[nskumar]

Linea 1.4 comes in only one variant : CLASSIC

Linea 1.3 comes in two variants : CLASSIC and CLASSIC+

source TFI

[puchoo]

They have updated their Facebook page with a few more images- what i do not appreciate one bit is the image they have posted on Facebook - take a look , here the wheels fill the space even better than the 16 inches do on the T-Jet and then take a look at the actual photograph which NSKUMAR put up - what a difference!!

[i74js]

No one knows the recipe of success it seems and FIAT is no different, they have burnt their fingers almost on every front barring the successful multijet engine which is doing duty for several manufacturers but at the same time not able to get buyers in FIAT showrooms.

I will not be amused to see dealers offering discounts on the classic soon, its better to wait and watch the sales of classic version during the coming festive season.

[dipen]

Even Taxis wont buy this. The Verito and Etois will still be the preferred workhorses.
High kerb weight translates to lower FE. Bad gearing, sluggish pickup and the high occurance of minor niggles, perceived questionable future and bad resale will still not be overlooked. Great handling will not fetch it any bonus points.

Linea petrol 1.4 (non Tjet) goes for nearly as much as a Swift in the used market.

What Fiat really needs a competant product. The fit and finish on the Linea/Punto needs to be improved. Kerb weight needs to be shed by a big margin. Hatchbacks need to be under 1000 kg with great FE and powerful pickup (Brio, I10, Swift). Product packaging could be better. The Punto didnt feel as big as it should.

Unfortunately they dont any any successful product lined up. Like Tata they will keep deriving newer versions of existing products and run the show. Regarding Abarth and all - I am not still convinced.

[invidious]

1. Take a beautiful Italian product

2. Someone gets a brainwave to Indianize it to make it cheaper

3. Screw up a great product

There is a reason why the local chai stall doesn't sell you a cappuccino. Even he sells it - would there be buyers?

Daft plan.

[puchoo]

I would be surprised as well , there is nothing really that the Linea offers which makes it stand out in this segment , not even internal space which in fact happens to be a weak point for it.

Power etc ofcourse are a factor but this segment is also going to look at cars which are easy and more importantly cheap to maintain , this is not going to stand up atleast with respect to the latter as some of the competitors it is being pitted against.

If they are serious about making a dent in this commercial segment , its not going to happen simply because they have launched the classic , it will mean aggressive sales programs , where they would need to reach out to corporate outfits such as Meru for example and try and get cars pushed there , even then i dont know how many units we are talking about.

I fail to understand what quality of market research is done before such launches , something is wrong at someplace , either the sample sizes are not ok or they are not really reaching the right audience. Of-course it could simply also be the manner in which market insights are collected , For example asking someone if they would be happy to get a reduced frills sedan against the price of a hatch - most people might say "maybe" or a "yes" ,ask people if they will like to buy a FIAT sedan and maybe some of these answers are going to shift around.

Originally Posted by dipen

Even Taxis wont buy this. The Verito and Etois will still be the preferred workhorses.
High kerb weight translates to lower FE. Bad gearing, sluggish pickup and the high occurance of minor niggles, perceived questionable future and bad resale will still not be overlooked. Great handling will not fetch it any bonus points.

Linea petrol 1.4 (non Tjet) goes for nearly as much as a Swift in the used market.

What Fiat really needs a competant product. The fit and finish on the Linea/Punto needs to be improved. Kerb weight needs to be shed by a big margin. Hatchbacks need to be under 1000 kg with great FE and powerful pickup (Brio, I10, Swift). Product packaging could be better. The Punto didnt feel as big as it should.

Unfortunately they dont any any successful product lined up. Like Tata they will keep deriving newer versions of existing products and run the show. Regarding Abarth and all - I am not still convinced.

[RakishRam]

Originally Posted by rahul4321

2- This strategy is not correct for surviving in the Long Term. The Optra was launched initially at around 10 lakh. They started cutting out equipment from it (including the good engines) and at one point of time- they were advertising the Optra for 6.99 lakhs ex-showroom. Thats 3 lakh rupees down. And today- the Optra is no more in the market!

