Fiat 500 Launch- 18th July - Now Launched

Lalvaz · 21st July 2008, 18:25

Amazing car, lovely features, I love the alloys. Any idea if Fiat is selling these as optionals on the Palio as well?

For all the folks out there who feel it is overpriced at 15L, I agree with you, but am sure Fiat has thought about it, and feels comfortable with it being a conversation piece, not a top seller. As some of you'll have pointed out, its a PR stunt really, just a prelude to the other launches expected soon.

Having said that, I think Fiat needs to launch the Linea and Punto soon. I've seen these cars in Europe recently, and they're awesome. The sooner they're launched here, the better. Come on FIAT, lets see some more beauties from your stable soon. Oh one more thing, please price them a lil more reasonably, after all, not everyone can pay 15L +, so maybe a Linea in the 7-9L segment might be a good idea. You can subsidize it with your profits from the 500 ;-)

BTW, found the painting thingy a lil over the top, Driving a car in circles thru wet paint does not constitute art. Give us something better in the next launch guys.

jassi · 21st July 2008, 18:32

i'd like to see Massa owning a diesel fiat 500

i am not anti fiat or anti fiat 500 - i am anti fiat 500 diesel - if i spend 15 lacs on exclusivity it might as well come with an awesome petrol engine which gives me a dozen tuner friendly options in the future - read the 1.4 ltr 16V 100+bhp capable powertrain
Anyways to the uninitiated petrol diesel does not matter its just the exclusivity alone that will sell

Quote:

Originally Posted by rudrah

Well said..Sanjay!

One of the esteemed owner is none other than Felipe Massa, number two driver for the Ferrari Scuderia Formula One team!

The unique Fiat 500 Sport is painted in Pearl White with brown Cordura interior, Skydome sunroof, 16 inch diamond alloy wheels and the customary red brake calipers.

Fiat Powertrain Racing (FPT) have worked their magic on the 1.4 liter 16V engine and raised power to 120 bhp from 100 hp, a little below the 135 hp Fiat 500 Abarth and well below the expected 160-170 hp from the Fiat 500 Abarth SS.

FIAT,always....

Cheers~

Prithvi · 21st July 2008, 19:09

Guys,
Saw a brand new unregistered Fiat 500 near TAFE SKODA service centre on hosur road this morning when I went to give my car for service. Could not take a pic as he was going fast. The Red 500 looked nice and cute. But at Rs 15 lacs, I dont think there are many takers.

sanjaymugur · 21st July 2008, 21:15

i would love to own a FIAT 500 ARIA... what a beautiful car, the most environment friendly from FIAT staple..

diabloo · 21st July 2008, 21:47

Whats so eco-friendly about Aria? Is it a hydrid like Civic?
BTW, NHC is known as Aria in Japan. Look who is getting inspired by the name

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanjaymugur

what a beautiful car, the most environment friendly from FIAT staple..

jassi · 21st July 2008, 22:15

the fiat 500 aria is a variant of the diesel 1.3 launched here i think - or so it says in the article here

Fiat Aria | Auto Express News | News | Auto Express

This Aria will be music to the ears of eco-friendly drivers! Hot on the heels of the sporty Abarth – revealed in Issue 1,000 – comes this green Fiat 500.

Thanks to its frugal diesel engine and stop-start technology, the Aria emits only 98g/km of CO2 – which is 13g/km less than the least-polluting model in the current line-up.

The Aria will debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show billed as a concept, but Auto Express can reveal its features are set to be available in UK dealers before the end of the year.

Under the 500’s stubby bonnet is a 1.3-litre Multijet diesel, fitted with a particulate filter to cut emissions. It is mated to Fiat’s Dualogic robotised manual box, which has been specially tuned to optimise fuel efficiency and reduce exhaust fumes. The show car also has Stop&Start technology which cuts the engine when the vehicle is stationary. This works with the clever transmission to improve economy by 10 per cent over the normal 1.3-litre diesel.

A spokesman for Fiat told us - “The Aria is a truly attainable eco-friendly car. It shows what can be done using real-world solutions that don’t cost a fortune.” Yet the environmental touches aren’t restricted to the mechanicals – inside, the floor of the Aria is covered in rubber recycled from old car tyres. What’s more, the seats are trimmed in pre-used leather, while some of the fixtures and fittings are produced from natural fibres.

rider60 · 21st July 2008, 23:14

is this car not asking too much price atleast in the Indian market, the swift with a free flow and a CAI delivers kind of same performance why do they even do this? it priced three times the swift.

man its only for the style statement imo one can spend like around 2L on the swift for the same kind of luxurious feel and VOILA we have a car as good as this one. the price is simply carzy.

