[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by vibbs

But saying that a Wagon R is more spacious is just taking it too faaar.

If rear seat legroom is the primary point of comparison, then I believe him. WagonR, the new one, fares better than the Punto.

Moreover, the feeling of space is also more accentuated in the Wagon due to the airy cabin, large glass area, loads of headroom and upright seating position.

[The Great]

Originally Posted by sidindica

They just made discounts official that were being offered. I got it for even cheaper after haggling. The Evo is fantastic VFM no doubt, Linea is past its prime, but problem still remains the lack of commitment and the "kheecho kheecho" attitude. The abarth cars deserved better numbers but poor attitude towards marketing sank them without a trace.

All their offerings deserved better numbers right from the UNO, thanks to the poor marketing and after sales they are still struggling. I guess the factory strike with labor problems from yesteryear has been sort of a jinx on them.

Their engines are doing well in other manufacturers cars yet they cannot create a brand value as a car manufacturer which is safe for the masses to rely on.

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

If rear seat legroom is the primary point of comparison, then I believe him. WagonR, the new one, fares better than the Punto.

Moreover, the feeling of space is also more accentuated in the Wagon due to the airy cabin, large glass area, loads of headroom and upright seating position.

Well CD, I have a 2015 wagon r at home town used by my dad. My impressions are based on that.

Its a different matter if you are just comparing the rear legroom after pushing front seats to their maximum position backwards. This is not the correct measure I believe as this is a function of how far back the front seats can move.

At my comfortable driving seat position, my punto has better space in the rear than our Wagon R. Not to forget the width and vastly superior boot space.

But yes this is OT here. Will refrain from posting further on this topic.

[Nissan1180]

Originally Posted by vibbs

Seriously? A Wagon R having more space than Avventura?

These are not the most spacious cars in the segment, but at par if consider Polo and swift. But saying that a Wagon R is more spacious is just taking it too faaar.

Yes. Try pushing the driver's seat all the way back in the Punto.
I am 5'11 and the front seat back was touching my knee.
This did not happen in the Wagon R. I checked the TeamBhp review and they mention this point in the Avventura review. My comparison with the WagonR was incidental- I said that because it is still a very popular product.
I like the Punto but I do not think it has the appeal to wow the average Indian customer. It is a product for enthusiasts.
I like the fact that Fiat attempted to bring in more value in the premium hatch segment. However, after options like the Baleno and I20 elite came in, they lost the plot. Fiat Cafe was a great concept. But then again, it was for enthusiasts.
The company needs a product that will build its image here. Something like the Barchetta.
This post may be deleted if it is considered irrelevant because of its reference to the Wagon R.

[centaur]

There is a Fiat showroom on my way to work and I religiously look at the beauties parked there and inside too. Sadly there is not even a fly in the showroom, forget customers. Such capable and amazing products are being ruined because of poor marketing and poor after sales network. Wonder if price slashes along will pull more crowd, maybe few FIAT enthusiasts might walk in owing to the fact that they might be able to own their dream for a lower price now

[h14]

The discounts being made as an official price cut is a welcome move. I got a sizable discount for my Linea in 2015, but the road tax was calculated on the non discounted price. And yes, in TN the tax goes up if ex-showroom > 10L.

Originally Posted by Karthik_S

So in Dec 2016, we went to RDC Fiat in Anna Nagar, Chennai to see if the ergo was convenient for my Mother. We were given a surprise of laughter for a lifetime!! The entire showroom has gone missing from that place!! And that's not all...a big hoarding stating Volkswagen (some dealer) coming soon...

Imagine the state of mind!! When I told this to a wise friend of mine, he said, Fiat India is committing suicide, they're still not learning from their mistakes.

Well, that was because RDC had opened the Jeep showroom in OMR. The CIT nagar showroom and OMR Jeep are functioning.

But at the same time, sad to see so many advices to FCA on this thread on shutting shop and leaving. I believe those advises can be provided in here.

[theredliner]

The biggest reduction in the OTR prices is seen on the Emotion variants of Linea - both T-Jet 125 and Multijet. Both of them used to cross 10L ESP. The OTR on the 125 S has come down from ~13.2L to ~12L. In case of everything else, it is quite less.

Abarth Punto's price has come down by a mere 10K ESP and ~12K OTR.

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by centaur

Wonder if price slashes along will pull more crowd, maybe few FIAT enthusiasts might walk in owing to the fact that they might be able to own their dream for a lower price now

No they wont. Only two things will do.

