The Fiat Doblo, one of the Turkish automotive industry's models long identified with Bursa, will be produced again at the Tofaş factory after a three-year break. As part of the approximately 300 million dollar K9 project carried out in partnership with Koç Holding and Stellantis, mass production of a total of five light commercial models, including the Doblo, is beginning.
The project, which moved to the mass production stage with a ceremony held in Bursa, aims to strengthen Tofaş's role in light commercial vehicle production. Within the scope of the K9 project, in addition to the Fiat Doblo, the Citroen Berlingo, Opel Combo, Peugeot Rifter, and Peugeot Partner models will also roll off the assembly line in Bursa.
Both van versions for commercial transport and combi options suitable for passenger transport have been included in the production plan. While an annual capacity of 100 thousand units has been allocated for the project, it is projected that the total annual finished vehicle production volume at Tofaş facilities will reach a range of 230 thousand to 250 thousand units, together with the K0 project.
660 THOUSAND VEHICLE TARGET BY 2034
Under the agreement, the goal is to produce a total of 660 thousand light commercial vehicles by the last quarter of 2034. Approximately 20 percent of the vehicles to be produced are planned to be exported to foreign markets.
The K9 investment stands out not only for its production volume but also for its supply chain and employment dimensions. Within the scope of the project, it is aimed to provide additional employment for approximately 1,000 people within Tofaş, to include nearly 100 local suppliers in the production process, and to reach a 50 percent localization rate in the vehicles.
It is stated that more than 300 engineers and technical experts working at the Tofaş R&D Center also played a role in the technical development, performance, safety, durability, and validation processes.
The Fiat Doblo, which first began production in Bursa in 2000, was produced at Tofaş facilities until 2023. The return of the model, which reached more than 600 thousand sales in Turkey in 26 years, to Bursa is considered an important step in terms of strengthening domestic capacity in light commercial vehicle production.
News Source: 12punto
