Beijing Dispatch | Fiat

Fiat Viaggio

GAC Fiat's First Complete Vehicle from China Plant

GAC Fiat,Detroit this Januaryunveiled its Chinese production model, the "Viaggio," based on the "Dodge Dart" announced at the Detroit Motor Show in January. The unveiling took place at the Beijing International Motor Show.

Text & Photographs by OTANI Tatsuya

Based on the Dodge Dart

GAC Fiat, a joint venture between Fiat Group and Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC), has announced the all-new "Viaggio" model to be produced in China.

The comprehensive agreement to establish GAC Fiat was signed in 2009, and a new plant has been under construction in Changsha City, Hunan Province. The Viaggio will be the first complete vehicle to be produced at this plant. Incidentally, "Viaggio" is Italian for "Voyage."

The Viaggio is based on the Dodge Dart, which was unveiled at the Detroit Show in January of this year. Last year, Fiat fully acquired Chrysler, and the new Viaggio can be seen as a badge-engineered version of the Dart. However, the Dart is developed based on the latestAlfa Romeo GiuliettaAlfa Romeo Giulietta, meaning the Viaggio also inherits a strong lineage from Turin.

The engine is a 1.4-liter T-Jet turbo gasoline unit, with two output options: 120ps and 150ps. The gearbox will be either a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic or a 5-speed manual.