After almost 40 years of Fiat Uno, his departure from the Brazilian automotive industry may be closer than expected. Despite Fiat claiming that production is back to normal, shopkeepers claim that the model is scarce at dealerships
Unsurprisingly, the automotive industry veteran is heading towards his last days in the country. However, farewell may come sooner than expected. That's because the Fiat Uno disappeared from the brand's stores and there is no deadline for a new batch to arrive in stock. Drop in sales, old engine, lack of safety equipment and a substitute that is already one of the sales leaders (the Mobi) should make the last units of the Uno be sold at the latest this year. According to some dealerships, there are few Fiat Uno units available.
Read also
Fiat says that production of the model remains normal
Some dealers in the automotive industry claim that they should not receive a new batch of Fiat Uno, due to its imminent retirement. Others report that new lots will be delivered only to fleet owners.
However, Fiat, in turn, denies that the model has ended its production, stating that the current manufacture of the line-up of the brand remains normalized. Although the automaker declares that there has been no change in the production line, some transitions in the Fiat range show that the 37-year trajectory of the Fiat Uno is coming to an end in the automotive industry.
This year, the 2022 model started to be sold in the single Attractive version, that is, the automaker ended the sale of the Way and Drive variants. Consumers are left with the option that has a not-so-powerful engine, the four-cylinder 1.0 8V Firefly with 75 hp, for R$ 63.490. An average price compared to its compact brother Argo, which is currently worth R$ 66.890. However, in relation to the Mobi, which is priced between R$47.990 and R$59.990, the price of the Uno is already slightly above the market.
Fiat Mobi, the possible successor of Fiat Uno in the Brazilian automotive industry
Talking about Fiat's entry-level car, Mobi will be responsible for being the successor of Fiat Uno in the Brazilian automotive industry. The compact, which was born to be a new famous “popular car”, has even surpassed sales of the Fiat veteran.
Currently Mobi is the third best-selling car of the year, with 54.949 units. Its predecessor already registered only 18.637 cars in the same period of time, where 97% of these were sold through direct sales.
Despite not being a small number, the sales volume is still higher than that of the Volkswagen Polo (16.579) and Fiat Cronos (14.690), for example. The veteran was already one of the best sellers in the country, reaching more than 140 thousand units per year.
Find out more about the history of Uno in Brazil
In the Brazilian automotive industry, the history of the Uno began in 1984, but in reality, Fiat's friendly compact had already started its trajectory since the end of the 70s.
In Brazil, the model had its design modified in comparison to the original car in Europe, not least because the Brazilian infrastructure required a more robust suspension and a greater height in relation to the ground.
