[addyhemmige]

Originally Posted by rameshnanda

Calm down my friend. They didn't announce anything about 1.6 MJD, but that doesn't mean that they will not launch it. When Linea and Punto completely get facelifted in 2014, we may expect 1.6.

. Yes ramesh, I am hoping for the same. Lets see how it pans out.

Originally Posted by vb-san

Very optimistic expectation I must say. Realistically speaking, it may not do anything to the sales of the Fortuner, or XUV for that matter. Even as a CKD/local assembly, the Jeep Cherokee should cost around of 30-40 lakhs. And IIRC, it’s available only as a 5-seater.

Same for the Wrangler. It will not do any harm to the likes of the Thar.

I was reading somewhere that the Cherokee might cost around 28-30 L. If that truly is the case, Fortuners might take a hit. The likes of XUV will not at all be affected.

Wrangler and Thar? I can only see the Indian public commenting, Who's going to pay 30 lakhs for a 'Jeep'.

[Harbir]

The Grand Cherokee will NEVER come near the price of the Fortuner. Nor should it. It is a far more sophisticated vehicle, comparable to the Land Rover Discovery.

The Liberty (sold outside north america as the cherokee) ought to be possible to sell at Fortuner prices if localized as much (or as little) as the Fortuner.

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by vroomsome

they can bring in all the cars they want. obviously what Fiat still doesn't understand is, unless they get their a.s.s together, their new releases will amount to zilch. having Fiat cafes in five metros in India is like adding a pinch of hing in 10 kilos of patta ghobi. leaves the customer bloated and distended for a long time after purchase.

Honestly, did you even read the OP where this is mentioned:

Jeep will have 32 dealers in 25 cities & Fiat will have 126 dealers in 112 cities

or did you just pop in here to wisecrack seeing that it is a Fiat thread, so comment on A.S.S is mandatory?

On a lighter note, I think the front grille and the Jeep name could fool some people into thinking that it's a Mahindra offering and help Fiat/Jeep in a small way

[Prodigyy]

A lot of steps in the right direction taken by Fiat by the announcements made yesterday. the 1.6 MJD should definitely be a phenom for the competition, more so from MSIL than Fiat. A friend of mine who works in the R&D of MSIL has confirmed me that MSIL is also working on the 1.6 MJD Sx4, which is believed to be more powerful than both the Verna's 1.6 as well as the Vento's 1.6 TDI.

Acid test for Fiat will be its after sales services, 'N' number products priced aggressively will only help in the short term if the service stations don't prove there mettle. In addition to the Service Stations, what would define Fiat's existence in India for the next 5-7 years would be niggle free cars. This is primarily because the very same engine would be gobled up by MSIL too and with Maruti's brand image as well as solid service back-up already gives MSIL a head start against Fiat.

Though from a pure enthusiasts point of view i really hope Fiat can pull up its socks & get good sales figures come the 1.6 MJD. Also, one thing for sure from the announcement is that 2013 is going to be another dud year for Fiat

[vroomsome]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

Honestly, did you even read the OP where this is mentioned:

or did you just pop in here to wisecrack seeing that it is a Fiat thread, so comment on A.S.S is mandatory?

On a lighter note, I think the front grille and the Jeep name could fool some people into thinking that it's a Mahindra offering and help Fiat/Jeep in a small way

saying and executing are two different things. its been what 4 years since they launched the Linea and punto? these arent really bad products. what are the sales like? do you think the a.s.s has nothing to do with the sales? for Fiat, its a second innings fiasco in India, and a large part can be attributed to the a.s.s or the lack thereof. Fiat India has no clue. now if somehow Fiat manages to bring these cars and not let the customers know of the Fiat association, they might have a chance.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

...Like most of you'll have mentioned, 2014 is late. How will Fiat prop up their sales for 2013 ?..

For 2013, I guess they are going to revamp the Linea extensively & badge it as Linea Classic. Atleast this is what is mentioned in some of the leading auto mags. I guess anyone wanting a Linea should wait atleast for the Linea facelift. It would not make sense to buy a new Linea right now. The all new Linea (2014) will have a 1.6L MJD to differentiate from the current one, mechanically - again from these mags.

I hope the 2014 Punto gets the Multijet II as well. If they maanage to keep it to themselves, they will have some exclusicity as well. And frankly, time for them to get a turbo'ed 1.2L petrol (Multi Air ?) The FIRE engine is kiling the brand, they should NOT use it in Punto & above at all!

[viper_711]

While this news should be welcomed - more competition - more choice and better prices for the consumers - the problem for Fiat is their current product portfolio.
Both the Punto and the Linea have cramped interiors as compared to their immediate competition. The poor service network and the now difficult to shake off 'failed' moniker puts off the average Joe.
They look great, drive well, are reasonably powered, provide acceptable fuel efficiency BUT are not the best package that Indians look for!
Space is something that is valued by the average customer and so is image. There are many other cars out there that give better efficiency (ironically, using the same engines!)
IMO - they need intensive soul searching about their commitment and product portfolio tailored to India. Their current offerings need to be replaced. By continuing to sell the old Linea as 'classic' they would be doing a big disservice to the new one IMO!

Many more thoughts..got to get back to work. Later.

[rohanjf]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

I hope the 2014 Punto gets the Multijet II as well. If they maanage to keep it to themselves, they will have some exclusicity as well. And frankly, time for them to get a turbo'ed 1.2L petrol (Multi Air ?) The FIRE engine is kiling the brand, they should NOT use it in Punto & above at all!

