Fiat Linea and Punto to get improvements and upgrades

bnzjon · 11th February 2010, 02:02

I had a chat with Mangesh Kodalkar, Customer services Manager at FIAT regarding my Linea.

During the chat, he informed that FIAT is planning to hold 2 day customer service/feedback camp in every city where they have a sizeable population of Linea and Punto customers.

The basic idea is to offer free service camps to customer, get feedback from existing Linea and Punto customers and to guage the mindset of customer’s earlier perception about FIAT and the current perception.

I am not sure how FIAT would be communicating this to all but i was requested to share this information with all Linea/Punto owners in my friends circle.

Extract of the mail received from Mangesh later in the day attached for your reference.

Quote :

Dear Sir,

As discussed.

Free checks up camps are organized at Tata Fiat dealers through our distributor Tata Motors, with support back up from Fiat for all its customers.

Schedule dates as below :

20 & 21 Feb 2010 – North Region ( Delhi-NCR,Chandighar, Ludhiana , Lucknow )
27 & 28 Feb 2010 – East Region ( Kolkata ,Bhubaneshwar,Guwahati)
6 & 7 Mar 2010 – South Region ( Bangalore , Chennai, Hyderabad , Cochin , Trivandrum , Coimbatore )
13 & 14 Mar 2010 – West Region ( Mumbai , Thane , Kalyan, A’bad, Nagpur , Indore , Surat , Jaipur)
To obtain maximum customer contact & response all above are scheduled on Saturday & Sunday.

Requesting to give vide publicity at all forums.

Thanking you in advance

Best regards,
Mangesh Kodalkar
Customer Service s Department
( For Fiat Linea and Fiat Grande Punto)
Fiat India Automobiles Limited
B-19,Ranjangaon MIDC Industrial Area
Ranjangaon-412210
Taluka Shirur,District Pune
Maharashtra
Tel +91 2138 672764
Fax +91 2138 672800

Unquote

coldice4u · 11th February 2010, 07:57

Great to see such a initiative from FIAT. Fiat has definitely been doing the right things regarding A** as can be made out from the various recent posts of FIAT users.

OT: Such an event should be definitely given a new thread.

GR8NATIVE · 11th February 2010, 20:07

@bnzjon great to hear Fiat is interested. I have recently taken delivery of a Punto MJD and the experience of buying and using the car has been outstanding. I am super duper happy with the whole deal so far.. but when i took delivery the gave me the manual and whole heap of cards -warranty,blue me etc in paper cover and when i asked the lady she said Fiat does not offer pouches to put your manual etc is that true? I am not sure bcoz another guy there said they have ordered it .

piyush78 · 11th February 2010, 20:57

I hope with the quality improvement they must also offer exciting engines on the Linea & Punto. The T-jet in Linea & VGT diesel in Punto can very well be the USP of these cars.

bnzjon · 14th February 2010, 00:25

Fiat India has announced that it has kick off a nationwide service campaign for its valuable customers from Pune. This service campaign will mark the first comprehensive initiative under the ‘Fiat First’ banner by Fiat. Through this initiative, Fiat will conduct free service check ups for all Fiat automobiles on 13th and 14th February 2010 in Pune. The check ups will be conducted at Fiat’s Pune dealer outlets: B.U Bhandari Auto Pvt. Ltd and Pandit Automotive Pvt. Ltd.

As part of the exercise, Fiat’s engineers will undertake a comprehensive 40 point check on the car, provide free top up of consumables & free mopping. Alongside this, there will also be a 10 per cent discount on any spares or labour used on paid jobs beyond the free service initiative.

As further incentive for its loyalists, Fiat will provide an attractive gift to all the participants registering for the service checkup. There will also be a lucky draw conducted with a host of fabulous goodies up for grabs. Speaking on the occasion, Ravi Bhatia – VP Commercial, Fiat India said, “When we launched Fiat First last year, our primary aim was to provide customers with unheralded service and easy service accessibility. The free service check up camps under the Fiat First banner is an important step to achieve that objective. Through Fiat First and the free service camps, we look to improve the valued relationship we share with our customers whilst also tackling their queries and issues to provide them with a hassle free driving experience. We at Fiat are hopeful this innovative initiative will be well received by all.”

spindoc · 14th February 2010, 22:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by RaviH

Though dash area fit and finish is good, I found plastic fit and finish around steering column to be very bad. It looks totally unprofessional. It looks like plastic mould had some protruding plastic and it has been cut using a shaving blade

My kid's plastic toys costing couple of hundred rupees have far better finish.

Today I heard and felt something falling near my right foot while driving and guess what - bonnet release plastic handle has fallen off.

Found another problem today. One of the head rests on the rear seat is missing. I did not notice it when took delivery of the car 2 days back.
!

