[vivekz]

Wow. I like the way hot (warm??) hatch market is slowly but steadily picking up.

Polo has made a mark with GT, Toyota also tried but did not put their heart into it. T-Jet should hit the sweet spot for Punto as a package. Manual transmission should help in extracting more joy.

I am not sure of the pricing though. Polo TSI enjoys tax benefits for 1.2 litre engine and even though DSG is an expensive component and overall price may not be too much higher than Punto T-Jet due to its 1.4 L engine. (Let the speculations begin)

I think its time others took notice to the warm hatch market as well. Maruti can plonk 1.4L from Ertiga into Swift. Polo can offer a manual TSI at a lower cost. i20 is not inherently sporty but I guess having a power version (1.6 from Verna fits?) will only add sales. Who needs C-segment sedans when (and if) you have such options in hatches.

[S.MJet]

Originally Posted by Vik0728

I just hope Fiat does not De-tune the Evo T-jet a lot and leave all the Fiat Enthusiasts disappointed.

Saw Autocar show last night, in scoop section Hormazd Sorabjee clearly mentioned Evo & Avventura will be launced with 113 bhp T-Jet currently doing duty on Linea.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by vivekz

I am not sure of the pricing though. Polo TSI enjoys tax benefits for 1.2 litre engine and even though DSG is an expensive component and overall price may not be too much higher than Punto T-Jet due to its 1.4 L engine. (Let the speculations begin)

1.4L Fire Emotion variant which does not enjoy the tax benefits is priced at 6.71L. I expect the T-Jet to be priced somewhere around the 7L to 7.25L region for the Emotion variant.

That should still be a lakh less than the GT TSi. Easily a 1.5L OTR difference once the offers come in.

[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

1.4L Fire Emotion variant which does not enjoy the tax benefits is priced at 6.71L. I expect the T-Jet to be priced somewhere around the 7L to 7.25L region for the Emotion variant.

That should still be a lakh less than the GT TSi. Easily a 1.5L OTR difference once the offers come in.

Rightly said, the deal becomes a lot more sweeter once the discounts set in. From what I have heard, the Punto Evo Tjet should go into commercial production by the 3rd week of March. So expect April or May launch.

[itsashishsharma]

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

Rightly said, the deal becomes a lot more sweeter once the discounts set in. From what I have heard, the Punto Evo Tjet should go into commercial production by the 3rd week of March. So expect April or May launch.

Is it all, or will we get the Abarth Punto as well, as we heard earlier?
T-jet Punto E at 7L will be a fantastic equation. Only if the clutch travel could be shorter, the long gear throws are somewhat OK, if we get T-jet for 7L.

[fiat_tarun]

So Fiat is finally going to offer the Punto with the T-Jet. I always thought the T-Jet was not being launched as it was reserved for the Abarth Punto. I wonder what extra the Abarth will get now. It might get a higher state of tune, better brakes & suspension, but I don't see people paying that premium with a Punto T-Jet available with more than enough power.

They did this with the Evo too, giving it the Avventura face.

Anyway all said and done, we wanted a hot hatch and here it is. With VW and Fiat present more will follow, which is great thing for us consumers.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by itsashishsharma

Is it all, or will we get the Abarth Punto as well, as we heard earlier?

Maybe the Fiat management had seconds thoughts after postponing the Abarth indefinitely and decided to introduce the t-jet engine in the existing Evo and Avventura avatars. Abarth wouldn't have been a cost effective launch whereas Evo does have some following, hence the tilt in Evo's favours. The engine might give the necessary boost to even the Avventura's figures which in reality never took off.

[S2!!!]

The Punto T-Jet made so much sense since the day the Punto was launched in India in 2009. Automobile enthusiasts were craving for a more powerful motor in this hot-looking hatch, ever since the legendary Palio 1.6L was discontinued. Back then, Fiat was too scared to introduce the Punto with more powerful engines to avoid the perception of being a thirsty car. However, the Punto's petrol powerplants failed to impress and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the T-Jet was the need of the hour.

Even in 2012, when Fiat only raised the GC of these cars, it could have taken the opportunity to introduce the T-Jet. What did they have to lose any way? It wasn't like the Punto petrol was perceived as fuel efficient or superior than its competitors any ways. This way at least they would have catered to a segment of the market which have been looking at other brands due to a lack of half decent petrol engine in the Punto. Not only that, even petrolheads would be flock to Fiat showrooms for what could have been the perfect hatchback.

One positive thing about this news is that till date Fiat rejected the possibility of the T-Jet in the Punto. At least now, there are rumours of the car. Like others, only when the Punto T-Jet actually launches will I believe any kind of rumours, especially considering that the Abarth was expected since a couple of years for under Rs. 10 lakhs but it still isn't here.

[AshBabu]

MotorBeam reports that Fiat is discussing future strategy in a closed door meeting at Lavasa, Maharashtra. The meeting is to discuss plan after sudden exit of its MD.

Link to News:

http://www.motorbeam.com/2015/01/car...es-road-ahead/

It seems all new launches like Abarth 500, Jeep, etc. will be put on hold. It also means a halt in the sales and service expansion plans. But T-Jet in petrol in the Punto Evo and Avventura variants may be launched.

