DETROIT FREE PRESS: Suburban Collection sees Ann Arbor as good fit for new Fiat showroom

As AnnArbor.com reported last week, Suburban Collection is asking the city to approve plans for a one-story, 3,408 square-foot Fiat showroom at its Chrysler Jeep of Ann Arbor property. The site is currently home to a service building, which would be demolished.

Suburban, a Troy-based dealership network, figures that Ann Arbor's environmentally conscious ethos and lack of consumer loyalty to traditional domestic brands play in favor of the Italian brand.

Fiat is the the majority owner of Chrysler Group LLC.

The Fiat brand in 2011 struggled with a limited vehicle lineup and a delayed nationwide marketing campaign, and it was unable to open enough showrooms to meet its goal of selling 50,000 vehicles in North America. The brand aims to have more than 200 U.S. dealerships and now has 178 locations in 44 states, the Freep reported.

Suburban is aiming to open the showroom by the end of the year.

For more, read the Free Press story.