re: Meeting the Jeep Compass. EDIT: Priced between 14.95 to 20.65 lakhs Quote:
Originally Posted by ritzy Cynicism, shown in earlier posts, suggest that some already want to call it a failed product. Content of this forum change the perception of people who read it. Rumor mongering will help none.
IMO, this company should be congratulated that, unlike some other foreign players, past failures have not shaken their belief in our market and they have come up with even bigger & better product to reinvent themselves. I know for sure, through my contacts, that they have generated sizable amount of jobs during the whole process and have brought here in India for the first time, some cutting edge technologies in manufacturing. |
Sergio Marchionne (CEO,FCA) is not known to be sentimental, but calculating in his moves. He has already stated that Fiat cannot relive its glory days in India. Maybe he thinks a different brand name can help, but the more obvious reason is that he has looked at the Ranjangaon plant as the most economical base to manufacture the Jeep Compass for the global RHD market.
FCA has always had cutting edge. Their problem is their inability to understand their customers. For example, a few days ago I wrote in to FCA's CC requesting for my complete service records, so I could easily look at it on a PC instead of fumbling through paper files. Honestly I was going to summarise my ownership experience and give them usable feedback. Even Honda offers up the complete service history through their Honda Connect app. I was genuinely amazed when I started getting a lot of calls from FCA asking if there was a reason I was asking for the records, was there an issue I was facing, how could they help, etc. I was very close to posting here that FCA's service is turning the corner. But after few days of verbal non-committals (this is the reason they give generic email responses), FCA disclosed that they have a weird policy in place refusing to share service history records with owners. They suggested I go to a dealership and ask, where again I'm told that it's against company policy. Apparently there is one more company following this - Royal Enfield - no surprise both are having similar issues.
Asking people to post positive comments to influence people reading this, so your contacts at FCA are happy, is not the correct approach.
Side note : I drove to the Jeep showroom in my Linea and jumping into the Compass felt strangely familiar, like a better Linea. I went to the Nexa showroom next door and had a look at their flagship cars - Ciaz and S Cross, and both had a not so great feel. It's no surprise people are calling the Compass premium. Manufacturers seem to be diluting the market and reintroducing quality cars they could already make at higher price points.
Some other observations : When I sat in the rear seat, another gentleman sitting there immediately remarked that it won't fit a third person. It feels snug like a hatchback. The doors being heavy were actually a nuisance because you had to really push and pull them. The engine bay isn't neat, it's just hidden with a lot of plastic - an oversized engine cover, another plastic strip extending over the radiator, etc. - you can see the usual stuff if you peer through the gaps.
The gear shifter was genuinely impressive and seemed to just slot into the gates; of course it needs to be seen how it works when running. So basically FCA fixed 2 major complaints TBHPians had with the Linea/Punto - better plastics and sharper gear shifts, and is charging twice as much (ok fine, it has much more power too).
Last edited by Crazy_Eddy : 7th July 2017 at 21:41.
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