On the contrary, I read somewhere that this actually is a long term strategy where fiat actually will replace the non-classic lines with face lifted version (with possible 1.6l engine discussed in another thread) while continuing classic as is. and eventually bland new line coming in two years.

[acroback]

Well if you look at Diesel+, it looks okay as long as you are changing to alloys and upgrading your rubber. Yes, what you miss is Airbags but then atleast you have ABS as saving grace.

Now from Fiat's point of view, it seems they do not want to retire current Linea when next model is announced. So they are just going to continue selling current Linea in bare bone structure with a classic moniker.

And then launch the new Linea as regular Linea. Now if only Fiat could fix the poor ergonomics and niggles, new Linea would sure be something to look for.

In short, this is a brand building exercise and I hope they succeed in it.

1.6 Multijet, is anyone else waiting for it?

[prakasse]

I am not excited with this development from FIAT. Come-on, price the regular Linea more aggressively and attract the buyers from other competition. Kindly note that even the 1.3 MJD 90 Bhp for Linea is way too less for the car of such size and weight. So price reduction of the regular Linea is the only way to get more buyers and not the highway manners of the car.

I know almost all the competition provides airbags in their high end versions. Now why would i buy linea classic+ at almost the same cost as the competition with no airbags? Just to show everyone that my car is longer than yours . And to get a poor mileage?

This is what happens when you put a senseless guy at the top of management. Just cost cutting. I can't imagine that in current market FIAT brand is selling a high end version without airbags...

Thanks, Prakash.

[Turbokick]

How much money will Fiat save by replacing the VGT engine by FGT ?
I dont believe it to be significant. But the drop power is going to be considerable (both in terms of driveability and out right power)

Two kind of people buy Fiat cars in India :
- Enthusiasts
- Die hard Fiat fans.

The first category will bypass this classic variant. Fiat fan club is quite small to be honest (who really want to own the car). I still dont expect revival of this car.

They should have continued with the fgt variant with this price tag.

Petrol variant wont sell no matter what !

Best that Fiat can do is to have fgt variant as well. Provide lucrative finance schemes that can attract some hatchback buyers. Something like 5 year/2.99 percent interest scheme that fiesta is offering.

Keep the 1.6 mjd reserved for the new linea. And for product differentiation fiat should come up with a different moniker instead of naming it linea

[finneyp]

Good move by Fiat to target taxi segment & buyers looking for simple no-frills budget sedan.

I am disappointed with the engine options esp diesel, 75bhp for such a heavy sedan?

[1100D]

Exactly what are they trying to solve here? Pricing was not, by far stretch, a problem regarding Fiat Products? They could anyway do special offers to the cab segment. This way they will just deplete whatever brand value the Linea made for itself, the same way as Fiesta brand has now gone for a toss.

[deetjohn]

Good to know that the Classic Plus has ABS. Really eager to know how the MJD FGT will fare on the Linea.

But the car looks very ungainly in those 14" wheels and huge ground clearance. Till now, no one had any complaints on how a Linea looked on the outside. I am afraid this one is going to change that. I feel Fiat is targeting the wrong segment.

[kiku007]

Pointless exercise which isn't going to do anything for sales but rather dilute brand equity (Of whatever was left within a small bunch of enthusiasts).

If the Linea had a heart and soul like a human, it would have committed suicide. What the hell is 'Classic' about this iteration? It's an irony that cars like the Fiesta and Linea which where benchmarks in the FTD factor are being slaughtered like this and sent to oblivion.

Officially, the suffix, 'Classic' joins the list of words abused my Indian Car Makers. E.g. 'Sports/Sportz', 'Limited Edition', 'Exclusive' and most recently, 'Stingray'

[vroomsome]

Originally Posted by 1100D

Exactly what are they trying to solve here? Pricing was not, by far stretch, a problem regarding Fiat Products? They could anyway do special offers to the cab segment. This way they will just deplete whatever brand value the Linea made for itself, the same way as Fiesta brand has now gone for a toss.

+1 to that! Fiat is fixing what wasnt broken. Fix your A.S.S which is still miles behind the competition. Its so bad that new dealerships are using it as a sales gimmick " Saar everybody knows fiat a.s.s sucked, but our new dealership fixes that".