Fiat Chrysler considering local tuning

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' Australian division could follow Hyundai and Kia's lead and start localising the dynamic tune of its vehicles.

The potential move was confirmed today in Melbourne by Steve Bartoli, who heads up International Product Planning for Chrysler, as well as Asia-Pacific product planning boss for fellow FCA brands Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Fiat Professional.

Bartoli, who is on his first visit to Australia, also sits on FCA's global product committee.

FCA has ambitious sales growth plans in Australia and Bartoli is here to understand better the market and the sort of initiatives required to hit those targets.

As part of his visit Bartoli is back-to-backing relevant FCA Group vehicles against logical rivals.

Asked if a local chassis development program could work for FCA, Bartoli said: "I am honestly beginning to think that way but I cannot tell you for sure. I think there is value-add there and we need to give that serious consideration.

"We do take development trips and have been to Australia with development teams before, but maybe not as pervasively as we should be.  So that is something I need to think about.

"It's something for me to take back to Auburn Hills [FCA US headquarters] and get into with our engineering guys a bit more. So that's an assignment I give myself."

Kia and Hyundai started local tuning of their suspension and steering after copping substantial media review criticism. Both companies say the improvements made to various models contribute on a slow-burn basis to improved perception of their brands.

Kia Australia has been making modifications for the local market since 2008 in co-operation with independent consultant Graeme Gambold, while Hyundai works in conjunction with British engineer David Potter.

The two Korean brands are the only importers with substantive localisation programs, alongside the three manufacturers Ford, Holden and Toyota.

It is known that FCA executives have noted the lukewarm reception the handling, steering and ride of many its models launched in Australia have received.

Bartoli made it clear that dynamics were only part of the challenge for FCA if it is to become a truly global car company and maximise opportunities in markets like Australia.

"That's what we are trying to do right now and that's why I am really here right now," he said.

"I really want to get into my head what Australian design culture is so I can lead the team back in Auburn Hills and make sure they understand what that is.

"They are getting the European thing, especially with Fiat. That is going fine. But what I really don't want to happen is have NAFTA (North American Free Trade agreement) cars, European cars and rest of the world cars.

"I want to make sure there are European, there are Australian, there are Japanese; there is some of this and there is some of that."

 Bartoli said the US-based product development group had made significant progress toward that goal in recent years.

 "I have been doing this [job] on an international basis now for almost five years and when I first started it was 'here's the NAFTA car and here's the export car and that's where we were.

"They called it the BUX market – the built-up export market – and that was the culture of the company. So I got out a map and said 'can anyone show me where the country BUX is?'

"My message was 'we are not going to do BUX any more'."