On the back of the gala launches of the Linea and Grande Punto in 2009, Fiat has enjoyed a very successful year in the Indian market. Riding on the great looks and performance of the two cars coupled with the aggressive introductory pricing strategy that was employed Fiat managed to clock in very impressive numbers for the current year. The pricing strategy employed for the two Fiat cars was also instrumental in maximizing the impact of the launches and creating higher recall for Fiat in the minds of Indian consumers.

With the Linea and Grande Punto having enjoyed such impressive sales since their entry into the Indian market, Fiat will now set out a new pricing for both of them. Owing to increasing input costs through the year, the company has taken the decision to have the prices of the Linea and the Grande Punto increased by 2 – 2.5%. Prices would go up by about Rs.15,000 on average, and upto Rs.25,000 for some of the versions. The price increase will be effective from 1st January 2010. The prices of the Fiat Palio Stile will remain unchanged.

Since its launch in January 2009, the Linea has clocked more than 12,000 units of sales; and the Grande Punto , launched in June has sold more than 9000 plus units. Both Linea & Grande Punto are available in FIRE petrol & Multijet diesel options.

On the upcoming price increase for the Linea and the Grande Punto, Mr. Rajeev Kapoor, President & CEO, FIAL said, “Both the Linea and the Grande Punto have received a tremendous response in the Indian market and clocked very impressive numbers. The initial pricing of both the cars was an introductory offer so as to allow more patrons to experience these great products. Input material costs have gone up substantially and without wanting to burden our consumers too much, the cars will now be available with a price increase of 2-2.5%. The Linea & Grande Punto continue to be two of the most attractive propositions in their respective segments.”

Both of these marquee cars – the Linea and Grande Punto have created a real stir in the Indian auto sector owing to their great looks and admirable performance and continue to be amongst the leading pack in auto sales in 2009

I bought Fiat Grande Punto Active 1.2 Petrol almost a month back and now have completed almost 700 Kms. Its an amazing BEAST and beautiful. Its comfortable, spacious and very easy to drive car. Long car comfort in small hatchback. Honest Review. If some one is planning to buy Punto no worries. Dont think too much just go and buy.

Read complete review of Mr. Alok Joshi @MouthShut.com

I have brought blue colour fiat grande punto Diesel Active from Marvelous Motors, Kolhapur. One test drive was enough for me to choose this model over others in the same category and all that i can say after driving for past 15 days that i dont have to regret the decision. The car is good to drive handling is great pickup is good and the car feels comfortable on city roads and highways. Very Comfortable to Cruise at around 130 - 140 kph.

Read complete review of Mr. Samir @MouthShut.com

Fiat India is planning a compressed natural gas (CNG) variant for its small car Punto, Fiat India Automobiles Ltd (FIAL) President and CEO Rajeev Kapoor said.

“We are looking at the CNG option for Punto and we are looking at a launch by the second quarter of next year,” Mr. Kapoor said at a press conference here. The fuel mix for this hatchback, which was launched some months ago, would comprise CNG and gasoline, he said.

Responding to a question as to why the company was launching a CNG-fuelled car rather than an LPG-car, Mr. Kapoor said that while the company had LPG cars in its stable, it felt that it was an expensive option. “CNG is a better fuel,” he said.

Courtesy: The Hindu

A good news for all Fiat fans in India. Fiat India is planning to launch a first ever made-for-India car in the Indian market by 2011. Prototypes will arrive in India in a year’s time for extensive road trials.

The results and feedback from the trials will lead to the final round of tweaking before Fiat India Automobiles Ltd begins manufacturing the small car at its Ranjangaon facility

Fiat India president and CEO Rajeev Kapoor said the small car to be positioned between the A and B segments was already off the drawing board. “The small car - conceived for the Indian market - has been designed at Fiat’s legendary design studio in Turin. There are several steps between the drawing board to actual production-grade vehicles. The car will definitely be launched in 2011,” he said.

Courtesy: TimesOfIndia

We Thank Carwale.com for such a wonderful review of Fiat Linea. Click on the link to read more

The Linea epitomises what a Fiat is and should be to us. It’s good looking, has good ride quality, packs in brilliant handling, is built like a rock and has a decently appointed interior with all the frills expected in the segment with the Emotion Pack Plus. Add to this equation a frugal pair of engines, and now better sales and service – there’s little wonder why we’ve been seeing so many Lineas (and Puntos) on the road. This does seem to be Fiat’s comeback car and this time around, with improved ownership experiences, there’s little stopping FIAL from becoming a household name once again.

