Cashless Carnival

FIAT’s lacklustre sales in India today is attributable to multiple factors. To start with, they willfully accepted to be shoved on over a misbranded legacy foundation to build their future over. I believe that even today a vast majority of our population feels that the notorious Premier Padmini we had was a FIAT offering.  Their pathetic after sales service further went on to tarnish the image. Today, with Palio being their only car in the market, it looks like FIAT does not have its story line right. The Palio for the masses - 1.1 is a machine below par. Neither is it economical, nor has it any any kind of power and it is not cheap. The 1.6 is a brilliant car but is not for everyone. It is for the enthusiasts and only they can understand and appreciate the fact that the Palio 1.6 is today the second quickest car on Indian Roads after the Skoda Octavia RS [in segments A - D].

With the TATA’s coalition, that gave them access to 65 dealerships, it was obvious that FIAT was interested in getting its act together and wanted to push up numbers. But the two year old relation has done little to improve the story. In the last financial year FIAT sold 2,208 cars all over the country - a number equal to what Maruti sells every working day. The relation is definitely not to be blamed, but the only thing that can correct the situation and erase off the battered perception of the brand is a brilliant line-up of products, and that is exactly what FIAT has in mind for 2008.
 
FIAT will be launching the Grande Punto, Linea, Palio 1.3 Diesel, Bravo and Cinquecento. The first three will be manufactured in India. With the 1.2, 1.4 Petrol variants and the 1.3 L Diesel engine [the one on the Swift] that will be economical and powerful delivering up to 155 bhp, these machines will impress the “value for money” buyers and the enthusiasts equally.

The Bravo and the Cinquecento aka 500 will be limited edition imports expected to provide the much needed boost to FIAT’s image in India due to their high exclusivity quotient. The Cinquecento, though of the size of the swift or even smaller, will be a style statement. With funky interiors, endlessly customizable options, several picks for exterior colors, safety features like seven airbags, the Cinquecento, with 120% import duty, could cost up to 15 Lakhs. The Bravo, with the 1.4L Petrol and 1.9L Diesel options that can generate up to 148 and 118 bhp and can attain top speeds of over 200 kmph, will be the hottest hatchback. The Bravo could cost around 20 Lakhs. 

It is in Bravo and Cinquecento’s capacity to do the much needed image transformation especially if FIAT manages to make these models popular in Bollywood that it intends to. I am confident that the Punto, Linea and Palio 1.3L D will appease the masses with their sensitivity towards mileage and their generosity with power. In all, 2008 could turn out to be the year of resurgence for FIAT in India and it could finally get to be the Belle of the Ball, something it has not ever been close to being all this while.

 Image Source: Autocar