[21Archer84]

Originally Posted by AshBabu

MotorBeam reports that Fiat is discussing future strategy in a closed door meeting at Lavasa, Maharashtra. The meeting is to discuss plan after sudden exit of its MD.

Well, looks like the future has been planned. FIAT announces it's new President and MD of Indian operations, Mr.Kevin Flynn, who was heading JLR South Africa.

John Kett, Vice President and General Manager, APAC Operations, FCA says Flynn is a strong, strategic and dynamic leader with the ability to shape brand and business culture. His experience will drive FCA India into the next growth phase.

Courtesy: http://www.rushlane.com/kevin-flynn-...-12143024.html

Now it's time for Mr.Flynn to present his abilities with some exciting products out of the Ranjangaon plant.

[karthik_rao]

Have been thinking why Fiat is so hell bent on self destruction as a car brand (as an engine maker, they still rule supreme in India market share). So here's some speculation:

One reason could be binding agreements with existing buyers like Maruti, Tata to sell them latest engines that they use on their cars in India. So if they were to bring in a multi-air or twinair, they would be forced to sell that same version to these local players/

Another reason could be cannibalization worries resulting in lower profits for the engine division. So say Fiat is free to launch a TwinAir or a multiAir Linea, Linea sales could spike from current levels (100-200 pm) to say 1000 pm. Increase of 800. However, this could cause a drop in sales of bestsellers from Maruti, Tata. Lets say this drop is to the tune of 4000 or 5000 cars pm. So the engine division sales go down by 5000, while Fiat Linea sales go up by 800. Now the engine is probably sold for a profit and the Linea is sold at a loss or very low margin. We know that from the publicized excise duty litigation. So QED.

I cant imagine why Fiat is not bringing in its best engines and selling the Linea, Punto, Avventure at a premium? Maybe even a panda for good measure? Somebody help me understand, ?

[rohanjf]

Originally Posted by 21Archer84

Now it's time for Mr.Flynn to present his abilities with some exciting products out of the Ranjangaon plant.

It may sound like a joke, but the first question that came to my mind is, "when is he going to resign"?

Originally Posted by karthik_rao

One reason could be binding agreements with existing buyers like Maruti, Tata to sell them latest engines that they use on their cars in India. So if they were to bring in a multi-air or twinair, they would be forced to sell that same version to these local players

Is that even possible with Maruti? May be it is possible with Tata, if Tata still owns a part of Fiat India's engine-making division.

I cant imagine why Fiat is not bringing in its best engines and selling the Linea, Punto, Avventure at a premium? Maybe even a panda for good measure? Somebody help me understand, ?

This discussion has happened in this thread earlier. Panda MultiAir costs pretty much the same as Panda Multijet in UK. Since the difference is only in engine and transmission, any model with these engines should cost about the same in any country (assuming full localization). In that case, how many Indians will prefer a petrol engine over a diesel engine when the on-road price is almost equal?

Also, Panda isn't all that cheaper than Punto in UK. Logically, similar ratio should follow in India. Then Panda, which is just about the size of Wagon R, will cost a lot more than competition. Another market dud!

[21Archer84]

Originally Posted by rohanjf

It may sound like a joke, but the first question that came to my mind is, "when is he going to resign"?

Also, Panda isn't all that cheaper than Punto in UK. Logically, similar ratio should follow in India. Then Panda, which is just about the size of Wagon R, will cost a lot more than competition. Another market dud!

Hope he doesn't resign as early as most of us BHPians here think he will.

No offense but, I don't think Panda can be compared with Punto or for that matter WagonR, as it's placed in a different segment. If size was all people compared, nano would have seen better numbers than competition. Panda has won a lot of accolades and selling in good numbers. No vehicle is a market dud, until it's launched and the buyer's say " I ain't buying this FIAT, X car is a better ride for me ".

[karthik_rao]

Originally Posted by rohanjf

Is that even possible with Maruti? May be it is possible with Tata, if Tata still owns a part of Fiat India's engine-making division.

This discussion has happened in this thread earlier. Panda MultiAir costs pretty much the same as Panda Multijet in UK. Since the difference is only in engine and transmission, any model with these engines should cost about the same in any country (assuming full localization). In that case, how many Indians will prefer a petrol engine over a diesel engine when the on-road price is almost equal?

Also, Panda isn't all that cheaper than Punto in UK. Logically, similar ratio should follow in India. Then Panda, which is just about the size of Wagon R, will cost a lot more than competition. Another market dud!

Would the efficiency and output not be significantly higher than existing diesel? And would something like the twinair not attract lower duties?

Wow, I never realized the Panda was sooo small. Always imagined it was an Ecosport or Yeti equivalent.

[volkman10]

Jeep plotting sub-Renegade micro-SUV - developing an ultra-compact Jeep that will debut in emerging markets such as Brazil and India.

Two option revealed - could leverage the Fiat Panda's platform for a new micro-SUV which would measure less than four metres in length. or to use a Brazilian platform, which would be significantly cheaper to manufacture.

So naturally if you take a look at the white space, take a look at a brand that is capturing a lot of market share everywhere around the world … I think that India would be a very suitable place to think about for this vehicle.

http://www.motoring.com.au/news/2015...icro-suv-49105