In response to increasingly tough international competition, Fiat Group adopts a multi-track strategy: on one side, it invests in product and process innovation and the search for new markets outside Europe with high development potential and, on the other, it implements a plan for cost containment and internal reorganization.
1990: the Panda Elettra is the first mass-produced electric vehicle.
1993: the Company acquires the prestigious automaker Maserati and also introduces Progetto Autonomy to facilitate mobility for the disabled.
1995, 1996 & 1998: the Fiat Punto, Fiat Bravo-Brava and then the Alfa Romeo 156 are named “Car of the Year”.
1997: the Alfa Romeo 156 becomes the first car in the world to be fitted with a diesel engine with Common Rail system, which within the space of a few years revolutionizes the market for diesel-powered cars.
1998: the Fiat Multipla, Lancia Lybra and new Punto come onto the market.
1999: the world’s first automated manual transmission (Selespeed) goes into mass production. During the same year, CNH-Case New Holland is formed to create a leading global player in agricultural and construction equipment.