[rajeev k]

Simply put a capable engine alone can't do wonder. The company has to instill confidence in the buyers. In other words quality of parts and services from premier has to increase by leaps and bounds. Quality is fitness for the purpose and the unit has to perform to meet at least the bare minimum of customer expectations. Not talking about customer delight and all. Premier has to strive very hard to shed off the juggard tag.

[Durango Dude]

This is the same Premier Auto that had huge wait lists running into years a couple of decades ago and so much so a former India cricket team captain had to leverage all his influence to get one Premier Padmini out of turn. Now you see dealers for the Rio look like "fly-by-night" operators and dealerships looking real scary: probably you will think umpteen times if you visit a dealer before buying one. I bet the service of this SUV will be no different from what Sipani dished out. Best bet is for Premier Auto to sell the Rio online. The lesser the dealer contact the better. One may decide to buy the Rio only after a night of extreme alcoholic debauchery.

[SDP]

It would be interesting to find out how many Rios have Premier sold since the launch and how would the sale trajectory change after this move.
I am really wondering what is the USP for this vehicle. It scores below average on almost all the parameters. I really doubt even the diesel one would sell in respectable numbers.

[amtak]

Well, to give some credit to the company, it is atleast trying to be with the times. I agree, that it still has a long way to go, but if it hadn't thought of a RIO, mini XYLO wont be in the making. Someone's gotta do it; they have shown us a way and others are following it (and bettering it). I saw the rio at the Mumbai Expo; I can vouch for the quality. It was certainly better than a mahindra or a TATA MUV.

[carwatcher]

This is one car which seems to loose 50% of its price as soon as it is out of the showroom. Others being Reva, Nano and Rhino RX.

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by carwatcher

This is one car which seems to loose 50% of its price as soon as it is out of the showroom. Others being Reva, Nano and Rhino RX.

Arrey, abhi firsthand to bikne de yaar!!
(let it be sold from the showroom first!)

Nanos and revas seems to do well in resale as per carwale.
Here's a nano from tbhp itself:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post2587174

[carwatcher]

Originally Posted by Vik0728

Woah, with scores of car buyers lining up for Diesel mills everyday, this should be interesting.
As GTO has confirmed that Rio can be termed as "Juggard".

Originally Posted by revintup

Just the presence of the MJD is not going to do wonders for the Rio.
First of all it is burdened by the chineese==cheap mentality.
Then there is the lack of dealerships and service centres.
A rio with the skin of a Gypsy, better interiors and the MJD. Wow. Continue dreaming.

Examples are Linea and Punto

Originally Posted by diesel_power

AFAIK, Rio was only let down because of the bad reputation (rather no reputation) of the brand, Premier.

Originally Posted by rajeev k

Simply put a capable engine alone can't do wonder. The company has to instill confidence in the buyers.
Premier has to strive very hard to shed off the juggard tag.

Linea and Punto again.

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

The lesser the dealer contact the better. One may decide to buy the Rio only after a night of extreme alcoholic debauchery.

Originally Posted by SDP

It would be interesting to find out how many Rios have Premier sold since the launch and how would the sale trajectory change after this move.
I am really wondering what is the USP for this vehicle. It scores below average on almost all the parameters. I really doubt even the diesel one would sell in respectable numbers.

Can anyone tell me what all these factors would do to the resale value.
I for one belong to that category who like anything on four wheels and who look for positives in the vehicle rather than negatives. I for this very fact own a Ford Fusion+ that was bought after selling the Ford Fusion. But what I want to state that the writing is on the wall. I wish good luck to Premier as well as its customers.

[ACM]

The only way this would move is if they put the Maruti or TATA badge on it, and why would they buy this company. Yes they can definately be credited with trying all they can now but it already seems too late. The MJD engine is nice but that alone does not sell cars. A good concept with now a good engine being let down by the brand and S&S network.

[girishglg]

Rio is nothing but a contraption of components including the body itself. Some Chinese company named Zotye Auto has signed up to source 15,000 CKD kits per annum for Rio. Now just imagine, there are no local vendors to supply spares to this vehicle, near non existant A$$ and no reputation attached what so ever, how would Premier imagine to push that many numbers out is itself a big question!

The move by Premier to plonk MJD is also not to upgrade its offering or technology but because their existing offering does not comply to the emission norms (the revered TUD5) and hence forced to make this move. Now before they venture out to sell this agglomeration of parts again, they should launch a web of Sales and Service network across major cities.

[ra'ul M]

Originally Posted by ACM

The only way this would move is if they put the Maruti or TATA badge on it, and why would they buy this company.

Maybe for its assets. The financial results of Premier clearly point to inefficiency in management.
For instance, for the year ending March, 2011 it made a profit [before tax and interest] in it's automotive division of -70 lacs but has unallocated capital resources of 560 crores!
No wonder it is in a pitiable situation right now.


I wonder if FIAT would have struck a deal had they been going great guns themselves.

[sweet_poison]

Let me congratulate Premier for launching the Rio, for those who are not aware, we can expect to see such "compact MUVs" in near future from the country's major auto OEMs such as Ford & Mahindra (even Maruti, but am not sure of this).

But I would still add that Rio, even though is given the FIAT engine is not bound to make it big, unless and until:
a) They develop a substantial dealer network.( Happened to notice only one in Pune just beside the plant !)
b) Gain customer confidence, through branding, networking ( time is big factor for such things)
c) Keep the price low, since adding the FIAT engine might possibly result in higher costs.

However it must be acknowledged that the team at Premier has foreseen the need for such compact MUVs and has managed to bring out the vehicle to the market before others.

[neon_daytona]

Saw this ad on Deccan herald.

Petrol Rio in BSIV version available in Bangalore

[avira_tk]

I guess we can safely ignore the MJD rumour, the engine mentioned is a 1.5L, if MJD were to be supplied and Premier managed around 1k a month, Fiat would have another OEM that made money off their diesel technology. Basically everybody else can make Use of the MJD better than its inventors(if that is the right word) and Fiat will not be improving their products any time in the future, they can operate the factory to 10% capacity, make Tata vehicles rest of the time and if that doesn't work, start assembly of the RIO.

[Turbokick]

Thank god Hindustan Motors dont have any tie up with FIAT else we would have ended up seeing Ambassador equipped with Multijet engine

Even a Ferrari engine wont do the Rio any good.

[ampere]

Trials starting on the 1.3 MJD.

Premier begins trials of Rio 1.3 - News - Autocar India