Speed Italia – the authorized distributor of Fiat automobiles re-introduced the Fiat brand to the Sri Lankan automobile market recently. At a ceremony held in Colombo, Speed Italia showcased its latest, fast selling automobiles which have taken the European car market by storm. Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, Air Marshal Harsha Abeywickrama attended the event as the honoured Chief Guest whilst Director General Engineering, Air Vice Marshal B. L. W. Balasuriya; Director General Logistics, Air Vice Marshal K. V. B Jayampathi; Ricky Walter, Head of Overseas Operations, Fiat India; Mrs. Rohini Nanayakkara, Chairperson of the LOLC Group; Ishara Nanayakkara, Deputy Chairman of the LOLC Group; Kapila Jayawardena, Chairman of LOLC Motors Ltd and Group Managing Director/CEO of LOLC and Mrs. Kalsha Amarasinghe, Executive Director of the LOLC Group were among the distinguished guests who attended this landmark ceremony.

Stylishly elegant, incredible in performance, Fiat automobiles are highly renowned for its versatility, speed and maneuverability. This has earned wide respect for all Fiat brands often scoring high customer satisfaction ratings from users around the world. Its unblemished reputation and sleek designs have elevated the Fiat brand to the top echelons of the motor world with it being honoured as the 7th largest car manufacturer in the world.

With a strong commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, Fiat’s own innovative ‘Air technologies’ brand has enabled its automobiles to record the lowest level of CO2 emissions out of top motor vehicles sold in Europe for the fourth time in a row last year. This is indicative of Fiat’s conscious efforts to provide value added services to its global automobile users.

With a range of motor vehicles manufactured in Italy and India, popular Fiat models such as Linea, Punto, Fiat 500, Fiat Bravo and a number of others will soon be readily available for Sri Lankan automobile enthusiasts. The first fleet of Fiat Linea is now on display at Speed Italia’s main showroom located at No 447A, Union Place, Colombo 02.

Commenting on the significance of Fiat’s re-launch, Mr. Kapila Jayawardena, Chairman of LOLC Motors Ltd said, “The Fiat brand was born more than a century ago, in 1899, and even to this day, Fiat is regarded as one of the fastest moving automobile brands in the world. The Brand’s first entry to the Sri Lankan car market took place back in 1909 and earned respect from its users almost instantly. We have brought back this popular brand back to our home ground this year with the objective of providing Sri Lankans the unique opportunity to own its newest and latest models which are more often accessible overseas.”

Adding further he said, “As an initial step, we have set up the main Speed Italia showroom in Colombo which will showcase Fiat’s latest brands. Moving forward, we will be setting up a number of showrooms in strategic locations around the country making the brand widely available to the public.”

Noting that after sales service is a top priority, Mr. Jayawardena said that the required after sales services and maintenance can be easily obtained via the LOLC Group’s automobile services company, LOLC Motors Ltd. “LOLC Motors Ltd. is a state-of-the-art, ecofriendly automotive workshop located in Gothatuwa, Rajagiriya, with a floor area of 5,600 sq. meters which has a capacity to handle 100 vehicles at a given time. This makes us one of the largest workshops in Colombo uniquely designed to implement ecofriendly vehicle repairing and maintenance services.”

The workshop is well equipped to handle mechanical repairs, preventive maintenance, lubrication service, quick lube service, collision repairs, paint re-finishing or touch-ups, wheel alignment, wheel-balancing unit repairs etc. In addition, this facility has a micro biological media system on waste water and rain water recycling, eco-friendly paint booths, and air-condition recovery machines as adjuncts to its air-conditioning to prevent release of refrigerant to the atmosphere. The unique design of the facility is structured to utilize maximum natural light, with plans to install solar panels in the near future.

“We have established facilities especially on after-sales services to ensure that maximum care is given to all our customers. We are well equipped to address the individual requirements of our customers quickly and efficiently. We are confident that the introduction of the new brands will offer new and exciting opportunities to Sri Lankan customers”. added Mr. Kapila Jayawardena further.