[lemedico]

India never really warmed up to FIAT cars, is it due to the old association of the name with PAL Padmini?

It is sad to see this brand exit India. On the other hand, it is a very popular marquee in Europe with many desirable hatchbacks, sedans and Crossovers/SUV. The Punto is the go-to car for most of the 16-year-olds in the UK when they pass their driver's test!

Jeep has a large task on their hands. 15 minutes of fame are over for the Compass and without new models, preferably the less expensive ones, this brand too will face the wrath of crisis and existence.

[hemanth.anand]

Sad moment on one side. Happy to have owned a Punto for more than six years and almost 85k kms.Lots and lots of memories with it. I still miss it when I take photos of my car-a timeless design indeed. And how many car owners can say that the manufacturer let them see hiw it is produced. FIAT gave us that opportunity to visit the factory. The car made me famous - people recognised me in distant places because of my car, My car was featured in the top 5 modified cars in India by an auto magazine. It took me to many places...posting a collage


All said and done, on the other side, this was inevitable. Fiat could keep on selling cars as the engine sales were keeping them in profit. But with Maruti discontinuing the 1.3 purchases from next year, it'll be too tough for FCA and doesn't make business sense. This is a sad #10yearchallenge

Unfortunately Compass too will go down soon with Harrier and the likes hitting them hard. Highly unlikely of FCA, but Jeep brand can survive only if FCA takes some quick decisions like more uto variants for example.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Jeep gains traction in both countries. Is Jeep taking market share away from Fiat due to its popular SUV's?

Fiat's range is between 8000-20000 EUR which has Panda, Punto, Bravo, Tipo. Then there are Cinquecento variants 500, 500L, 500X in different shapes and sizes.

Jeep range on the other hand starts close 25000 EUR.

There's simply no overlap at all. I can only think of Lancia Ypsilon in the lower segment. Alfa Romeo 147, 158, Giulietta, Giulia are all Bravo segment and beyond.

It'll be interesting to see Italy sales with all 4 FCA brands, VW, PSA (Citroen, Peugeot), Renault (Renault, Nissan, Dacia) put side by side.

Originally Posted by lemedico

India never really warmed up to FIAT cars, is it due to the old association of the name with PAL Padmini?

Haven't Tata and Mahindra pulled their socks up in the recent years. What was stopping Fiat from doing so?

[camitesh]

Originally Posted by gopikb

Take care of your baby and treat her with respect and she will never fail you. You have put your money based on the faith that a lot of good souls at team-bhp has given you. It was with the same trust that I entered the FIAT family ten years ago and have never regretted the decision once. So, I am sure your new Abarth will serve you and your family well for many years to come.

Thank you Gopi, I'm mentally prepared to invest my time, money and energy to keep the Abarth in top shape and wouldn't be much worried with maintenance woes. Hope I can post back after a decade with no regrets as well.

Originally Posted by vrprabhu

I bet that must have been widest smile on your face, ever

There is a bigger idiot out there - yours truly!! (Prior to the Palio, the only asset I had to my name was a flat costing around 2.50 lakh; thereafter, I buy a car costing 5 lakh with a loan of 4 lakh!! Madness sans pareil - but I haven't regretted it a single day). Still holding on to it, after 15 years.

I just got back the car after some minor repairs; garage was not ready to touch the car, saying that if anything goes wrong during repair work, it would be practically impossible to put it right - lack of parts availability. But luckily, I was able to source all the spares and get the work completed. Almost all the people who took a look at the car said that they don't build cars like these anymore

Yes buddy, the feel of seeing the black beauty for the first time, getting in the cabin, holding on to the beautiful steering wheel and that first effortless crank to awaken the sleeping monster of T-jet engine will stay with me forever.

Wonderful to know your quick experience with Fiats. Luckily for me, I haven't yet come across many Fiat owners who portrayed any sort of major regret stories to hamper my purchase decision.