1. Have relevant products. Punto and Linea are more than 5 year old. They were competetive when launched. With newer products in the market, Fiat needs to move ahead and launch new products not facelifted models and price cuts. These cars are no longer relevant.

2. Customer needs to believe that he will not be left in a lurch after purchasing a Fiat. I love my car, but I seldom recomend it to anyone. Reason? Where is the aftersales? When I bought my car, there were at least 3 (or perhaps more) service centers in Pune. However now there is only one in Nigadi. A new one has opened in Wagholi, but that is really outside Pune if you ask me.

[Lij]

Having booked the Linea 125s, this piece of news really affected me. Although I was able to extract a good amount of discount from the dealer, but still that was on the OTR price. Since the ex-showroom price for the top end Linea is now below 10 lakh the tax slab changes and also the TCS component doesn't come into picture. I'll have to wait till my ITR filing to get the TCS back!!

So yesterday after reading the press release from FCA I had dropped a mail to them expressing how recent buyers like me who just put down the money on their cars last week would feel about this price reduction and asked if any benefits would be passed on to them. I also gave the example of market leader Maruti Suzuki where they had refunded significant amounts to their existing customers after they slashed the prices of S-Cross.

This morning I got a response from Mangesh Kodalkar saying that he would look into the details and revert back. Hopefully they'll come out with something for the recent buyers.

[Karthik Chandra]

Originally Posted by Lij

Having booked the Linea 125s, this piece of news really affected me.

Won't the price at the time of delivery be applicable? or is it applicable only for price hikes and not for price reduction?

The fine prints in the price list would always mention the same.

[Lij]

Originally Posted by Karthik Chandra

Won't the price at the time of delivery be applicable? or is it applicable only for price hikes and not for price reduction?

The fine prints in the price list would always mention the same.

I'll have to check the fine print once I am back home this evening. But when I checked with the FIAT customer care they said that the discounts were applicable only from Jan 5 and on further probing they said I need to check with the dealer (who I presume will out-rightly deny). If its mentioned in the price list then I'll definitely take it up with the dealership.

But will it be applicable since my car already got a temporary registration on Jan 4 and the RTO charges would be paid based on the ex-showroom price for which I had booked?

Damn even the IDV of the insurance is more than the new ex-showroom price!!

[bharath79]

The Linea 125 S is a great vehicle for less than 10 lakhs. In a time when many change cars in a space of 5 years this is starting to make sense. Purchase it, use it, and we'll worry about another car 5 years later.

The build, the driving pleasure and the price does present a potent mix.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by bharath79

The Linea 125 S is a great vehicle for less than 10 lakhs. In a time when many change cars in a space of 5 years this is starting to make sense. Purchase it, use it, and we'll worry about another car 5 years later.

The build, the driving pleasure and the price does present a potent mix.

Sorry, but that's a strict no-no IMHO. To use a car for 5 years, stay far away from a FIAT, that too a petrol engined one, unless you want to build your finances from scratch at the the end of five years.

Deprecation hits you hard during those initial years.

Prepared to keep the car for 10 or 15 years? Then it starts making sense, with the hope that the company keeps chugging along to support you with spares and parts till then.

[bharath79]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Sorry, but that's a strict no-no IMHO. To use a car for 5 years, stay far away from a FIAT, that too a petrol engined one, unless you want to build your finances from scratch at the the end of five years.



Deprecation hits you hard during those initial years.



Prepared to keep the car for 10 or 15 years? Then it starts making sense, with the hope that the company keeps chugging along to support you with spares and parts till then.

Isn't that the unfortunate reality today? I have to agree with what you have written.

It becomes all the more tragic when one realises that this is the only Mfgr offering a 1.4 turbo petrol for that price range...

Regards
Bharath

[prokinetic]

Originally Posted by Dr.Naren

I have noticed another point. I checked the pricing for various cities in official website. No model is priced above 10 lakhs Ex-showroom in any city. This would further help the customers in many states as the vehicles above 10 lakhs are taxed higher.

Enquired with 3 dealers in different cities to get a quote for 125S. None of them quoting ex-showroom under 10L. The Fiat website is showing the price well below 10L for all the respective cities. One of them adjusted to 10L+1k ex-showroom when I insisted, but not even ready reduce a rupee below 10L. Are the dealers upto some mischief?