[sameel]

this is indeed good news if Fiat can stick to the time line
here from news letter dated dec 2007 we had got the info that Grande Punto might go the CBU route. so as per the current status the bottlenecks in the localisation are over

now all we have to see is the After Sales Service.

but 2000 cars every month!! that is gonna be a tough call.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by sameel

but 2000 cars every month!! that is gonna be a tough call.

If indeed the price band is 6-8 lacs (How is it possible!!!) then it can easily do 2000 per month. At this price it will be VFM over the likes of SX4, Aveo etc.

[deepakhon]

Originally Posted by joslicx

If indeed the price band is 6-8 lacs (How is it possible!!!) then it can easily do 2000 per month. At this price it will be VFM over the likes of SX4, Aveo etc.

It depends on what options Fiat is able to push in that range. Just the fact that they are pushing in a bigger car for the smaller car price does not work. A good example is Logan. Fiat will have to load it to the hilt for it to do such numbers, considering the fact that they do not enjoy the same brand equity as Suzuki does in India.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by deepakhon

It depends on what options Fiat is able to push in that range. Just the fact that they are pushing in a bigger car for the smaller car price does not work. A good example is Logan. Fiat will have to load it to the hilt for it to do such numbers, considering the fact that they do not enjoy the same brand equity as Suzuki does in India.

Man at this price people will buy it for the engine alone (1.3MJD)! Its much much more stylish than any other car in the same price band (6-8 lacs).

[bharath.kan]

IMO there will be a delay in the launch of these models...
so it is mentioned in the papers
Quickies-Features-The Economic Times

[sameel]

yes thats true. but there are inherent issues . Fiat wont be able to match hyundai and maruthi when it comes to after sales service and also yes spare parts cost.

loading to the brim also wont ensure the kind of sales they expect. its mainly the brand image..which is not as good as honda or suzuki(petrol) or hyundai and maruthi( diesel) perfect example is logan! and yes the fiat petra

[jerish666]

Originally Posted by sameel

yes thats true. but there are inherent issues . Fiat wont be able to match hyundai and maruthi when it comes to after sales service and also yes spare parts cost.

loading to the brim also wont ensure the kind of sales they expect. its mainly the brand image..which is not as good as honda or suzuki(petrol) or hyundai and maruthi( diesel) perfect example is logan! and yes the fiat petra

Hi sameel,
Which diesel engine is maruthi using? and what is the problem for Logan?
Past is past they can change the ***.

[sameel]

logan has a nice feul effecient engine lots of space and decent A-S-S still it has never been able to do a honda city or a swift diesel! ?? or a scorpio for that matter???

yes maruthi uses Fiat engine but what about the A-S-S and the spare part cost and availabilty?? and in case of maruthi- dealer network is terrific something that even hyundai cant match!!

peace of mind after purchasing a car also plays an important role in success of a car!

[deepakhon]

Sameel, to be frank, I have never regretted my buy. I have been using my Palio at Bangalore for close to 5 years now. I can go to the extent of saying that I have got good after sales, more so, in the recent years. I have never had issues with the parts too, especially when my car was rear ended and they had to change the rear bumper and the hatch and other sundry parts. All that was ready in a week's time and the paint matching job has been immaculate.

At least in Bangalore, I am not worried about the after sales. Spares arrival have taken long time for a few members. I guess that is one area Fiat needs to concentrate, and with a basically good loaded car at this price point, they are ready to go. But to me, 2000 cars per month seems like an optimistic target, especially after knowing the fact that not all Tata dealers will be Tata-Fiat dealers. Also, not all Tata-Fiat dealers will launch and service the Linea.

[opendro]

Let's not argue whether 2000 per month (i.e. 20 cars per showroom per month) will be achievable or not. Given the fact that most of the 100 showrooms will be in cities, it "may" sell that many numbers. We will soon discover it. So, no need to speculate and debate on that.

[bharath.kan]

atleast there will not be that n months of waitin period to have a hand on ur car like the marutis...

[RX135]

Originally Posted by deepakhon

Sameel, to be frank, I have never regretted my buy. I have been using my Palio at Bangalore for close to 5 years now.

Make it +1.

But, is't that always the case? That, Fiat owners have no issues to talk about while everyone else has only issues to talk about. Anyway, this is oft beaten line, so leave it here.

But to me, 2000 cars per month seems like an optimistic target, especially after knowing the fact that not all Tata dealers will be Tata-Fiat dealers.

Another +1. I think, it's too steep target they are talking about. Earlier, they were realistic in setting target of 300 Palios per month. With current market sentiment, it's going to be even more difficult. It will require something radically different from Fiat to achieve that.

@opendro, if those 100 showrooms are not able to sell beyond 500 Palios per month, don't you think 2000 is quite steep?