Since this thread is probably a sort of Eulogy for Fiats lifetime in India, I take this opportunity to thank all Fiat lovers like you for sharing your love affairs with Fiat and for confidence you fellow fellow Fiatians instill in a new Fiat owner like me, probably the last generation of Fiat fans in India atleast. Unless of course if Fiat has some other plans to the contrary.

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

Sad moment on one side. Happy to have owned a Punto for more than six years and almost 85k kms.Lots and lots of memories with it. I still miss it when I take photos of my car-a timeless design indeed. And how many car owners can say that the manufacturer let them see hiw it is produced. FIAT gave us that opportunity to visit the factory. The car made me famous - people recognised me in distant places because of my car, My car was featured in the top 5 modified cars in India by an auto magazine. It took me to many places...posting a collage
Attachment 1844549
.

Beautiful pictures Hemanth. I agree with you on the timeless design part for almost all Fiat cars. IMHO a well maintained Punto, Palio or Linea is still a head turner in a sea of Marutis and Hyundais.

[iceman7]

For everyone worrying about spares, I don't think we should panic as yet. 99rpm has a good supply of Fiat spares and I have used them to buy everything from wiper blades to a turbo charger for my Linea.

Now, as a Fiat owner I am a bit saddened by the news, but not surprised at all. We all knew Fiat makes better margins selling engines in India rather than their cars, and this is a good strategy for them. There is no product in their current portfolio that can match what Hyundai, TATA, Honda, or the others currently offer in India.

Personally for me, my Linea will turn 8 next week and I have no intention of letting it go. Its a strong workhorse, an excellent highway warrior, and looks darn hot even today

Originally Posted by camitesh

Sad news indeed.

Imagine the feeling of doing PDI of a brand new Abarth in a dealer stockyard over 150kms away from your home and haveing a huge smile plastered on your face after your first ever contact with An Abarth, that too your very own Abarth. And then reading this news of FCA while returning back home. Shattered dreams perhaps

On the other hand, you are living a dream which many of us have. The 154 horses from under the hood should keep you happy for a looooong time. And look at the bright side - in a few years, you will own a very rare car

[Miyata]

This has been in the offing for over an year now. Not only they exit the India market (except Jeep), they also stand to lose their major clients for engine supplies. Victims of the stricter emission norms.

Strange how China is moving in while others are moving out! I won't be surprised if this truly is the last we've seen of Fiat in India. Competition is only getting stiffer and they have been far behind in the game.

[Biraj]

Although, almost every year there's a thread about Fiat's withdrawal from India, this time around it seems more realistic than ever. Just as Niki Lauda in Rush when he found out about James Hunt's death - I am not surprised, I am just sad.

For me, (like many others here) cars are not appliances, they have an emotional connect. I talk to my car and sometimes feel it talks back. I once even composed a travelogue (Crusoe climbs new heights – Kalatop, Khajjiar, Mcleodganj and Dharmshala in 4 days)from its perspective. The kind of connect that Crusoe manages to build, no other car could ever do. It has a character that's difficult to explain. It throws tantrums, demands attention but rewards with performance and comfort that almost always manages to plaster a big smile on my face.

I have always maintained that I am a big fan of Fiat the manufacturer but not Fiat the seller. I purchased two Fiats because nothing at that price point appealed more to me. Both of them have served me well and taken me places with safety and comfort.

There's a strong urge to add the Abarth to the collection but then again my usage and health don't permit another Fiat.

Will feel sad to see the end of Fiat as a brand in India and try to keep my Crusoe going for as long as possible... Lucky to have owned one of the last good and affordable 'driver's cars'. Cheers to all the Fiat owners around who keep sharing information and leads to keep each other's rides going. One thing I have really appreciated after owning a Fiat is the level of camaraderie that Fiat owners usually have. I haven't seen it much in other groups of car owners. Perhaps because of this, Fiat shutting down might not affect Fiat owners as much as a company shutting down would do to its customer segment.

Some pics of my Fiats to end my post...














Both at the same spot five years apart.

[live2dream]

Sad day but you could see it coming. Fiat brand never really took off due to various reasons, poor marketing, bad dealership experience and after sales being some of them even though their products were excellent and far ahead of competition. The company I believe failed to drive down the core value of the brand to the consumers, that is excellent build quality , driving dynamics and reliability.