EDIT: i am comparing the swift petrol not the diesel.

Lalvaz · 21st July 2008, 23:45

Guys, Lets not keep going on n on about the price. Hell its pricey, we all know that, and so does Fiat. They're not targetting volumes here. You really think they dont know how much other cars in the segment cost.

The Fiat 500 is akin to an MF Hussain. Only meant for the collectors. This is really not a daily drive. Only issue is that this might not appreciate like an MF Hussain.

But anyways, lets try and look beyond price here ok? Lets talk features, TDs, reviews, etc... I for one would love to do a TD.

jassi · 22nd July 2008, 00:18

i doubt if there is gonna be one available for TD !! not at your local fiat dealer for sure, but yeah they are gonna be selling these through selected dealers in each city and maybe those guys will have a td 500. maybe one can get the td 500 for real cheap when they dispose it off some day

opendro · 22nd July 2008, 09:34

Fiat has achieved what it wanted to achieve, i.e. to let people talk, they were not anyway interested in selling this car

mahadev_kc · 22nd July 2008, 10:05

Fiat 500

FIAT 500 microsite for india.. enjoy

jassi · 22nd July 2008, 10:24

good site - but very limited compared to the UK one I had posted earlier. Obviously no choice of engines, you can just config the color and the rims (only 15") and get a sunroof

Well its a good start!! Fiat got tbhp talking so I guess they are on their way to brand building

kanwal · 22nd July 2008, 10:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by jassi

good site - but very limited compared to the UK one I had posted earlier. Obviously no choice of engines, you can just config the color and the rims (only 15") and get a sunroof

Well its a good start!! Fiat got tbhp talking so I guess they are on their way to brand building

buddy in last two years of my observations.. tbhp was always talking about Fiat... we are hating it, loving it, advising it, cursing it and praising it all the times.. but yes you are right it has surely sparked another wave and its good for Fiat

iceman7 · 22nd July 2008, 12:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by rider60

is this car not asking too much price atleast in the Indian market, the swift with a free flow and a CAI delivers kind of same performance why do they even do this? it priced three times the swift.

man its only for the style statement imo one can spend like around 2L on the swift for the same kind of luxurious feel and VOILA we have a car as good as this one. the price is simply carzy.

EDIT: i am comparing the swift petrol not the diesel.

agreed. but that still doesnt change the fact that you will still be driving a swift. A 500 will turn heads, the modded swift will not. No offence to the swift, but IMO there is simply no common ground to compare the swift to the 500.

" A sheep in a tigers outfit, is still a sheep"

shineshine · 22nd July 2008, 13:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by rider60

is this car not asking too much price atleast in the Indian market, the swift with a free flow and a CAI delivers kind of same performance why do they even do this? it priced three times the swift.

man its only for the style statement imo one can spend like around 2L on the swift for the same kind of luxurious feel and VOILA we have a car as good as this one. the price is simply carzy.

EDIT: i am comparing the swift petrol not the diesel.

What ever things you take to compare a FIAT 500 to any other car in indian market...both imported, MADE IN INDIA, MADE FOR INDIA; One thing is unique to FIAT 500.

Its the HERITAGE and HISTORY behind that car where no SWIFT can match; and never bought with 2++ lakhs!

FIAT 500 is a brand of the past, doing its best in the present, and hopefully for the future too.

21st July 2008, 18:25	#151
Lalvaz Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,414 Thanked: 2,183 Times	Amazing car, lovely features, I love the alloys. Any idea if Fiat is selling these as optionals on the Palio as well? For all the folks out there who feel it is overpriced at 15L, I agree with you, but am sure Fiat has thought about it, and feels comfortable with it being a conversation piece, not a top seller. As some of you'll have pointed out, its a PR stunt really, just a prelude to the other launches expected soon. Having said that, I think Fiat needs to launch the Linea and Punto soon. I've seen these cars in Europe recently, and they're awesome. The sooner they're launched here, the better. Come on FIAT, lets see some more beauties from your stable soon. Oh one more thing, please price them a lil more reasonably, after all, not everyone can pay 15L +, so maybe a Linea in the 7-9L segment might be a good idea. You can subsidize it with your profits from the 500 ;-) BTW, found the painting thingy a lil over the top, Driving a car in circles thru wet paint does not constitute art. Give us something better in the next launch guys. Last edited by Lalvaz : 21st July 2008 at 18:30.
	() Thanks

