[Tornado]

Yes, it seems like a pain for those who bought Linea by paying more.

When I bought the new optra magnum LT (diesel) 2012 make last year, it was 8.9L plus -ex showroom & on the road was 11.46 Lakhs in Bangalore. ( got some discount though)

Originally Posted by rahul4321

................ 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! I think the Linea may go the same way! (I hope it doesnt but i think it may)

...........

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[finneyp]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

I do wonder if the Linea Classic being downgraded to 75HP engine has another motive as well other than keeping costs down. Maybe the base version of the facelifted Linea will use the 90HP engine (to keep its cost and entry price for new Linea down) with the higher versions using the rumoured 1.6L MJD.

I also strongly feel the same, base & mid variants of facelifted Linea will have the 90 BHP (1.3 MJD) and top-end will have the new 1.6 MJD.
But, I like the looks of the current Linea compared to facelifted one.

[ecosport]

Deja vu. Somehow this whole Classic thingy reminds me of the farce they did with the Fiat Petra.

Cut price Sienna + new name = Petra
Cut price Linea + new name = Classic

Petra bombed! I am sure the classic will too.

They should try a better trick. How about the Panda, Fiat?

[KarthikK]

They should have played this classic gimmick after the launch of the 2014 Linea, not when the current Linea is still on offer for 2 lacs more. I echo GTO's thoughts on how Ford dished out the Classic monicker after the new Fiesta was launched. That could be a case of milking the cash cow even after its lifecycle was complete, not this. What Fiat has done now is disastrous to the Linea's image.

Considering they made tall statements such as them focusing on the enthusiast segment more, etc, they ought to have put a more exciting engine in a less exciting (current power specs) car instead of putting an underpowered engine in a bigger car.

We should have had a Punto T-Jet for starters. How much effort does it take for them to do this, seriously?? Just plonk in the already available T-Jet engine from the Linea to the Punto on the assembly line and you have a 120 bhp monster hatch at ~8.5 lacs OTR which will decimate most of the competition and silence critics. The ones at the helm obviously don't want their own roadmap to look bright, looks like.

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by DCEite

The advertisements of the Linea classic are truly disgusting.

"Add a few inches to your chest",

"Feel Big"..

All to do with Indian public for whom any 3 box Sedan is a "status symbol" and a symbol of having being "arrived".

Also, the advertising tagline on adding inches to the chest seems to be squarely aimed at men. I wonder, does Fiat not have any female customers? Even if the actual buyer is a male, they should not forget that the female spouses do have a significant influence on the purchase decision.

[StarrySky]

Would this move really hurt the image of the Linea as much as it's speculated on this thread? Fiat hasn't done a price cut on any variant of the Linea. What they have done basically is to create a new base version named Classic - a smart sales person can convince potential customers about that.

[stringbh]

This stunt, kills the brand. A customer who pays 2L premium wouldn't feel any premium, what with the fellow customer walking away with a "classic" for much less ! + if you are to go with the TV commercials which say: "don't buy Linea, buy Linea classic". Making some good cars to drive around is one thing, selling them another. They sure know how to beat a fun to drive car brand to dust.

[finneyp]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

We should have had a Punto T-Jet for starters. How much effort does it take for them to do this, seriously?? Just plonk in the already available T-Jet engine from the Linea to the Punto on the assembly line and you have a 120 bhp monster hatch at ~8.5 lacs OTR which will decimate most of the competition and silence critics. The ones at the helm obviously don't want their own roadmap to look bright, looks like.

Fiat has realized that it can no longer afford to make cars for enthusiasts which is a minority segment, remember how hot hatches like Palio GTX, 1.6 Sports failed to sell in the market.
They are rightly focusing on the mass market now that is fine with a mediocre engine, good mileage, more comfort, more value for money etc. Hence this Classic move.

Originally Posted by stringbh

This stunt, kills the brand. A customer who pays 2L premium wouldn't feel any premium, what with the fellow customer walking away with a "classic" for much less ! + if you are to go with the TV commercials which say: "don't buy Linea, buy Linea classic". Making some good cars to drive around is one thing, selling them another. They sure know how to beat a fun to drive car brand to dust.

I don't think it will kill the Linea brand, rather it will be more affordable.
Also, I won't mind paying 2 lacs extra for a more powerful engine, better interiors, 15" alloy wheels & host of other features.

[S2!!!]

