Fiat only operates four days a week due to lack of parts from Brazil

Brazil’s lack of auto parts is what is preventing automaker FCA from manufacturing more units of the Fiat Cronos at its Cordoba plant. “We are making 330 units, four times a week. More than that today we cannot, we have no parts to manufacture five days a week“, said Martin zuppi, CEO of Fiat Chrysler for Argentina.

The official assured that the missing were not due to any other reason than the pandemic. “There is no guarantee that they will be able to provide us beyond the limit that we have today, at least as long as the current health situation lasts“Zuppi said.

Today, the Cronos is the best-selling model in the country, partly because it has been able to position itself very well commercially in small to medium-sized cars, and also because, being of national production, more units are available than other models of its original imported segment. “It’s a very good product, and there is also availability, it sells very well directly and also thanks to savings plans“Zuppi said.

The context is a demand from buyers who are still looking to purchase vehicles as haven of value. Or at least they have one good excuse to justify your desire to change car. The reason is that the list price of vehicles is in dollars. official value: For this reason, sales increased from May, just days after the blue dollar price skyrocketed, until the spread to the official dollar rose to 100%.

This gap has worked at the same time as a magnet for dealerships, which throughout the year will eventually sell 350,000 units, 100,000 more than they had estimated in the early days of the pandemic.

“We will end the year with a production of 33,700 Fiat Cronos units, but by 2021 our estimate is to reach 57.00 to 58,000 units, as the supply of auto parts to Brazil is normalized, “Zuppi said in a year-end meeting with reporters.” We plan to export 35% of Cronos production to Brazil and even some units a Mexico“.

-In Argentina, there are already five pick-up models. Have you not thought of bringing a pickup like the Toro that Fiat produces in Brazil to Cordoba? -We asked him.

“It’s not something you are considering,” Zuppi said.

Within FCA, they also expect fusion face in Europe to their parent company with PSA Peugeot Citröen and which could be concluded at early next year. In Argentina, the two manufacturers have a commercial and productive force quite equal, at least in relation to the relationship between Fiat in Brazil, one of the most important automobile manufacturers in this country, in relation to Peugeot’s poor performance in this market. “We don’t know what will happen locally after the merger. But the first thing that comes to my mind is that Peugeot has a lot to gain in the Brazilian market, ”Zuppi said.