For all the noise, how is Fiat really doing?

Ok, I always like the product which is at second best for the reason that anyone at the second spot always try to compete with the first one and come out with comparatively good features and price tag. And who already acquired the first place, slightly becomes arrogant or rather proud that anything he makes will be the popular and capter the market. So as happed with maruti. Their Versa, I think its dead now, last month 0 units sold, same with Vitara, 0 unit, Zipsy - about 150 permonth, now A-star also loosing ground. Mean to say there is not any surity for any product, doesnt matter it carries logo of which brand.

selling is all about branding & positionning.

Maruti , launched as Aam aadmis car still verymuch remains the aam aadmis car. They have not been successful in bigger version earlier . it took them many many years to gain ground in 3 box cars like SX4 & were able to pull crowed due to diesel in dezire.

But they are still untouchables in hatchback as they are a brand & have positioned them selves with verious nos of model & options. They have also esablished themselves in export market , hence gives them liberty to try products like A star & continue to produce Zipsy.

Reemmber Maruti has a generation of followers who have already used car once & like to upgrade in same family & the number are really high for others to penetrate easily.

Fiat unfortunatly lost the steam after Palio & various other problems as said once also with their partners etc etc.. still has followers like me & many others.BTW my 5 year old daughter ONLY WANTS FIAT LINEA & no other ca. ha ha ha. SO here you go. You already hav a next generation follower my friend & hope this spreads in many families.

Cheers..

Hi Steeroid,

In my comment I did not mention about Fiat specifically - though posting is under Fiat topic of course. That was a very generic comment about people's decision making behavior, between new and well known products only. Hence a new product player, which wants to penetrate against the already establihsed market players, needs to do much more. 

Tata & Hyundai did the same when they came in to the market in 1998.  Everyone did not stick with Maruti only and tried Hyundai and tata too.

Coming to Fiat

FIAT has this baggage - not a good history in the past especially when it comes to service.  Nonavailability of spare parts for Palio or Siena were well known - with Sundaram Motors kind of people doing the service (if we look back probably it was not "service" rather "disservice" for Fiat)

Fiat needs to do lot of work to remove this from the minds of people - not by just providing good service for their cars but beyond that.

Keeping aside history and coming to product quality and features, these need to be evaluated by each customer against his needs and purchasing decision needs to be made. Finally how much weightage an informed customer gives to history vis a vis the new product fetaures - is his choice.

But another point is - there is a significant section of people who would not even know or consider other options or cars and may just simply choose the most popular or well known.

Yes they are doing no wrong if going for most popular or well know. Tell us how a product becomes most popular and well known ?? And why some other so called better products do not become most popular but still they are well known (PUNTO)

I think many reasons have already been discussed here in this thread about the same. Why some are successful somewhre & why they are not.

If so, please quote the final verdict to conclude the thread.

Edit Remark: Please do NOT quote preceding post (since deleted).

Discussion & opinion can not have a verdict. Even if it has will be considered one sided & will lead to another discussion.

Hence all have already put in there opinion here & if one has some more then discussion can certainly continue in healthy manner. Its more fun then.

Cheers

I owned Ford Ikon for 5.5 years - 90,000 kms. I purchased Fiat Linea only in Apr'09 & its my 1st Fiat.

In all my reviews on all forums, I criticised Fiat Linea multiple times & severly. I never criticised my old favourite Ford Ikon (except 1 small cursory remark about its braking issue, have not even uttered a word about how the fuel pump failures in my Ikon left me on the middle of the Road 4 times in 1 year struggling to get the car towed to nearest service station). Its all documented on forums - 2 links I posted earlier on this very thread.

Yet I was labled as Fiat Fan. And Yet I was never labeled a Ford Fan.

Why am I not called a Ford fan (5.5 yrs ownership with only the praise for Ford - all rosy picture) & why am I called a Fiat fan (only 6 months ownership with a mixed bag of feedback documented clearly - "rosy" with sharp "thorns" also) ??

So, who're the biggest contributors to this so called "noise" (ownership reviews) ? "Fiat fan" or those who call these people Fiat fans ? I think the answer is quite clear.

Also, lets refrain from this stupid fan boy stuff. If X calls Y a Fan boy. Y can also call X a basher. It won't leave the discussion anywhere except for stupidity.

For a short period, I thought this thread is going off the top chart – But I was wrong!

With last few posts from VahanPujari/Amit this is going to hot and happening thread once again.

Sorry, I cannot understand what written above. As also its not clear you are fiat fan or ford fan or any other fan. If you criticized to many times Fiat then why did you purchase a Linea ? It means despite not liking Fiat you went for Linea. That proves you are definitely a Fiat fan. Its clear that products which are at the bottom of the tally some how get more fans than that who are at the top. Its really funny and amazing. I am also critisiing the FIAT and now afraid of becoming a Fiat fan which I dont want to do at any cost. I will never have a Fiat model if offered free of cost.. becase ASS which cost much higher than its original cost.