I personally own Fiat Punto 2012 model for the past seven years now and has completed 75000km. Apart from the regular service the car has never been to to service centre and has been extremely reliable and excellent to drive. Sad day but I hope they bring more such beautiful cars to India sooner than later.

Some pics of my beauty.

[sidindica]

23 years of ups and downs, and the brand never really took off. Since the Uno, Palio and later the Linea/Punto, the public did gave Fiat brand a chance again and again. And every time, they screwed themselves up.

Managing parts isn't much of an issue with both my cars, as long as decent support is provided. The parent company will stay, its just the non performing asset in the balance sheet that will be culled.

As an owner of two of their performance machines, its a sadistic sight, but was inevitable. But, again, these cars are meant to be enjoyed from the heart, not head.

[Ryuu]

Originally Posted by TorqueJuice

Spares are already a concern with KHT Fiat being the sole service center for whole of Bangalore. And during my last service at 75k kms I had to change the front suspension struts for my Linea multijet. I waited for 15 days for the part and finally they gave me Punto's struts saying they are both interchangeable though the part numbers were different.

Vecto is another one at Singasandra. I had my 60K service there just a few months ago.

FIATs pulling out was expected since long. This was being discussed when I bought the car 4 years ago. All of us who bought a FIAT made a conscious decision knowing fully well that this day will come sooner or later --and it has come. What we are really interested now is the service availability for the existing owners of FIAT. FIAT should clear this matter soon.

[R2D2]

The day I dreaded but expected nevertheless has arrived. So long Fiat..it's been a great 17 year long ride and I'll have a piece of that slick Italian heart with me in the form of the Palio 1.6 GTX. A terrific product that received at best step motherly support, as did all your cars, from its manufacturer.

Fiat, reinvent yourself worldwide and you stand a chance of survival otherwise I bid you goodbye. Those who cannot adapt are doomed to extinction. The choice is yours.

[sandeepmohan]

Oh Well. This had to happen, again.

As much as the brand has only pissed off its owners, prospective owners all along, there is no doubt that if they come back again, a few of us folks will consider a Fiat. The brand is too close to our hearts to just dump in the trash can.

Don't lose hope fellas's. If the Italians really want to make a come back, our next big bet will be their tie up with Hyundai. Hopefully; FCA is okay to share a stake with the Koreans. Personally; while I am not really after a better car, better service and an updated portfolio would have been nice to have.

[QuilonSpitfire]

So sad to see Fiat exit India, again!! This is what an incapable management could do to a very capable marque. The uno, palio and punto were hits initially but they failed miserably to update them or bring in more products. Had they brought in the panda, argo, cronos, mobi or the new uno they could have stayed here. Hope they bring the Alfa to India soon, relying solely on the Jeep is not a safe bet.
RIP Fiat. Even though you did not like us, we will miss you.
:(

[kiku007]

RIP FIAT.

Thanks for the,
1.3L turbo diesel engine
Abarth Punto
Linea T-Jet
Palio 1.6
Uno
Premier Padmini. Don't care about the official names. It was a FIAT for us

[GTO]

Sad news, but the writing was on the wall. Even internationally, brand Fiat is in a lot of trouble. I don't think of Sergio as having been much of a manager (God bless his soul). He was more of an investment banker than an automotive CEO.

Usually, cars or brands have failed in India because customers weren't interested in them. Fiat's problems were unique, however. Customers came & how!!! The Uno still holds the record for the most number of bookings for any new car in India. Long story short, Fiat messed it up due to mismanagement. A couple of years later, the Palio was launched and again, we gave the company a large number of bookings, with waiting periods becoming the norm. Sadly, Fiat botched that up too.

Fiat India was the proverbial cat with nine lives. But at the end, it's run out of cards.

The brand's following is such that, at one time, there were 3 other forums running for Fiat India. Despite having such small sales numbers. As far as I know, there is no other brand that has popular brand-specific forums in India, not even Maruti or Hyundai or Honda.