Fiat loses the police

Alfa Romeo is setting out to conquer the world, even as its big brother brand, Fiat, is fighting losing battles all over Europe.

The latest battle lost by Fiat is a 1000-car contract to supply Italy’s police forces, which has gone to the Volkswagen Group’s Spanish offshoot, Seat.

More than 200 of the new cars have already been handed over by Seat, to the Carabinieri and the Polizia di Stato, along with the option to supply up to 4000 cars over the next three years.

Italy has an astonishing array of law-enforcement agencies, which add up to at least nine, depending on what is included. Yet this is the first time the two highest-profile national forces have joined together on a contract and decided on the same brand of vehicles.

Pointedly, that brand is not from the traditional supplier, Fiat, or from Alfa Romeo, which sold less than 80,000 cars last year.

Seat has been contracted to deliver 475 cars to the 'Panthers', which will be painted in the Polizia di Stato’s traditional light blue, while the 'Gazelles' (Carabinieri) have ordered 450 cars, all to be painted in dark blue.

Both forces have ordered the five-door version of the Leon, with a 110kW 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine up front.

All cars will be armoured against small-arms fire from the front-end, while they also get so-called safety tyres, sports suspension, sirens, lights, communications equipment and gun racks.

The rear seat is also laid out as a prisoner cell, with a partition protecting officers in the front seats.

Fiat has seen its share of its home market chopped down from 25 per cent in 2010 to 20 per cent so far this year, though that dropped as low as 18 per cent in March, 2011.

It has been hit hard by perceptions of old technology, with its Bravo and Punto models being outpaced by rivals from Germany, France, Korea and Renault’s budget Dacia brand.

Meantime, Alfa Romeo’s home market share has dipped from four per cent in 2011 to just two per cent today.