Another Italian automobile to be produced in "Fiat automobili Srbija" - "grande punto"

(Giovani de Filipis and Nebojša Ćirić)

"Fiat" will start assembling one of its existing models in Serbia before the end of year 2009 when the production of new "A" model should start and, according to "Novosti", that model will be - "grande punto".

This Fiat's action was not discussed at the meeting of the representatives of the Government of Serbia, the managers of "Zastava" and Italian managers on Thursday (December 18, 2008), but when asked by "Novosti" - if some other models were going to be produced in the interphase, as Mlađan Dinkić announced at the closed meeting with the representatives of the trade union of "Zastava", the State Secretary in the Ministry of Economy, Nebojša Ćirić, said that that was the question that should be set to the managers of "Fiat", but he added that "there is certain interest in such activities".

All participants in this meeting confirmed that the production of "punto" model would be intensified, and Ćirić pointed out that "grande punto" was also one of the options in that Italian company.

"Novosti" finds out that the authorized people asked for the production of another model from Fiat's existing product portfolio to start on the line for production of "punto" prior to the commencement of production of new model of "A" class, in order for all existing workers to be employed.

"Fiat" plans to hire 1,000 workers as soon as the poll is finished, while the rest of the workers will be hired successively.

- Our side wanted that model to be from the "topolino" family, but it has been decided that the production of "grande punto" can be organized in the shortest time because of its great similarities with the predecessor of that model - says one of the managers of "Zastava".