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-   -   FIAT's new strategy + Linea confirmed (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/19623-fiats-new-strategy-linea-confirmed-2.html)

Hey guys

As i have read on the palio users groups, if fiat linea has chinese engine, then obviously all price points can be met. :mad:

As for performace and reliability of chinese manufactured fiat engines, god help fiat and the customers.

Hoping to see the new multijet 1.3 sooner!! :Cheering:

True, but is it confirmed that a 140-150 bhp engine will come to India ? Most of the engines are detuned for India.

That is great news; the Grande Punto and the Linea are great lookers themselves. And 140bhp variants would burn the roads.
But oddly enough, I read in the TOI today that Fiat would also be assisting Tata in the 1 lac car!? I am confused.

Great News indeed! Finally, it seems Fiat India got its India strategy right!

Awaiting the launch of Grande Punto and Linea in India, it will surely stir up the Indian car market!
Also they are ramping up the Fiat-Tata dealers from 42 to 100, so the Service issues too should be sorted out.

4000 Cr. investment- and that too in a JV with Tata- so this means that Tata will have an equal stake in ensuring that fiat products sell as well as tata aproducts.

Hopefully, this should set at rest all speculation about fiat's commitment to India. There have been more than a few voices on this site who have expressed shock whenever anyone was recommended a new Fiat as a possible purchase. hopefully, this news should inspire more confidence in people......

Exciting development indeed! But I think either FIAT is showing their cards too early, or they still don't know what they are doing

Okay, this sounds good, but how does FIAT wake up and become a premium brand one day? (I am refering to FIAT India/ not Europe) Moving a brand up the value chain is almost impossible. So, here are the options
1) As MPower mentioned, they'll have to bring another brand from their stable, say Alfa. But Alfa doesn't have that much visibility in India. Remember who are the ringmasters in c and D segments! Honda and Toyota
2) Focus on Diesel and Diesel alone, also become a OEM Supplier for Engines
For me clash of products between TATA and FIAT is not at all a concern, because neither are market leaders in any segment. The key question is how the alliance can take on the heavyweights? Unless they do it somehow, the alliance is going nowhere!

Last but not the least, 2008 is still long way, and FIAT's announcement will give others enough time to re-strategize. Also I would like to know about Palio/Petra replacements

Anyway TATA-FIAT alliance is definitely positive for the customer and the industry. So, let's cross our fingers and wait

Linea with chinese diesel engine sounds like death knell to me, FIAT will be digging their own grave.

I do not see the possibility though, FIAT maker such wonderful diesel engines why would they fit some from China ?

This is indeed great news. Now we can have more Fiat cars on the roads. It is very clear what the strategy is. By using a mix of Tata and Fiat cars these companies can offer products in all price brackets starting from Indica - Xeta at the lower end to Linea at the top end with Palio/Punto/Petra/Indigo/Marina in between for the petrol. In diesel they would have Indica/Punto/Indigo/Marina and Linea again.

I doubt if any other manufacturer can offer such a wide choice.

Lets face it!.. "Cars" have never been the problem for Fiat... Fiat is known to screw up genuinely good cars. The issue is with spares and service. Unless FIAT doesnt setup service centers on their own and revamp their supply chain , localize the spares... I see them heading nowhere...
I am not happy with the service of TATA-FIAT either...yes they have more service centers...but they are LOADED with Indicabs and Sumos.. They treat cars like scrap.. A visit to Concorde motors service center in Bangalore will reveal it ...My M800 is treated much better in Maruti service center than my Adventure... Imagine C segment cars being treated that way next to Indicabs....it simply wont scale...they might increase service centers from 42 to 100 if not 400..
the cars they are planning to launch deserves a better service network...

I sincerely hope that they sort these things out...after all we as consumers are surely going to benefit from few of the most advanced cars for the money..

Any news about the 6 speed manual, 150Bhp Grande punto? Are the bookngs open? lol:

Thats a great news both Punto and Linea are very good cars. Hope these cars changes the fortunes of Fiat in India.

Well Honestly, I don't understand Fiat's strategy.. Fiat now comes in as a premium car maker in India imitating its more illustrious german counterparts to improve their image. But it loses out on the volume business in the B+ segment. If only it could have bought out products like Hyundai did.

With Tata slowly getting into premium products (Indiva and X'over) project. Fiat's sales may get cannibalised. On the other hand, Fiat cannot lower its prices otherwise Fiat sales might eat up into TATA's sales of their premium cars..

The Indian consumer being as cost conscious as he is. The Fiat products will mostly sell in Metros and big towns. Fiat could have easily setup and managed its sales/service in big towns and cities..

Besides, the Tata technician working on a Fiat product is not a very encouraging situation.

It is a tricky situation to be in.

It will be an uphill battle, but I think its easier to start with a new brand rather than try to fix the reputation of a tarnished one. People accepted Skoda instantly because they had a solid product. If not Alfa, then rename all FIATs as Lancias or something. For eg. if the Cedia was called Ambassador-Cedia, it would be hard to market too.

Their turnaround is based on Grande Punto and establishing partnerships. Linea is yet to come and probably in Q1-2008 in india, q1-2007 in europe.

I think that the FIAT fanclub needs to start to accept criticisms with a pinch of salt. On a public forum, drpullockaran's ownership experience of the Indica would hold as much weightage as would Steeroid's experience of the Alfa. We have all had good cars and bad cars, often from marques we respect the most. That still doesn't call for biased propaganda.

I may prefer the FIAT for the looks (subjective) and the engine (1.6L, also subjective because not everybody looks for performance), but the fact of the matter is that the Indica still does better in the Indian market, so they must be doing something right.

Guys, let's keep it clean and unbiased and not personal. Some posts may be edited to get thread back on track.

well i have a question, by all likelyhood Linea will come in 2007 end, dont you guys think its a tad too late. i think optra will have its diesel out by march-april. verna and fiesta are bitterly fighting for that all important c segment. with a price tag of 7-8 lacs and size of corrola it can eat into both c and d segment. why delay it. if Fiat wants to return with a bang here.