I believe introducing a cheaper variant of the Linea in the form of a Linea classic is a great strategy especially with the marketeers focussing on the length of the car. Although this comes at a time when the Indian auto market is maturing and lately people are purchasing hatchbacks costing close to 10L, there are still a number of buyers who find it ridiculous to spend more for a hatchback than a proper sedan, which the Linea is, irrespective of whether they utilise the boot or not. This car will surely appeal to a wider audience and attract several prospective buyers who would have never considered the Linea for their purchase before.

As far as diluting the brand goes, I strongly agree with ^finneyp, that Fiat has realised the need to cater to the mass market rather than the enthusiasts. It never sold in high numbers anyways hence, Fiat doesn't have too many existing customers to disappoint to begin with, atleast now what they have is a fair chance to boost the sales of the Linea till they introduce a new car next year (and hopefully get their STPD right then).

[andyonwheels]

Originally Posted by finneyp

Also, I won't mind paying 2 lacs extra for a more powerful engine, better interiors, 15" alloy wheels & host of other features.

Completely second that.
Having just booked Jet, the classic launch has done little to fizzle out any enthusiasm I had been carrying for months.

[puchoo]

And i am going to second that , my T-Jet was bought barely 3 months prior to this being launched , do i feel bad about it - not one bit.

Originally Posted by andyonwheels

Completely second that.
Having just booked Jet, the classic launch has done little to fizzle out any enthusiasm I had been carrying for months.

[stringbh]

Originally Posted by finneyp

make cars for enthusiasts which is a minority segment...

If that is the case, it is really sad, because, the enthusiasts will stick with the brand in the long run.

Originally Posted by finneyp

I don't think it will kill the Linea brand, rather it will be more affordable

Originally Posted by S2!!!

I believe introducing a cheaper variant of the Linea in the form of a Linea classic is a great strategy

Folks, I beg to differ. City has maintained a brand image for a long time and there is no city classic till date. They kept upgrading it and it catered equally to enthusiasts as well as mass market, even today, if i may say so. Of course, the analogy is not without some pointers.

But, that is the kind of strategy fiat needs to find? Address the problems in the current version, look at customer complaints and make it stronger against competitors ?

[prakash_ajp]

Originally Posted by stringbh

Folks, I beg to differ. City has maintained a brand image for a long time and there is no city classic till date. They kept upgrading it and it catered equally to enthusiasts as well as mass market, even today, if i may say so. Of course, the analogy is not without some pointers.

But, that is the kind of strategy fiat needs to find? Address the problems in the current version, look at customer complaints and make it stronger against competitors ?

This has been discussed over and over again across many threads. Nevertheless let me say it again: there simply isn't one issue one could pinpoint that Fiat hasn't tried to address. Many happy Linea customers, including me, would vouch for that.

I guess this was the only option Fiat had. They simply can't command the respect that Honda does. However good Linea is as a product, even against a car like City, Fiat simply haven't managed to sell in good numbers. So, they have to swallow their pride and do this. By the way, enthusiasts don't care about brand image or resale value, they care about the product and Fiat hasn't shut them off, which is nice.

Ultimately, it's all about numbers and not sentiments.

[zoombiee]

Doesnt Dzire cost 2 lakhs lesser than SX4? Which one sells more? I think its too early to make judgements about the classic. There will be other factors that will affect the people who purchase the car -
What will be the TCO. Cost of purchase, cost of spares/maintainence and loss of pay to spend time to get car serviced, While the service levels of Fiat are much much better now, general consensus or popular myth is that it is ridiculously bad. This will hamper the car sales more than any other thing.

[siddarthbh]

The Fiat Linea has been on and off my mind as my prospective next car. I was eagerly looking forward to the Linea Classic and boy i am disappointed. I wont call it brand dilution but certainly brand confusion, something similar to what frequent fliers on Jet Airways experience with three brands - Jet Airways, Jet Konnect and Jet Airways Konnect. I really would have liked to see Fiat take the current Linea, fix the issues that have been constantly reported and indulge in some aggressive pricing. Its fair to assume that the new Linea will arrive sometime next year. So then will there be three categories!

My choice apart, i dont think the Classic is a bad strategy after all. I think Fiat has realized it is done chasing car enthusiasts and the numbers are just not there to justify going down that road any further. So time to change track and this is an attempt to lure away those first time sedan and premium hatch back buyers with its size and VFM proposition and also pursue the travel segment. Will it work? I hope it does, but only time will tell.