[aaggoswami]

One personal thanks to Munemmk. Thanks for the excellent and very honest write-up straight from heart. Very few manage this.
One of my Orkut friends inquired about Linea and I gave him link to this thread. he will be buying Verna now.

I think here again we are down to arguing rather than discussing. We have a right to opinion, but nobody has a right to blame or pin point in bad manner.
Lets consider this as a revealing thread that tells us what happens behind the scene. Its very easy to fool people who are not having a good knowledge or a good reference like we have at Tbhp. Consider this in a positive way that someone had the courage to write straight from his heart something he could have avoided.

Rating this thread 5 star ( though late ).

@mods: Slightly off topic post, I know, but the honesty displayed here has helped someone and I am sure it will help someone in future.

[phamilyman]

Vivek,

I have respect for what muneem chose to reveal about his prev employer on an open forum archived till kingdom come (and PMed him as much)- but that does not make him holier than thou, and that does not mean that others should not (literally) get pissed off when they read about him ripping a 1.6 at 165 kph.

Just curious, do you consider people's decision not to go over the top appreciating him and instead criticise certain aspects as personal attacks? Any thread will get negative or positive feedback. That's how it is, no?

[sanjayatarizona]

Human falliability made his right foot do a 165.Though not entirely correct, it looked to be the only one bright spot in his whole stint at RF.

@muneem: Good honest post my friend.RF just lost a whole lotta customers

[tadukuttan]

Originally Posted by carfreak

I dont agree.technology wise the palio was way ahead of its time when launched.they are a failure in selling and servicing cars!!

Really? What ground breaking technology did the car come out with?

Originally Posted by tadukuttan

Really? What ground breaking technology did the car come out with?

Largest ever turning radius recorded in an indian hatchback

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by tadukuttan

Really? What ground breaking technology did the car come out with?

Didnt you know?

• Built Like A Tank®

• Doors That Close With A Reassuring Thud®

[grvanand]

I guess it was the first (atleast in its class) with 32 bit computer for ECU, 16 valve engine, DOHC and 100 BHP engine. When launched it certainly didn't have competition in India and was a superior hatchback in every aspect.

Lets not forget the attributes that really attracted people to this car Palio in the first place.

Merely stating facts here, I dont have any intention of entering a pro or anti Fiat campaign.

[SilentEngine]

Thanks Muneem for sharing this. Definitely it is not as easy as it sounds to post this in a public form, and also to admit some of your own mistakes here.

I would be extra careful when I buy my next car, be it Fiat, Maruti or whatever. I am sure similar things happen with other dealers too, just that no one like Muneem who worked there has come out with facts.

Thanks again for sharing this

[muneemmk]

The Biggest Technology that I know of in the palio was the Aircraft Technology®

When the car is started, it makes noises like a Helicopter Taking off and then the engine cooling fan starts working and then the whole area is in a dust storm. that is Aircraft Technology®.
I hope everyone knows about this technology right ?

[tadukuttan]

Originally Posted by grvanand

I guess it was the first (atleast in its class) with 32 bit computer for ECU, 16 valve engine, DOHC and 100 BHP engine. When launched it certainly didn't have competition in India and was a superior hatchback in every aspect.

Lets not forget the attributes that really attracted people to this car Palio in the first place.

It only attracted a handful of enthusiasts, like us. It's biggest drawback with "technology ahead of it's time" for the general car buying public was that it was also a fuel guzzler. I still remember a trip in a friends car where the car was giving something near 6-7 kmpl. For that kind of mileage, I would rather be seeing 200 bhp from the engine, not 100.

Technology by itself does not sell cars, it also has to deliver what the market wants. And of course, respect the customer. After sales service centers treating customers like junk wont work, obviously.

I think we have grown past the Amby/Fiat days when we did not have choices. We do have a fair amount of choice now with cars, and it will be very hard for half hearted manufacturers like Fiat to capture our market, unless they take a hard, serious look at what the market needs from them.

And I am sure they know what they need to do. The question is whether they have the will and the resources remaining to make the change.

Ps. If any body from Fiat is reading, Built Like A Tank® and Doors That Close With A Reassuring Thud® is no longer cool. Steeroid says so. I have nothing to do with it.

[Digital Vampire]

Originally Posted by tadukuttan

Ps. If any body from Fiat is reading, Built Like A Tank® and Doors That Close With A Reassuring Thud® is no longer cool. Steeroid says so. I have nothing to do with it.

Fiat India has comfortably taken care of your concern : My MJD does not seem to have so much of the Built Like A Tank® and Doors That Close With A Reassuring Thud® feature when compared to the GTX.

[Smooth Sailing]

You said it I just love my 7 year old Palio 1.2 ELX and will not give it up cheers:

Originally Posted by muneemmk

The Biggest Technology that I know of in the palio was the Aircraft Technology®

When the car is started, it makes noises like a Helicopter Taking off and then the engine cooling fan starts working and then the whole area is in a dust storm. that is Aircraft Technology®.
I hope everyone knows about this technology right ?

[jasher26]

hi muneem, it was interesting to read your post. I went for a test drive of the linea on saturday with a friend who wants to buy a new car. it was a test drive car, emotion + , diesel, maroon / red (dont know the name of the color). We sat with the sales guy for the pricing and my friend was interested in the silver color but wanted to see the car before booking it. The sales guy told us that he would call him when a silver car would be delivered as a customer had booked one on the day of the launch

My friend was called yesterday to see the car and to his amazement there were three people already there who were test driving that car!!

How can Fiat allow agencies to do this especially with a new launch ? Maruti and Hyundai never do this, atleast not in South Mumbai. Maruti for a fact has test cars for all their brands. I know this as their cars are parked in a garage opposite my house.

Imagine the plight of the customer . You pay 7 lakhs and people are test driving your car before it is delivered to you.

Infact the same was told to me a few months ago for the Palio 1.6 Stile. That he would call me when a customers car is coming as they do not have the test car

P.S. : My friend was completely put off and not considering buying the Linea

[deepclutch]

@muneem:any info about how the cars which are on sale by the so called "branches" of main dealer at ernakulam in towns like muvattupuzha?So far ,I found MGF Hyundai,German motors(chevrolet dealer),popular maruti,poomkudy force having good buildings and service stations to fake the customers to believe it is a Authorized dealer setup-not to say RF motors with a show window inside town and a dealership 15kms away at Ernakulam district border(near thodupuzha).I know that these cars are droven from EKM(and who knows how the schumi's drove them to here).Any info?How they can simply sell the cars here?

[finneyp]

This thread deserved to be junked!

Why?
When a Fiat-Tata dealer & its employees do malpractice, blame Fiat!
And when other Car dealers commit the same fraud, blame the dealer & the company gets absolved of all wrong doings.
Purely, double standards here.

And this insider's story has lost all its credibility since the insider himself was part of the crime!