@RaviH, Congrats on your acquisition. But sorry to hear about your woes - that is really a sad commentary on the state of things at Fiat. Of course, there are other new owners who seem to be happy with their Puntos and the initial experience, but every single piece that is delivered is supposed to pass the same kind / level of quality and pre-delivery checks.

piyush78 · 14th February 2010, 22:55

Well, there was a thread by our own sidindica regarding the various quality improvements in the punto/linea siblings. So much for the improvement, however the headrest missing is impossible to comprehend.All vehicles undergo the mandatory PDI before delivery to customer, so can a thing like this happen, really confusing.

twinblades · 15th February 2010, 22:26

My father is not a happy man. His car(punto) had a problem with the rear power window. it happen on the 1st road-trip he took. The window would not come up. Lucky for him it did not rain that same day(Sat). With the help of the customer service he got in touch with the concorde motors in cochi and they were able raise the window up and leave it up(On a Sun). Back in Bangalore we reported this problem on the 1st service and the advisor said he call back after 5 days once the spare part is delivered. Its been 15 days and we are waiting to get it fixed.

acidkill · 9th March 2010, 01:06

Guys,

if anyone has bought a 2010 Fiat Linea Active or Dynamic (after the recent upgrades), could you post some pictures of the interiors?

sharma_sanjeevi · 29th March 2010, 12:42

Fiat has quietly upped the power and torque in the Linea!

Power is now rated at 93.7ps@4000rpm and torque at 209Nm@2000rpm.

In comparision, eariler the power was 86ps and Torque was
203Nm@2500rpm.

Is this right? This info is from Fiat India's website!

deepakhon · 29th March 2010, 12:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharma_sanjeevi

Power is now rated at 93.7ps@4000rpm and torque at 209Nm@2000rpm.

In comparision, eariler the power was 86ps and Torque was
203Nm@2500rpm.

Interesting! If yes, why are they not advertising it enough?

sharma_sanjeevi · 29th March 2010, 13:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by deepakhon

Interesting! If yes, why are they not advertising it enough?

That is what, i was also surprised to see this change. They should advertise it now.

In my mind, this change in the Engine configuration raises questions also:

1. What about the cars already in the Market, Will they Re-Map those cars also with the updated configuration.
2. Does this change mean, that the 1.6 MJD is not on the cards soon ?

Any information guys..!!

aks_karthik · 29th March 2010, 13:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharma_sanjeevi

Fiat has quietly upped the power and torque in the Linea!

Power is now rated at 93.7ps@4000rpm and torque at 209Nm@2000rpm.

In comparision, eariler the power was 86ps and Torque was
203Nm@2500rpm.

Is this right? This info is from Fiat India's website!

Great to see this in the site itself.
But what about Existing Linea MJD owners.
Whether the Existing cars engine will be tweaked to get the same power.

rajivn · 29th March 2010, 13:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharma_sanjeevi

That is what, i was also surprised to see this change. They should advertise it now.

In my mind, this change in the Engine configuration raises questions also:

1. What about the cars already in the Market, Will they Re-Map those cars also with the updated configuration.
2. Does this change mean, that the 1.6 MJD is not on the cards soon ?

Any information guys..!!

Add this too,
If the slight change in power is for true then will Punto Sport also come with this reconfig engine?

CARDEEP · 29th March 2010, 15:34

Hi all

The power upgrade in Linea was due, not because the engine was anaemic, but because Fiat engineers had actually been able to squeeze more power (without effecting the durability of the engine or performance/mileage) from the 1248CC diesel engine. As far as I read in news some time back, it was first upgraded in Fiat 500, & then it has trickled down the Linea.

11th February 2010, 02:02	#241
bnzjon BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Dubai Posts: 836 Thanked: 127 Times View My Garage	Off topic: FIAT customer care camp I had a chat with Mangesh Kodalkar, Customer services Manager at FIAT regarding my Linea. During the chat, he informed that FIAT is planning to hold 2 day customer service/feedback camp in every city where they have a sizeable population of Linea and Punto customers. The basic idea is to offer free service camps to customer, get feedback from existing Linea and Punto customers and to guage the mindset of customer’s earlier perception about FIAT and the current perception. I am not sure how FIAT would be communicating this to all but i was requested to share this information with all Linea/Punto owners in my friends circle. Extract of the mail received from Mangesh later in the day attached for your reference. Quote : Dear Sir, As discussed. Free checks up camps are organized at Tata Fiat dealers through our distributor Tata Motors, with support back up from Fiat for all its customers. Schedule dates as below : 20 & 21 Feb 2010 – North Region ( Delhi-NCR,Chandighar, Ludhiana , Lucknow ) 27 & 28 Feb 2010 – East Region ( Kolkata ,Bhubaneshwar,Guwahati) 6 & 7 Mar 2010 – South Region ( Bangalore , Chennai, Hyderabad , Cochin , Trivandrum , Coimbatore ) 13 & 14 Mar 2010 – West Region ( Mumbai , Thane , Kalyan, A’bad, Nagpur , Indore , Surat , Jaipur) To obtain maximum customer contact & response all above are scheduled on Saturday & Sunday. Requesting to give vide publicity at all forums. Thanking you in advance Best regards, Mangesh Kodalkar Customer Service s Department ( For Fiat Linea and Fiat Grande Punto) Fiat India Automobiles Limited B-19,Ranjangaon MIDC Industrial Area Ranjangaon-412210 Taluka Shirur,District Pune Maharashtra Tel +91 2138 672764 Fax +91 2138 672800 Unquote
	() Thanks

