Reference Auto

Fiat has been facing a litany of problems since its India foray – its marketing strategy has remained shoddy, it caters to a small section of car buyers with little variety in its products, after sales service has been dismal, its tie-up with the Tatas had gone awry – even though the cars Fiat offers are world class but with the rollout of its 2013 Linea T-Jet, which comes with a price cut, will it get a fresh lease of life?

Fiat has slashed the T-Jet’s prices, which now start at an economical Rs 7.6 lakh, while the Dynamic variant is priced at Rs 8.4 lakh and the top-end Emotion comes for Rs 8.8 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

The 2013 Linea T-Jet rolled out is the first and only turbo-petrol sedan in its segment.

However, the new Fiat Linea car has seen little change in terms of drivetrain, with the new model coming with the ditto 1.4 litre turbo petrol engine that belts out 114 PS at 5,000 rpm and 207 Nm at 2,200 rpm.

Fiat claims the new T-Jet offers a fuel efficiency of 15.7 km per litre, which is commendable though.

The new 2013 T-Jet is now available across versions, with all the three variants having the engine. Earlier, only the top-end one came with the T-Jet power.

There are some cosmetic changes in the new Fiat Linea T-Jet, which is almost the same as the one launched a few months back. Fiat, like other manufacturers such as Volkswagen and Ford, has rolled out small capacity forced induction petrol engines in cars, which are priced below Rs 10 lakh.

Fiat is offering quite a bit even in the base variant. The Active (base) model is well spaced, with ABS and disc brakes, which are present in all four corners. Also on offer are auto on-off headlamps and rain sensing wipers along with electric outside rear view mirrors.

The Dynamic (higher) model comes with Blue and Me Bluetooth connectivity, climate control, dual airbags and a rear AC. In addition, the Emotion (top) version gets leather seats, rear sun curtains along with 16-inch wheels on tyres.

Fiat has 75 dealers in India, and of them, 58 are active. The company needs to rev up on the dealer front and make its parts available widely if it wants to see a revival of its fortunes. According to buzz, the company may be ramping up dealerships this year itself.

Fiat India president and managing director Nagesh Basavanhalli said, “With the Linea T-Jet, we are looking to sell at least 50 cars every month in eight cities where we plan to roll out the new variant initially.”

Fiat hopes to roll out nine more vehicles in three years, which includes the coveted American Jeep brand. The SUV market in India has been witnessing steep growth over the last few years and Fiat hopes to cash in on it.

For Fiat, which has launched the new Linea T-Jet, to get a fresh lease of life would require it to rev up after sales service along with marketing (its cars are among the best in terms of quality), and most importantly, bring in more cars in the Rs 3 lakh-Rs 7 lakh price bracket.