Team-BHP - Rumour: FCA will be discontinuing the Fiat brand in India

Should have been done years earlier I would say !! But being FCA, decisions are always made very late in the game. I hope JEEP wont face the same destiny in India. They are almost following the same footsteps of FIAT, which is disheartening to see. Compass was launched in Aug/Sep 2017 I guess and the next car will be out only in 2020/2021, this tells how agile FCA is in India. I wonder how come people never learn from own mistakes :deadhorse

Frankly Jeep too will find it difficult to survive on it's own with the numbers that it is doing right now with a single car. Jeep owners too need to be concerned.

FCA which has Europe as it's home market should have had multiple Euro 6 models in its arsenal, all meeting latest crash regulations. What drives them away is the Indian customer not being able to overcome the Fiat Brand history. Numbers are too low, and it is too risky for the customers.

Quite frankly it's not really a surprise. After all this is doing rounds for a long time now. As discomforting and disconcerting the news really is for the owners, I believe FIAT is least bit worried. With Jeep selling in decent numbers, Harrier poised to again sell decently and Suzuki mulling about launching Vitara and Kizhashi which most probably will be launched with this engine option and I believe MG is also using this engine in their line-up, I think Fiat is set to become an engine supplier to major manufacturers.

On the contrary, I feel it was a master stroke to make this engine BS 6 ready.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ACM (Post 4537467)

Frankly Jeep too will find it difficult to survive on it's own with the numbers that it is doing right now with a single car. Jeep owners too need to be concerned.

Numbers are too low, and it is too risky for the customers.

FCA isn't going anywhere - it's only the FIAT brand which is going.

Punto and Linea has been in the market for a decade now and needed to go earlier itself - there is no sense in bringing a replacement under the FIAT badge because it just will not sell. This decision itself is typical FCA delayed, as everyone in the know has been expecting the decision from last year itself. Nothing exclusive about this ACI exclusive.

That said - FCA is not under losses, infact it was making profits even in FY2016 - 17 before Jeep took off.

Jeep sales have settled down above 1000 units per month. Last month for example - it sold more than all competition (XUV 5OO, Hexa, Tucson). Ofcourse it will die off at somepoint if they don't bring in automatics, new products etc down the line - but its too early to sound alarm bells. :D

Also - the 2L engine is picked up by TATA, MG and Maruti Suzuki - this should also ensure decent revenues.

Thoughts... Well, more feelings from my side.
For many reasons (primary being higher budget), I passed on the Compass, but was disappointed not to have purchased a heavy car with a heavy build - the thud is dying, and I'm disappointed I didn't contribute my smidgen toward keeping it alive.

Was considering the Abarth Punto as a second car, especially with the mouth-watering discounts on it. Haven't been free enough to contemplate so much expenditure (let alone on a brand we all feared would be exiting soon), otherwise I'm desperate to acquire a FTD manual, especially with a Fiat-style HPS (steering is the most important aspect wrt FTD for me) before the breed dies.

Truly disappointed that they never really tried here. Have been a fan since before the Palio - I learnt to drive in a Milicento (Premier Padmini), and Fiat ethos have stuck with me since. I hope I can get a hot hatch or hot compact sedan (manual, HPS and vault-like build) backed by a network of service centres when I'm in a position to buy a second car, and I hope it's a Fiat. Or another Avatar thereof as others predict.

Oh and let's not forget how beautiful they could be aesthetically too.

ok, we all knew this was coming!:Frustrati

Now, what would the experts here suggest if some one is still interested in buying a Fiat product (which are being offered with massive discounts). Is it worth buying it, or better to skip?
I am contemplating buying a T-jet, after I test-drove it few months back (that
lusty power is addictive)..

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Brutailer (Post 4537445)

Source : Autocar (from IG)

End of the road for Fiat in India this year - Autocar

Quote:

In fact, dealers are being asked by FCA to quickly sell off cars without ABS to beat the April 1, 2019 deadline, after which ABS on all cars becomes compulsory.

Yes, FCA will once and for all shut down the Fiat brand, which has been a household name in India for generations. It’s the end of an era.

Full Article - LINK

About time! They really haven't been serious into their PV operations in India. Very less products over the years. Half baked service relationship with Tata, which should have scared off half the owners at that time. If I have to go by owner's words, reviews on FASS in major cities hasn't been glowing either, except maybe Salem True Sai.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ACM (Post 4537467)

FCA which has Europe as it's home market should have had multiple Euro 6 models in its arsenal, all meeting latest crash regulations.

Fiat brand situation in home market isn't rosy either. Their 2 biggest selling models, Panda and Punto haven't been refreshed in a while and ended up zero stars in Euro NCAP.

None of my Italian colleagues during my stint owned a Fiat and they didn't want to either.

So Linea and Punto won't get updates - that's what I gather from the Autocar article. I think that was known for quite some time .

What about spares and service for existing owners ? Will FIAT continue to keep some service centres open and provide spares ? FIAT should clear the air on this.

My Punto is in it's 10th year and I'd like to keep her for a few more years as she's been quite reliable and trouble free.

A company with great technical innovation let down by poor management, marketing, after sales support. The writing has been on the wall for more than a couple of years. Some how, I haven't liked FIAT products primarily due to their "quirky" placement of the ABC pedals which makes it uncomfy to drive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdp1975 (Post 4537667)

Spares are already a concern with KHT Fiat being the sole service center for whole of Bangalore. And during my last service at 75k kms I had to change the front suspension struts for my Linea multijet. I waited for 15 days for the part and finally they gave me Punto's struts saying they are both interchangeable though the part numbers were different.

It was inevitable and yet I feel a lump in my throat. FIAT always had a special place in my heart right from the premier Padmini days. They seemed like a brand that pulled at my heart strings far better than any other. FIAT's downward journey started long ago and almost every year they seemed to be slipping further.

I was among those daring few who went for the Punto despite the gut wrenching resale value because it was an amazing ride. Fuel efficiency should not be the deciding factor alone and for me the Punto was a beauty. Solid build, the best steering, safe as a tank and a pleasure to drive. Add to it, I rarely had the need to go to the dreaded A.S.S. Then one day a moron driving an overloaded truck rammed into our Punto that was waiting at the signal. I am convinced that had it been one of the Maruti tin cans it would be the end of the story. After that incident I had to sell of my beloved Punto. The resale hurt a lot and I couldn't convince anyone at home to return to the brand. I never understood how a company can fluff up the sales of such wonderful cars like the Palio 1.6, Punto and the Linea.

FIAT will stay in my heart forever. They made good cars and amazing engines.