[shankar.balan]

Thinking aloud. How sad that everyone including their own management is so ready to just bid goodbye to Fiat in India.
Each time I see a Punto or a Linea and I do see a number of them on my morning walks, it always crosses my
mind that they are just such good looking and solid cars.

I wonder if the FCA group could meet a little more success if they launch the following;

1. Jeep Renegade - all variants and made in India.
2. Alfa Romeo - specifically the Mito and the Giulietta - all variants and atleast CKD assembled in India.

[JohnKT777]

I am a Ph.D Researcher at IIT-Madras, Department of Management Studies. I am trying to undertake a study as to why Fiat Exited India and also evaluate their possibilities of making a return. I am looking for some hard data as a result.

Auto Punditz gave me all car sales data (Model wise) from 2011 January onwards, but I am looking for data from 2009 when Linea/ Punto was launched. I got data from Jan to Nov 2009 and also on all months of 2010. Only December 2009 is not available. Have look my friends.

Can someone give me the data for December 2009? Back then, it was members like @Karpusv, @Vasudeva and @GTO who were posting this data, but I am unable to reach them. Any help I can get in this regard would be great.

[ATTACH=Car Sales Jan-Dec 2009.xls]2350677[/ATTACH]

April 2010.xls













Nov 2010.xls

[rsidd]

First off, Fiat the brand exited India. The company still exists and sells Jeep. In fact Citroën is also under the Stellantis umbrella now. But those brands aren't setting the markets on fire either.

Second, why did the Fiat brand not do well? I think your post has the answer already: Linea, Punto introduced in 2009. No new launches after that. Zero.

Ok, they did launch

• Avventura: Punto with plastic cladding and spare wheel on hatch
• Urban cross: Avventura with spare wheel back inside
• Punto Evo: an uglified Punto
• Punto Pure: a de-uglified Punto
• Abarth Punto: Punto for racers

But, basically, no new cars in over 10 years. No Bravo, Panda, Tipo. They did introduce the 500, but as an imported car (CBU) at atrocious prices. Sales, starting in a decent 2000/month range for Punto, dwindled to a few dozen at best.

But the nail in the coffin was the BS6 emission norms. The majority of Fiat sales were diesel, and were already dwindling with the rising price of diesel; the company decided it is not worth upgrading the diesel engine.

I have a Punto (petrol) and it's going strong at 12 years and 103,000+ km. It's a fantastic car. Fiat's marketing was criminal.

[chinkara]

Originally Posted by rsidd

I have a Punto (petrol) and it's going strong at 12 years and 103,000+ km. It's a fantastic car. Fiat's marketing was criminal.

Their quality was hit and miss through. I know 4-5 people who are very happy with their Lineas and Puntos and 2-3 who are very unhappy. Including 1 person who worked as a driver and stretched a lot to buy a Punto which turned out to be a lemon.

[Vtach]

Originally Posted by JohnKT777

I am trying to undertake a study as to why Fiat Exited India

I think at least some part had to do with Fiat deciding to share showroom space with Tata. Tata wasn't exactly an aspirational brand back then (we bought an Indigo CS in 2010) and maybe that aura & the sarkari attitude put off people.

[ajmat]

Globally, Fiat as a car brand has very little to offer. All it has is the 500 and different variants or extensions based on this.

New 500 electric is bringing most of the money in
500X and 500 L - some revenue
The Panda still soldiers on as a cheaper rental car/ budget car for Europe
The Tip is an also ran

Apart from building the 500 and Panda in Poland, the margins are thin. The existing factories are now used to build more Jeep Renegades and Compasses

[sid3091]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Globally, Fiat as a car brand has very little to offer. All it has is the 500 and different variants or extensions based on this.

New 500 electric is bringing most of the money in
500X and 500 L - some revenue
The Panda still soldiers on as a cheaper rental car/ budget car for Europe
The Tip is an also ran

Apart from building the 500 and Panda in Poland, the margins are thin. The existing factories are now used to build more Jeep Renegades and Compasses

I think latin america gets plenty of offerings. The Pulse, Toro and Argo are pretty good. Would love to have them here.

[JohnKT777]

Please, would anyone have the data for December 2009 alone? I need it for my work.

April 2010.xls

Nov 2010.xls

[sajands]

Originally Posted by sid3091

I think latin america gets plenty of offerings. The Pulse, Toro and Argo are pretty good. Would love to have them here.

Indeed, Brazil has a strong presence of FIAT eve today. FCA India missed a lot of golden opportunities here with the brand, Had they launched a 1.6 Linea with an auto box or given the same auto box option for the Avventura Tjet and Abarth it would have sold like hot cakes.

Introduction of much awaited Toro and Argo into the Indian markets would have also helped existing owners to upgrade as well and keep the Fiatians still hooked to the brand but Enter Jeep and so called market and segment focus has done nothing great, FCA before had just 2 models in the showroom and now with Jeep its the same one model and 2 variants of it, Compass and now the Meridian with its dead 3rd row. FCA has learnt nothing from its Fiat experience its just page turned in the book of ongoing missed opportunities.

[JohnKT777]

I did want to mention that Haynes Manuals have offered the entire gamut of 23 repair videos on the Petrol Grande Punto for free on their Youtube channel. You can access it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3Fd...sowvC-rBA-nQjn

Hope these videos help. Once again, if anyone can get me the data, or put me in touch with GTO, Karpusv or Vasudeva, I would be most grateful.