[The Riddler]

Sad to hear that Fiat won't produce these beauties anymore in India though the news was expected sooner or later.

I own a 90HP Punto since the past 6 years & I intend to keep her for atleast 3-4 more years. She drives like a charm even now. Just got her a new set of shoes.

No offence to the other hatchbacks in the Indian market, I prefer cars that are built to last unlike the tin cans (barring a few brands) running on roads these days.

[NFS2024]

Originally Posted by The Riddler

I prefer cars that are built to last unlike the tin cans (barring a few brands) running on roads these days.

Sorry, but this statement doesn't hold any water for Fiat products at the moment if you have read the news. All Fiat cars have failed global NCAP tests and have even got zero ratings. Fiat was a well built car maybe in 2009 in India.

In fact cars like a Suzuki Baleno have got decent ratings in NCAP tests despite being tin cans.

[dark.knight]

If it were any other manufacturer, they wouldn't have been able to last nearly as long as Fiat did, with 2 products that were not updated for over 10 years.

Fiat catered to its community.. a brilliant car with the right mix of comfort and dynamics at a cost-effective price with great safety (NCAP can say whatever it wants, in India as of now, Fiat is still the best when it comes to structural rigidity and safety, electronic safety aids aren't a part of any car here in anycase).

That being said, I was never a fan of how these two Fiats looked.. my personal opinion anyway since I like mean looking cars like the current Maseratis instead of looking like Maseratis of 2 decades ago. They are overly dated today and had they brought in NEW models like the 500X (as a cheaper Mini Countryman alternative), Tipo (to compete with Polo and i20) and 500 (as a TRUE millennial's hatchback) maybe they would've been still relevant today and doing well.

Fiat is the only Italian car we have today so I hope it remains.. as for the Punto and Linea, great cars but couldn't keep up with the times.

[RaghuVis]

Good Riddance.

A famous movie quote From The Dark Knight by Harvey Dent aptly suits the current situation of Punto/Linea.

You Either Die A Hero Or You, Or You Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become The Villain

Such a Iconic brand selling a Zero Rated Car in this time and age. It's like they simply don't care about heritage. Fiat was started not one but 2 centuries ago in 1899 and this is what they are being reduced to. Sad. Really Sad. And Angry Too

[fiat_tarun]

Guys, please remember the zero rating is from EURO NCAP and not the same as the NCAP tests being done for India. Euro NCAP mandates advanced technologies like AEB, lane change warnings, etc. to get a good rating which the Baleno had ! The Punto tested did not even have side airbags and hence the 'zero' rating.

Anyway, coming back to the topic, Fiat has really milked the Punto & Linea for as long as they could, but after these two I thing it's the end of the road for the Fiat brand in India and maybe globally as well with all the focus now on Jeep. I guess Fiat will be a Brazil only brand going forward.

[rsidd]

I have an 8+ year old Punto, 74000+ km, never a problem (I give it to Fiat service on schedule), drives like new. So yes, "zero rating" is not about the car but about the additional safety features that EU mandates.

[The Riddler]

Originally Posted by rsidd

I have an 8+ year old Punto, 74000+ km, never a problem (I give it to Fiat service on schedule), drives like new. So yes, "zero rating" is not about the car but about the additional safety features that EU mandates.

I completely agree with this statement. I'm not saying that Punto/Linea have to be sold anymore, they are old products now. When Punto was launched 12 years ago, it was the first 5-star Euro NCAP car, in its class.

Fiat have milked Punto/Linea enough. The regulations have now changed & an 12-year old car with just a facelift won't make the cut now.

[SilentEngine]

Well, unofficially Fiat brand is dead already in India, with Punto/Linea selling in two digit numbers. Even globally, FIat is in downward slide. With no newer models in the pipeline it was only a matter of time.

Back in 2009, Punto and Linea created some buzz, but Fiat India never capitalized on it. They never brought in new models to provide an upgrade path to existing Punto/Linea owners.

I currently drive a 2009 Punto 75Hp Emotion Pack (top end model when it was launched). With almost 60k in Odo (not much running for age of the car), zero rattles and few minor niggles, I think it can easily give another 3-4 years if I plan to keep it. But it's more likely that I may end up upgrading it sooner.

When there was talk of Jeep Renegade, I thought that could be a worthy upgrade. But FCA doesn't seem to have any such intentions of bringing it (or any other car in that range).

[loki]

Mine is a 2009 model Linea (1.4 EmotionPk) - I feel the overall dynamics and balance are probably the best under INR 20L. Driven other sedans in the segment (City, Ciaz etc) but none of them came close to my Linea.

Didn't go for the GC upgrade kit and the family keeps cribbing every now and then when it scrapes the odd speed breaker that we should upgrade to a SUV (preferably 7 seater). My overall car usage is relatively low which is why I'm split between trading the Linea (i know i wont get much in return) vs. keeping it till it lasts.

My biggest regret so far? I should have got the T-Jet

[RajBajwa]

Although the news makes me feel sad, I am not at all surprised. In fact I am surprised that Fiat continued to sell the Linea with monthly sales figures of less than 50 for some years. I bought the Linea in 2009 and at that point of time I wasn’t that analytical about car purchase decisions. I didn’t study things such as Power, Torque, 0 – 100 KMPH times, Reliability, Residual value based on factors of reliability, service network, how is the brand perceived. How has the brand been run in the Indian market in the past?

If I were to analyze those things then I wouldn’t have bought the car. I just was smitten by the looks of the car and I told myself that Fiat is a strong brand with a very old history in Italy and being associated with Ferrari and Maserati. The design language reminded me of Maserati cars.

After buying the car I understood terms such as driving dynamics and I have begun to appreciate the car much more today. I got a BMW later but I still love taking the Linea out and it does make me feel happy. Yes, it doesn’t go fast and it is showing its age with some minor niggles.

Whenever I got thoughts to sell the car, I analyzed that the car has depreciated so much the future drop in value will be minimal and hence I can probably afford to keep the car as I believe the biggest cost of owning a car is the depreciation. I am enjoying the car in its 10th year of ownership and since it doesn’t have much resale value, I have now decided to keep it as long as I can. One of the things many Fiat owners do is maintain their prized possessions as neo classic cars. I now aim to grow old with the car and probably after 20 odd years keep it in a working condition and adorn my garage as some showpiece.

Sharing the most recent picture of my car.