If you’re in the market for a stylish, contemporary sedan which looks more expensive than it costs (especially with the alloys and chrome bits on the top-end variants) with a frugal engine, a perfect blend of ride and handling, and most importantly, if you’re passionate about cars, look no further than the Linea. There’s still some soul about Italian cars that makes them stand out from the competition.

Says Carwale.com, India’s leading Automobile portal

Ready, Set, Vrooom! With that motto in mind, Fiat India flagged off a drive of epic proportions called ‘Fiat Diesel Drives India’ today. ‘Fiat Diesel Drives India’ will be taking Fiat’s 4 multijet diesel offerings- the Linea, Grande Punto, Palio and Fiat 500 through testing Indian terrains over a period of a month and a half. This one-of-a-kind journey will traverse through diverse terrains within 16 states in India, clocking over 10,000 kilometers in total. The drive has been aimed at generating awareness about Fiat’s rich history in connection with diesel technology as well as their longstanding success in rolling out endurance driven, yet stylish and classy automobiles.

The drive will involve auto journalists from India’s top auto magazines, namely, Zigwheels, Car India, Overdrive, Auto India, BS Motoring, Autocar India, AutoBild, Top Gear, Auto Exchange, Automotive Product Finder and a special team of auto experts. In addition to this, the drive will also involve electronic channels like ET Now, NDTV 24X7, CNBC TV 18, NDTV India, Zee Business, UTVi, Aaj Tak, IBN7, Times Now, online portals such as Carwale.com, teambhp.com and publications such as New Indian Express. Through the course of the drive, these esteemed experts will take Fiat’s diesel engines to the extreme by taking the 4 cars through a stern test of power, performance and engine finesse. With this drive, Fiat, the inventor and pioneer of the high tech Multijet diesel engines, aims to stamp its authority on the diesel scenario in India as well as create further awareness about their engine’s presence in majority of the cars in India.

Speaking at the flag off, Mr. Rajeev Kapoor, President & CEO, FIAL, said, “Fiat’s diesel inventions and technology constitute a landmark position in global automobile history. Our state of the art 1.3 multijet engines have revolutionized the diesel movement and achieved unparalleled success abroad. The engines have always performed admirably and with excellent finesse in all kinds of diverse climates and terrains across the world. Fiat’s success story in India has also been somewhat similar. In India, though the dynamic climate and unpredictable terrains in particular has been a challenging test for our engines, we have overcome the test with flying colors. The ‘Fiat Diesel Drives India’ drive is Fiat’s way of showing that our engines have passed the Great Indian test and are at the highest level of competency and reliability as technology today can provide.”

Through the extensive drive, Fiat will also look to reinforce the presence of their strong and ever growing network across India. Today, the Tata-Fiat network constitutes 99 dealerships and 6 point of sales spanning across 77 cities in the country. All these dealerships have a separate identity for Fiat and offer an international ownership experience for customers.

‘Fiat Diesel Drives India’ promises to be an exhilarating and novel drive that experiences India and all its cultural flavours

Mr. Rajeev Kapoor, CEO Fiat India, at the launch of Fiat First - a comprehensive service program

Mr. Rajeev Kapoor , CEO Fiat India at the launch of Fiat First - a comprehensive customer service program

Mr Rajeev Kapoor, CEO Fiat,Mr. Vikram Sinha, VP Customer Service Tata Motors and Mr. Ravi Bhatia, VP Commercial, Fiat India at the launch of Fiat First - a comprehensive customer service program

With the festive season just setting in, Fiat India has decided to provide its customers with further cheer by introducing ‘Fiat First’. The programme is a testimony of Fiat’s unrelenting commitment to customers and to the enhancement of ‘owner experience’ for Fiat cars. ‘Fiat First’ will deliver satisfaction for existing and potential Fiat car owners through a holistic approach towards service.

‘Fiat First’ includes:

* Robust and growing Tata-Fiat dealer network
* World class roadside assistance program
* Industry leading warranty coverage
* Benchmark reliability(interval between services)
* Ease of availability of competitively priced genuine spare parts

The programme marks an important milestone in the evolution of Fiat in India. Fiat now boasts of a strong network of 99 dealerships and 6 point of sales spanning across 77 cities in the country. All these dealerships have a separate identity for Fiat and offer an international ownership experience for customers. To ensure consistent delivery of this world-class experience from the time of purchase to after sales, the Tata-Fiat network has employed 800 sales & service personnel dedicated completely to Fiat.

