BEIJING MOTOR SHOW: Chinese debut for new Fiat Viaggio

Fiat will reveal in full its new C-segment sedan, the Viaggio, at the Beijing motor show next week. Viaggio — Italian for 'voyage' — is Fiat's version of the car to be marketed in North America as the Dodge Dart.

As a Fiat the small sedan is making its debut in Beijing because the Viaggio will be built in China for that market. Production at the GAC-Fiat joint venture facility in Changsha, Hunan province is set to commence from July this year.

Press material issued overnight describes the Viaggio as "the first Fiat-Chrysler twin project" — and states that for the Chinese market the Viaggio will be named Fiat Feixing (mandarin for 'flying'). Built on the CUSW (Compact US Wide) platform — a development of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta — with a wheelbase of 2708mm, the Viaggio will measure 4679mm in length and 1850mm in width. Fiat plans to offer the car in China with a choice of two outputs from the 1.4-litre T-Jet petrol engines, 120hp or 150hp. Both variants will be offered with either a five-speed manual or Dual Dry Clutch Transmission (DDTC).

As to whether we'll see the Viaggio in Australia, that remains up in the air and will be determined to an extent by Chrysler's decision for or against selling the Dodge Dart here.

"[Viaggio] does certainly have all the characteristics of a world car," Director of Corporate Affairs for Chrysler Australia, Lenore Fletcher, told motoring.com.au yesterday. "It is definitely something we would be very happy to see here; obviously it's in a very important segment in the Australian market..."

For the present, however, there's been no local decision made about either the Viaggio or the Dart for Australian consumers.

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