11th February 2010, 07:57	#242
coldice4u BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Delhi Posts: 374 Thanked: 727 Times	Great to see such a initiative from FIAT. Fiat has definitely been doing the right things regarding A** as can be made out from the various recent posts of FIAT users. OT: Such an event should be definitely given a new thread.
	() Thanks

11th February 2010, 20:07	#243
GR8NATIVE BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Manglore Posts: 47 Thanked: 0 Times	@bnzjon great to hear Fiat is interested. I have recently taken delivery of a Punto MJD and the experience of buying and using the car has been outstanding. I am super duper happy with the whole deal so far.. but when i took delivery the gave me the manual and whole heap of cards -warranty,blue me etc in paper cover and when i asked the lady she said Fiat does not offer pouches to put your manual etc is that true? I am not sure bcoz another guy there said they have ordered it .
	() Thanks

11th February 2010, 20:57	#244
piyush78 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: New Delhi Posts: 117 Thanked: 10 Times	I hope with the quality improvement they must also offer exciting engines on the Linea & Punto. The T-jet in Linea & VGT diesel in Punto can very well be the USP of these cars.
	() Thanks

14th February 2010, 00:25	#245
bnzjon BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Dubai Posts: 836 Thanked: 127 Times View My Garage	Wheels unplugged - FIAT kicks off nationwide service campaign from Pune Fiat India has announced that it has kick off a nationwide service campaign for its valuable customers from Pune. This service campaign will mark the first comprehensive initiative under the ‘Fiat First’ banner by Fiat. Through this initiative, Fiat will conduct free service check ups for all Fiat automobiles on 13th and 14th February 2010 in Pune. The check ups will be conducted at Fiat’s Pune dealer outlets: B.U Bhandari Auto Pvt. Ltd and Pandit Automotive Pvt. Ltd. As part of the exercise, Fiat’s engineers will undertake a comprehensive 40 point check on the car, provide free top up of consumables & free mopping. Alongside this, there will also be a 10 per cent discount on any spares or labour used on paid jobs beyond the free service initiative. As further incentive for its loyalists, Fiat will provide an attractive gift to all the participants registering for the service checkup. There will also be a lucky draw conducted with a host of fabulous goodies up for grabs. Speaking on the occasion, Ravi Bhatia – VP Commercial, Fiat India said, “When we launched Fiat First last year, our primary aim was to provide customers with unheralded service and easy service accessibility. The free service check up camps under the Fiat First banner is an important step to achieve that objective. Through Fiat First and the free service camps, we look to improve the valued relationship we share with our customers whilst also tackling their queries and issues to provide them with a hassle free driving experience. We at Fiat are hopeful this innovative initiative will be well received by all.” Last edited by Dippy : 15th April 2010 at 15:05. Reason: Please avoid quoting a long post when replying to a thread. Thanks.
	() Thanks

14th February 2010, 22:55	#247
piyush78 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: New Delhi Posts: 117 Thanked: 10 Times	Well, there was a thread by our own sidindica regarding the various quality improvements in the punto/linea siblings. So much for the improvement, however the headrest missing is impossible to comprehend.All vehicles undergo the mandatory PDI before delivery to customer, so can a thing like this happen, really confusing.
	() Thanks

15th February 2010, 22:26	#248
twinblades BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: bangalore Posts: 143 Thanked: 28 Times	My father is not a happy man. His car(punto) had a problem with the rear power window. it happen on the 1st road-trip he took. The window would not come up. Lucky for him it did not rain that same day(Sat). With the help of the customer service he got in touch with the concorde motors in cochi and they were able raise the window up and leave it up(On a Sun). Back in Bangalore we reported this problem on the 1st service and the advisor said he call back after 5 days once the spare part is delivered. Its been 15 days and we are waiting to get it fixed.
	() Thanks

9th March 2010, 01:06	#249
acidkill BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Chennai Posts: 420 Thanked: 137 Times	Guys, if anyone has bought a 2010 Fiat Linea Active or Dynamic (after the recent upgrades), could you post some pictures of the interiors?
	() Thanks

29th March 2010, 12:42	#250
sharma_sanjeevi BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 598 Thanked: 113 Times	Fiat has quietly upped the power and torque in the Linea! Power is now rated at 93.7ps@4000rpm and torque at 209Nm@2000rpm. In comparision, eariler the power was 86ps and Torque was 203Nm@2500rpm. Is this right? This info is from Fiat India's website!
	() Thanks

29th March 2010, 15:34	#255
CARDEEP Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: NCR Posts: 3,248 Thanked: 2,522 Times	Linea Power upgrade Hi all The power upgrade in Linea was due, not because the engine was anaemic, but because Fiat engineers had actually been able to squeeze more power (without effecting the durability of the engine or performance/mileage) from the 1248CC diesel engine. As far as I read in news some time back, it was first upgraded in Fiat 500, & then it has trickled down the Linea.
	() Thanks