Another, noteworthy initiative is the industry leading ‘24X7 Fiat assistance’ for Fiat car owners. 24X7 Fiat Assistance service can be accessed by calling a national toll free number 1800- 209- 3428 at any time of the day or night. A Fiat car owner can use any of the services on offer if the vehicle is within a 100 km radius of a Tata-Fiat dealership or service station. Services under this initiative include assistance for replacement or repair of a damaged part or flat tyre, fuel support (up to 5 litres) for fuel problems, key support in the event of key loss or a lockout and battery jump start in case of engine failure. In addition to this, owners will also be offered onward journey assistance up to 50 kms, towing services within a 100 km radius of a Tata-Fiat dealership or service station. The service is currently available to Linea & Punto customers on charge basis with an industry leading coverage of 50 months. Exiting FIAT brand owners can also access the RSA as per call charge.

Fiat also announces the launch of industry leading “extended warranty” package for its Linea & Punto customers under “Fiat First”. The comprehensive “extended warranty” product can be purchased at all TATA FIAT dealerships.

To mark the introduction of ‘Fiat First’, Mr. Rajeev Kapoor, CEO, Fiat India Automobiles Limited said, “Deepawali season is very auspicious for Indians and it marks the beginning of the festive season. With most families looking to purchase products such as cars during this shubh or auspicious period of the year, we thought this was the best time to introduce ‘Fiat First’ which is unique in its approach towards service to our target audience. It has always been our intent to offer Indian customers world class service as per Fiat International standards and with ‘Fiat First’ we hope to achieve unprecedented high levels of service and support for customers. In short with this programme we intend to make Fiat the brand of choice for a large section of existing and potential car owners.”

‘Fiat First’ will also come with a promise of availability of genuine spare parts at prices benchmarked with competition. These mentioned initiatives within the programme are indicative and not exhaustive of what ‘Fiat First’ has to offer.

‘Fiat First’ is yet another step towards providing Fiat customers a true world class ownership experience. Now every time customers think of cars, they will think of ‘Fiat First’.

‘Fiat’, known for its stylish cars and legacy, holds a special place in the hearts of many Indians. Many people in the country remember Fiat as their first car and a now a whole new generation of Indians are discovering the Fiat of their time and age. The year 2009 has been a revival of sorts for one of the country’s most endeared car brands. For the past few years Fiat has been preparing for this new phase in the Indian market and the efforts have met with tremendous response. The beginning of the year saw the launch of its stylish and elegant sedan, Linea which is at the core of Fiat’s success in recent times.

Linea within nine months of its launch has crossed the milestone of clocking more than 10,000 units. This figure becomes even more important considering that Fiat sold a total of 3550 cars in the corresponding period last year from January to September. Also, the Grande Punto has sold more than 5000 units within three months of its introduction.

Speaking about the milestone, Mr. Rajeev Kapoor, CEO, Fiat India Automobiles Ltd said, “Fiat is a brand which has been deeply rooted in the Indian psyche for many decades now. Our dream is to see a lot many Fiat vehicles plying on Indian roads. The milestone achieved by Linea is a testimony that we are inching closer towards this goal. Now, we are confident that the Grande Punto will emulate if not exceed this success.”

Fiat India is targeting sales of 50,000 units in the next financial year apart from planning a few variants of both its model—Grande Punto and Linea—within the next two years.

“We hope to sell 50,000 units in 2010-11. We are also planning a few variants of the Grande Punto and Linea,” said Fiat India president and CEO Rajeev Kapoor in New Delhi.

Sales of the company’s small car Grande Punto, launched a couple of months back, is picking up, Kapoor said.

“We are currently selling 1,800 units of Grande Punto every month and hope this number will reach 2,000 by Diwali,” Kapoor said. “More variants of Punto and Linea are lined up in the next one to two years.”

He, however, declined to give the specifics of the variants, the company plans to launch.

Linea is currently selling around 1,000 units every month.

Asked about phasing out its hatchback Palio Stile, the company’s bread and butter model once, Kapoor said, decision in this regard would be taken after two years

Courtesy: LiveMint