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-   -   Fiat Argo being considered for India, as a Punto replacement? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/187418-fiat-argo-being-considered-india-punto-replacement.html)

Little birdie, quite reliable, says Argo is being very strongly considered by Fiat - Chrysler India for an Indian launch as early as 2018 end - 2019 beginning. For Punto replacement.
Strategy is to build a suite of good looking, powerful hatchbacks. Argo may also be displayed at Auto Expo 2018 to obtain Voice - Of - Customer feedback.
Apparently Fiat is not too keen on the sedan segment.
Hatches and SUV's, (through Jeep), to convey a strong sense of style and pep appealing to the Indian youth.
In fact, Birdie chirps, that JEEP Renegade may be dropped, but Argo may see the light of day.
As for service, the media reported service news of Mopar's foray into the Indian market seems to be on track.

Early days yet, too early in fact. But if it comes it should be a good alternative to the existing premium hatch brigade.

Heard a similar rumour from a reliable source, who happen to get most things about FIAT dead right.

But, this is the part where I loose interest. Argo hardly has any major USP and it would be a very tough ask for FIAT to expect any decent sales numbers from it.

Punto had many differentiating factors when it came out. Design, build, 90hp diesel, features and so on. However, competitors have caught up and upped the game far away from FIAT.

Argo doesn't have a big advantage in design (Many people compare it to Elite i20 and Tiago), and with FIAT's reluctance to localize the 1.6 diesel - it might come with the 90hp diesel itself. Which has been eclipsed by lot more capable 1.5 TDCi, 1.5 TDi and 1.4 CRDi engines. NA petrol engines are not going to sell and the 1.4 TJet will be expensive thanks to our tax structure. The steering feel is vague as has become a trait for the new generation FIATs, and the build seems lighter than earlier.

If it's too similar to Maruti / Hyundai products, people will just buy those brands. FIAT needs to differentiate their lineup if they are expecting to place their products as alternatives.

The timelines don't match their launch plan which is on the Fiat Way Forward page.

Argo looks like a Tiago sibling actually, hope it carries the Fiat legacy with its build quality though.

Fiat maybe thinking – 'With the Punto I tried to be different and smart, I tried to stand out in the crowd, and still no luck. So let me join the crowd with the Argo! Maybe a good move for them.'

Not surprised! If the they really get the Compass really competitively priced, slotting Renegade may not be an easy task. And even on the international scene it doesn’t have any Wow factor.

True, infact in most of the new car reviews (of Fiat) in the international scene, bad steering is always a highlighted point.

Hormazd Sorabjee, editor of Autocar India magazine replied to an user when he asked about Fiat Argo launch. Screenshot taken from my phone.

Put the Chrysler or Dodge badge to this car and it will sell. No Fiat.

The car length is 3998mm, and that is good news. Fiat spent 5 years in chopping the front bumper of the Punto to bring it below 4m and it was really an agonizing wait.

Hope they launch it here.

Except the front grill... everything looks bland in this car !!
Considering how Fiat is running the show today, they might as well not bring it here.

What we need is more engines from Fiat being manufactured by Maruti :)

I think Fiat will (definitely should) try to bring in Argo Hatchback to India mainly due to:

1> Achieving 80% localisation for Compass would not have been easy & to capitalize further on that Supply Change Management they'd need a volumes product. Exports too could provide a much needed push.

2> The scale-able platform can lay ground work for better products (both Fiat & Chrysler) in future.

3> The engine business is bound to go down in future (multiple reasons - petrol shift, electric/hybrid shift, own engine R&D etc)

FCA in India will not add any FIAT products until the JEEP brand is consolidated and profitable.

FIAT ARGO is in their plan and will be launched if the above works out.

Since the Pune Compass is an export hub coupled to a strong local R&D base (FCA have a large off shore centre in Pune), producing the Compass is viable since

1: Local demand for SUV is apparent
2: Jeep brand

However, the Argo might not be worth the investment in homologation + indigenisation as the export potential in the region whether Australia or SE is zilch. Engineering for RHD might be non existant unless they do plan to sell a few in the UK.

Fiat seem to only sell the Panda and 500 derivatives and vans in the UK nowadays, oh and the 124 spider

Thanks for info! Just curious (or rather really really curious), do either of your birds have ANY news on the Agea sedan? That car looks amazing and would seriously give the current C segment cars (read Ciaz and City) a run for their money.

I wish Fiat would bring the Argo with its 1.3/1.6 MJD II which could well be the USP.

What could get the Argo selling more could be:

1) Options of 1.3 and 1.6 in diesel with 90 HP as a minimum. 1.4 TJet.
2) AMT or fully Auto Gear box options. (Indian market seems to have taken a new liking for it)
3) More and more and explosive marketing by Fiat. Get the new Car on display at major malls, airports and more of such public areas that attract a large crowd.
4) Increase their dealership and especially After Sales trust.
5) Maybe asking for too much here but give the 5 years warranty as a standard offer for new cars.
6) Keep the price competitive. Maybe a tad lower to garner the initial sales. At the end of the day when the consumer thinks back and compares with other cars of this category, they should have some strong points here that makes them think about the Argo again.
7) Do the 'Sachin limited edition' thingy again. Well I mean sign up with some popular celebrity who has a huge fan base and connect well to the crowd.

FIAT will not offer ( voluntarily) the ARGO for LATIN NCAP tests.

Link

Fiat, the Italian automaker has announced that the upcoming mid-sized sedan – codenamed X6S – will be called Fiat Cronos. The production of the car will be commenced by the end of this year. It is basically the sedan version of the Fiat Argo, which was introduced earlier this year. The company is yet to reveal the pictures of the car; however, testing of the sedan has already been started in Brazil.


This sedan will replace the ageing Linea. The Fiat Cronos is likely to be a premium sedan featuring modern Italian design, spacious cabin with improved quality materials and several high-end tech and safety equipment. It will share most of its design components with the Argo hatchback. Though, there will be distinctive radiator grille and subtle design changes to keep things fresh in the market. At the back, the sedan will get uniquely styled taillights and bumper.


The Argo is available with three engines – 1.0L Firefly, 1.3L Firefly and 1.8L EtorQ EVo. However, the mid-sized sedan will not come with 1.0L engine, instead it features the existing 1.3L Firefly and 1.8L EtorQ EVo engines. While the former is good for 109 bhp and 139.25 Nm, the 1.8L unit produces 139 bhp and 189.27 Nm of torque. Transmission options are likely to include a 5-speed manual, a 6-speed automatic and an AMT. The Fiat Cronos mid-sized sedan could also make its way to the Indian market. The India-spec model could get the new 1.5-litre MJD diesel and a 1.4-litre T-Jet petrol engines. Both manual and automatic versions of the car will be on offer.

It is quite early to comment whether Fiat will launch this sedan in India or not. If it comes to India, it might go on sale in the late 2018.

https://www.indiacarnews.com/news/fiat-cronos-22387/