[carwatcher]

I am more than 1000% sure that the post to which you have replied is to troll us. The green smiley is further proof to that.
Launching a all new refreshed Punto with big changes to the exteriors as well as interiors and now launching with very different engine is referred to as the 'Trick' is laughable to say the least.
We have seen sticker jobs as Limited Edition variants and also seen Swift RS so painting all the manufacturers with the same brush is really easy but harsh.

Originally Posted by theredliner

Can you please elaborate this? A Punto T-Jet and too bland in the same statement?

I'm sure a Punto T-Jet makes a lot of sense to many enthusiasts on T-BHP. So, the buyers on T-BHP are not sensible? Or do you mean to say that only the mass market people who buy Maruti and Hyundai are sensible? Care to elaborate again?

[jvm_1986]

Hope the scoop is true and that Fiat launches the Punto Evo TJet. I'm prepared to sell my existing car to buy it.
According to me , it will be the perfect package for petrol heads due to the below list.
1. Proven turbo petrol engine
2. Hydraulic steering
3. Improved interiors (compared to the previous gen)

Only hope they slightly lower the suspension to get back the original handling dynamics.

Come on Fiat, better late than never.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by fiestarry

Fiat would do themselves a lot of good by following the general market trend.

Actually, their smaller 1.2L petrol & 1.3L engines have already followed the market trend, isn't it?

Remember, this is an offering over & above those, not a replacement. It's like VW selling the 1.2L N/A for the commuters, and concurrently the 1.2L TSI for those wanting something 'more'.

The motormouth 'hot hatch enthusiasts' could do better by 'putting their money where ......'

Don't underestimate the enthusiasts in India. Mahindra sells 600 to 800 2-door Jeeps (aka Thar) every month. I can tell you someone looking at point A -> B commuting isn't a Thar customer. Most of them are enthusiasts indeed putting their money where their mouth is.

VW won't share variant-specific numbers, yet admits that demand for the GT Polos has left them surprised.

IIRC, Harley sells 3000 - 4000 bikes every year in India. These are expensive motorcycles costing at least as much as a B-segment hatchback. Their customer base is also entirely enthusiasts.

If Fiat can't attract enough enthusiasts, the problem is with itself, not enthusiasts.

[cingsman]

Originally Posted by avishar

Now we will see how the 'Hot Hatch Starved' population jump up and down on seeing this and then go buy an i20 Elite.

I think there should be an award for Quote of the Year. This will easily win, hands down!

[manas_270]

T-Jet in the face lifted Punto Evo especially the Sports version would really give the enthusiasts some models to choose from. Right now with GT being the only option under 10L, there isn't much of a choice for a hatch. As much as I Love the DSG, would have been nice if the TSI came with MT just for manual lovers as well as the lower price.

Hopefully early this year, if Honda launches the 1.5L RS version & Fiat launches this T-Jet Punto, belated New Year gifts for the enthusiasts. Wishful thinking but guess we are allowed to do that on Team-BHP

Originally Posted by CarNerd

Whether its a T-jet or a Jumbo-jet, Fiat won't sell in India.. Their cars are too bland to buy and resell.
Its better they just make engines instead of coming up with tricks that make little sense to sensible buyers.

Sorry mate. Got to disagree with you on this. You would be surprised to see the fan base FIAT has. Of course, the sales might not reflect the same & that's due to FIAT strategies wrt Showroom experience, A.S.S, spare parts availability etc.. Calling folks who choose FIAT not being sensible may be a bit taking it too far

Originally Posted by GTO

If Fiat can't attract enough enthusiasts, the problem is with itself, not enthusiasts.

Spot On!! The sooner Fiat realizes this the better it would be for the company.
They need to understand that enthusiasts who love FIAT & buy their cars, love the cars to be on road & driving & not stuck in workshops waiting for spare parts.

With the change in management, wish things get better for FIAT.

[Vinit Wakade]

Really waiting for something out of the ordinary from Fiat. They have excellent handling cars bogged down with poor engines. I for one would be more than willing to buy a hot hatch from the Fiat stable.
One sore point though, poor Fiat network. I stay in a town with a population of 12 lakh, still no Fiat dealership or service center. The nearest one is 250 kms away. Surely something Fiat must look into. Without adequate service backup it is difficult fro people to buy their vehicles. I for one know quite a few people in my circle who would love to get their hands on a T-Jet but are put off by the lack of service back up and i dare say end up buying the Elite i20 kinds!

[Doge]

Originally Posted by CarNerd

Whether its a T-jet or a Jumbo-jet, Fiat won't sell in India.. Their cars are too bland to buy and resell.
Its better they just make engines instead of coming up with tricks that make little sense to sensible buyers.

The Punto is not bland,it's just not tacky,like the elite . If you were saying that the "buying procedure " is bland, then you can always hop to the showroom,will surely add a lot of spice to the buying process. Also valid on Hyundai.

[Rubbertramps]

Finally. Good move and its never too late! Bring it on FIAT. Ofcourse there will be criticism and some are born critics. Cant do anything about it. One good reason for me to exchange my 2010 Punto !

