, but there are no plans to sell the four-door already on sale in other parts of Europe.
To get its dealers back into fleet focus Fiat is planning to boost its current 22 “business centre” dealers to 40 within this calendar year (out of a 160-strong network) and re-launch its business-to-business dealer programme with a special focus on Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
Federico Rosasco, UK’s Tipo product manager, told Motor Trader: “Training will start in August on the Tipo (and Spider) and we’ve ordered cars with all the safety equipment for dealers to experience – including autonomous emergency braking.”