21st July 2008, 19:09	#153
Prithvi BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: BANGALORE Posts: 302 Thanked: 25 Times	Guys, Saw a brand new unregistered Fiat 500 near TAFE SKODA service centre on hosur road this morning when I went to give my car for service. Could not take a pic as he was going fast. The Red 500 looked nice and cute. But at Rs 15 lacs, I dont think there are many takers.
	() Thanks

21st July 2008, 21:15	#154
sanjaymugur BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 262 Thanked: 57 Times	i would love to own a FIAT 500 ARIA... what a beautiful car, the most environment friendly from FIAT staple..
	() Thanks

21st July 2008, 22:15	#156
jassi BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 980 Thanked: 11 Times View My Garage	the fiat 500 aria is a variant of the diesel 1.3 launched here i think - or so it says in the article here Fiat Aria \| Auto Express News \| News \| Auto Express This Aria will be music to the ears of eco-friendly drivers! Hot on the heels of the sporty Abarth – revealed in Issue 1,000 – comes this green Fiat 500. Thanks to its frugal diesel engine and stop-start technology, the Aria emits only 98g/km of CO2 – which is 13g/km less than the least-polluting model in the current line-up. The Aria will debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show billed as a concept, but Auto Express can reveal its features are set to be available in UK dealers before the end of the year. Under the 500’s stubby bonnet is a 1.3-litre Multijet diesel, fitted with a particulate filter to cut emissions. It is mated to Fiat’s Dualogic robotised manual box, which has been specially tuned to optimise fuel efficiency and reduce exhaust fumes. The show car also has Stop&Start technology which cuts the engine when the vehicle is stationary. This works with the clever transmission to improve economy by 10 per cent over the normal 1.3-litre diesel. A spokesman for Fiat told us - “The Aria is a truly attainable eco-friendly car. It shows what can be done using real-world solutions that don’t cost a fortune.” Yet the environmental touches aren’t restricted to the mechanicals – inside, the floor of the Aria is covered in rubber recycled from old car tyres. What’s more, the seats are trimmed in pre-used leather, while some of the fixtures and fittings are produced from natural fibres.
	() Thanks

21st July 2008, 23:14	#157
rider60 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bhagyanagaram. (A.K.A. Hyderabad) Posts: 1,620 Thanked: 56 Times View My Garage	is this car not asking too much price atleast in the Indian market, the swift with a free flow and a CAI delivers kind of same performance why do they even do this? it priced three times the swift. man its only for the style statement imo one can spend like around 2L on the swift for the same kind of luxurious feel and VOILA we have a car as good as this one. the price is simply carzy. EDIT: i am comparing the swift petrol not the diesel.
	() Thanks

21st July 2008, 23:45	#158
Lalvaz Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,414 Thanked: 2,183 Times	Guys, Lets not keep going on n on about the price. Hell its pricey, we all know that, and so does Fiat. They're not targetting volumes here. You really think they dont know how much other cars in the segment cost. The Fiat 500 is akin to an MF Hussain. Only meant for the collectors. This is really not a daily drive. Only issue is that this might not appreciate like an MF Hussain. But anyways, lets try and look beyond price here ok? Lets talk features, TDs, reviews, etc... I for one would love to do a TD.
	() Thanks

22nd July 2008, 00:18	#159
jassi BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 980 Thanked: 11 Times View My Garage	i doubt if there is gonna be one available for TD !! not at your local fiat dealer for sure, but yeah they are gonna be selling these through selected dealers in each city and maybe those guys will have a td 500. maybe one can get the td 500 for real cheap when they dispose it off some day Last edited by jassi : 22nd July 2008 at 00:20.
	() Thanks

22nd July 2008, 09:34	#160
opendro BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: NA Posts: 824 Thanked: 108 Times	Fiat has achieved what it wanted to achieve, i.e. to let people talk, they were not anyway interested in selling this car
	() Thanks

22nd July 2008, 10:05	#161
mahadev_kc BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 328 Thanked: 48 Times View My Garage	Fiat 500 FIAT 500 microsite for india.. enjoy
	() Thanks

22nd July 2008, 10:24	#162
jassi BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 980 Thanked: 11 Times View My Garage	good site - but very limited compared to the UK one I had posted earlier. Obviously no choice of engines, you can just config the color and the rims (only 15") and get a sunroof Well its a good start!! Fiat got tbhp talking so I guess they are on their way to brand building
	() Thanks