Among other things, I was hoping for Multijet II too. However, Fiat will not want to manufacture both the first and second version in the same plant (although, I think, the technical differences are minimal), as they have to sell Multijet engines to two other companies.

If I remember right, Fiat does not have a turbo-petrol below 1.4 Tjet. They could bring in the 875 cc Twinair. It might require high revving to extract performance, but might just fare well in city driving.

Who knows? They might plonk in this engine without the Twinair technology into their upcoming competition to Alto and Eon!

You say, FIRE should not be used in Punto & above. I say, it should not be used at all . This technology is so old.Wasn't it launched in 1994?

By the way, I read somewhere that Fiat will concentrate on auto-enthusiasts. In such a case, FIRE will make no sense anyways.

[amitg79]

I am re-e-e-ally excited to read about Abarth. Specially the Abarth Grande Punto. Yum!

Any idea how Fiat will price it? Will they really put their backs into it and offer it at a realistically affordable price, say in the neighbourhood of 10 lakhs? Or will they go the 500 / Mini way and price it well beyond everybody's reach?

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by vroomsome

they can bring in all the cars they want. obviously what Fiat still doesn't understand is, unless they get their a.s.s together, their new releases will amount to zilch. having Fiat cafes in five metros in India is like adding a pinch of hing in 10 kilos of patta ghobi. leaves the customer bloated and distended for a long time after purchase.

Originally Posted by vroomsome

saying and executing are two different things. its been what 4 years since they launched the Linea and punto? these arent really bad products. what are the sales like? do you think the a.s.s has nothing to do with the sales? for Fiat, its a second innings fiasco in India, and a large part can be attributed to the a.s.s or the lack thereof. Fiat India has no clue. now if somehow Fiat manages to bring these cars and not let the customers know of the Fiat association, they might have a chance.

No body has denied that Fiat has an issue on the A.S.S side. No body has denied that the Tata-Fiat JV did not work out on the sales/services side as intended. Which is why Fiat is setting up independent dealerships across the country.

The fact that Fiat is concentrating on getting their own sales/services network up through 2012 and 2013 before bringing in new products means that they atleast understand where the problems are and are trying to set it right. Let's see whether they can successfully address the problems.

Meanwhile, posts like yours, especially the bolded portions, make me wonder who is it really that has no clue.

[vroomsome]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

No body has denied that Fiat has an issue on the A.S.S side. No body has denied that the Tata-Fiat JV did not work out on the sales/services side as intended. Which is why Fiat is setting up independent dealerships across the country.

The fact that Fiat is concentrating on getting their own sales/services network up through 2012 and 2013 before bringing in new products means that they atleast understand where the problems are and are trying to set it right. Let's see whether they can successfully address the problems.

Meanwhile, posts like yours, especially the bolded portions, make me wonder who is it really that has no clue.

very Ouroboros of you. why are you taking this personal. Fiat India has no clue and their sales numbers reflect that. and you my friend are a fanboy.

[MaddyCrew]

I just hope and pray that FIAT does get its act straight this time around. FIAT's repeated failure in India can be attributed only to the sheer callousness of their top brass. All the cars that they have launched in India were ahead of their times. The shoddy service (by both TVS & Tata), the spare parts availability nightmares and finally the second grade treatment at Tata showrooms sealed their fate.

This announcement surely brought a wicked grin to my face (for all the right reasons). The Abarth badge is surely tugging at my petrolhead mind, but the FIAT India horrors warns my mind to stay away . Let us just hope that their enthusiasm, this time around, does not die out midway through!!!

[viper_711]

Originally Posted by MaddyCrew

All the cars that they have launched in India were ahead of their times.

While I agree with you that their senior brass let them down, the statement above needs to be checked! Neither the Punto nor the Linea were absolutely new cars. They were already being sold in many countries. What is so advanced about them vis-a-vis other cars being sold here? What is it that they offer that the competition does not?
The statement might hold true for their first innings when they brought in the Uno and the Palio but surely not for the current crop of cars!

[iceman7]

As an existing Fiat owner, I am compelled to add my 2 cents here....errr.. make that a whole dollar!!

1. The 1.6 MJD Linea should have been launched earlier this year instead of the refreshed Linea . By doing this, they could have taken the fight straight upto the Vento, Rapid, and the Verna. Opportunity lost.
   
2. I am in half a mind to put up a hypothetical survey here and ask people of they would've bought a 1.6 MJD Linea over a Vento or a Rapid or a Verna.
   
3. Will Fiat bring in their sweet TwinAir engines?
   
4. I have a feeling Chrysler products may sell as novelty lifestyle products and may be a dark horse here
   
5. For the Jeep or the Grand Cherokee, though iconic, need to be priced aptly. It will take a lot to shake the Fortuner from its position. Also, with the CRV diesel on the cards, this segment is going to be tougher to crack.
   
6. Lastly, the rate at which our car market is evolving and the rate at which car makers like Hyundai are evolving, a five year plan has to be robust and sustainable. Else Fiat should make peace with the fact that they can't crack the Indian market and take solace with the fact that their engines drive majority of India.

Over to you Fiat.

[epicenter.rulez]

New Puntoes and Lineas in 2014.
Hmm.. interesting.
Will help me help my car cross the 250000 mark i suppose.
Time to get those pending jobs done and get the car back in shape

On a serious note, a very wise move from Fiat.
Lets just hope they keep focussed and dont wander off the road they are on.

Drive safe, always wear a seatbelt.