[Vdrive]

Originally Posted by CarNerd

Whether its a T-jet or a Jumbo-jet, Fiat won't sell in India.. Their cars are too bland to buy and resell.
Its better they just make engines instead of coming up with tricks that make little sense to sensible buyers.

Sorry to say those are not the words of an enthusiast. Have you ever driven a Fiat ? They are the best in their respective segments in terms of handling, driving dynamics, etc. etc. Of course it may not be the best choice for someone who buy car for reselling.

[Arkin evoisrevo]

Originally Posted by CarNerd

Whether its a T-jet or a Jumbo-jet, Fiat won't sell in India..

Completely agree.

Their cars are too bland to buy and resell.

Utter nonsense.

Its better they just make engines instead of coming up with tricks that make little sense to sensible buyers.

What on friggin' earth do you mean by 'sensible buyers'?

Knowing Fiat, they never seem to have tricks up their sleeves - which explains why the brand has been a failure.

This 'trick' - if you could call it one, however, would make perfect sense to someone who wants a 'fast Punto', an FTD Turbo-Petrol hatch for cheap, or someone hesitant to spend north of a million rupees on a Polo TSi or Linea T-Jet.

[rav11stars]

Recounting my buying experience and what one hears when going out to even test-drive a FIAT, I remember this story: I'll keep it brief.

A priest is returning back to his village through a forest along with a goat. Three thieves see him and plan to steal the goat from him. The first thief stops him and says "Sir, why are you taking a dog with you?". The priest retorts back saying it's a goat. After some time the second thief tries the same thing. Now the priest stops and checks to see if it's indeed a goat.
After a while the third thief stops him and asks "where are you taking the dog to?" to which the priest puts on a confused face and says "this is goat, isn't it?". The thief replies "Sir, please ask anyone, this is a dog".
The priest leaves the goat there and leaves.

Every time someone says they're going for a FIAT or even considering it, we get to hear "why even TD a FIAT, it doesn't have a resale?". Isn't buying an automobile just about buying one that makes you feel good when you're at the wheel?
Why should we worry if we're going to get some x amount more when we're going to sell it off? Who knows; we may like it so much that we may not want to sell it at all?

Like I've mentioned in another thread, if we, here in an automobile enthusiast forum can think of ideas to revive FIAT in India, don't you think anyone who's heading FIAT in India or globally have the brains to realize it. If they're so dumb and consider India as only an engine-purchasing market, it'll not be long before the TATAs and Marutis manufacture their own engines and eat up what's left of FIAT's market share..err is it 0.15

Just my thought : So let's discuss about the automobiles: Not their market shares. Let's hope this scoop is not like that of the Punto Evo. I saw a thread of it in 2011 and I bought the Evo in 2014

[Samfromindia]

GT TSI will always command a premium over the T-Jet Punto, as the 7-speed DSG will keep production costs much higher. Although manual gearbox has their own fan following, the DSG is very practical for stop and go city traffic while delivering fast shifts in sport mode on a open stretch of road. Whats more you can retrofit paddle shifters on the steering column for that ultimate sportscar feel and convenience! I also noticed safety features like ESC are given in automatic variants only (GT TSI/ Ecosport AT). So overall the GT will be the more feature packed of the two. However Tjet is more powerful than TSI, so the GT will lose to the Tjet punto in 0-100 timings. I really hope Ford brings that 1L ecoboost engine to other cars. When paired with Fiesta (Where its actually meant to be), it will make it fastest in its segment (9.5 secs compared to 11.xx of Linea Tjet for 0-100). So you can work out the numbers for a small car like next gen figo. It will put both GT and EVO to shame in a drag. And going by their pricing, it may cost less than Punto. But thats unlikely going to happen as they want to sell diesel ecosports only.

[rpunwani]

Here is what should happen:-

Fiat brings in the Punto Evo with the 1.4 T-Jet with Manual & Auto Transmission. Having owned a Fiat Sienna in the past, I can vouch for the ride & handling of Fiat cars.

VW bumps up the power of the 1.2 TSi to 125 BHP and introduces a Manual version. We currently own a 1.2 MPI Polo Highline and a Passat 2.0 Highline. The DSG is absolutely superb and the build quality of the Polo is fantastic. Besides, the Polo is one of the most modified cars - a lot of our fellow Team BHPians have done marvellous jobs on their Polo's.

[trek]

This is a good move by Fiat.

They should not limit the Tjet engine just for the top most variant, instead offer it in all the trims so that the price spread starts lower. The 1.2 is anyway a slow moving SKU, so no need for Fiat to shield it.

[humyum]

This is definitely a good move but I would buy a FIAT the day their service levels reach somewhere that of a Maruti or a Hyundai. Before that they can launch All the Jets and Hovercrafts they want, the Indian buyer will pass by a Fiat showroom and behave like Mr India tied his invisible band on it and look the other way.

The problem is the level of expectations people who have grown up with Maruti's (that's almost everyone) have built up. When you price a car in the same bracket or near about that, a comparison and mindset will erupt, leading to an obvious winner.

Working on just products and not after sales won't work in a country like ours.Get me good service, cheap parts and I would love to drive around in a FIAT.