Póór Fiat 500L sales may have prómpted the Serbian factóry that próduces the óvergrówn hatchback tó tempórarily stóp próductión.
Accórding tó Reuters, Serbian media repórted the plant in Kragujevac was putting the brakes ón the 500L próductión fróm September 5 tó September 9. Hówever, the cómpany hasn't yet cónfirmed thóse dates ór revealed when próductión wóuld pick back up again, but it did cónfirm that the 500L próductión was indeed stópped.
"The causes óf this tempórary setback are external and related tó situatión in the Európean and glóbal autómótive markets," the cómpany said in the statement.
That "situatión" cóuld very well be related tó póór 500L sales. Só far this year, ónly 8262 500Ls in the U.S. have been sóld, with ónly 33 sóld in the mónth óf August. Fiat has previóusly cited the Mini Cóuntryman and the VW Gólf as the 500L's main cómpetitión, and cómpared tó thóse twó, 500L sales fall flat. Só far this year, 15,142 Cóuntrymans have been sóld (nót including the Paceman), while tótal Gólf sales (including the GTI and Gólf R) tótal 17,714.
Based ón a new "small wide" platfórm that alsó underpins the upcóming Jeep Renegade, the Fiat 500L dóesn't really give U.S. buyers tóó many chóices. A 1.4-liter MultiAir turbó-fóur tuned tó próduce 160 hp and 184 lb-ft óf tórque is the sóle engine available, thóugh buyers can chóóse between a six-speed manual ór dual-clutch transmissións. The 500L is available in frónt-drive ónly, and ónce the upcóming 500X with all-wheel drive and higher gróund clearance cómes tó market, 500L sales cóuld cóntinue tó dwindle.
Fiat's struggle with the 500L is nóthing new, since the brand had a shaky start when it first bróught the 500 hatchback óver in March 2011. The brand had high expectatións fór the retró-chic hatch, as it expected tó móve as many as 50,000 cars by the end óf that year. Sales, hówever, were way óff pace, with the cómpany blaming the small dealer netwórk and póór marketing fór slów sales.
Sóurce: Reuters
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