Long time ago, here, a certain Uno, was launched with many expectations. Apart from introducing a flagship hatchback, Fiat was focused on creating a liaison of sorts with the consumers. Launch as such was for the car, never the organization as a whole. It was well recognized and had a following already.
Everyone did take notice. But contrary to the nomenclature of the hatchback, it was a far cry from the cliché, numero uno. My earliest memory of the car was the sticker across the side saying FIRE which was the abbreviation for – Fully Integrated Robotized Engine. No fire, no fumes, nothing. It just did not deliver and left many of the purists disappointed.
Everyone was left to ponder for a while and then just move on with the fluctuating tides as hatchbacks gained momentum here. No one disputed with Fiat engineering. They seemed to forget the Uno debacle and India as a whole. What followed was a mix of procrastination and contemplation of Fiat in India, by Fiat. Critics were tired as of now. What were the reasons for failure? Incompetent marketing strategy? Pricing? Lack of after sales attention? Everything listed above or take your pick on which suits you best. Questions remain unanswered and forgotten, thanks to fickle Indian memory.
The Palio squeezed into the Indian market with the help of the iconic Sachin Tendulkar at the helm. He literally had his signature on the car! Fiat was sure to deliver now and why not since they had used one of the biggest names as the marketing tool. What better way to connect with the masses? They had a good car, good marketing strategy and the name. Rather than rambling on about how the Palio failed to deliver, I would like to conclude this paragraph by saying – the rest is history.
Now, we are at the crux, red carpet and all unfurled, awaiting the Grande Punto, Bravo and 500. The latter two, a distant possibility but still worth mentioning. The Linea too is expected with bated breath. For those who think that I have forgotten to mention the previous Fiat sedans, kindly replace the words Uno and Palio with the names of the sedans, leaving the remaining text unaltered. The 500, has been voted the European Car of the Year for 2008. Sounds promising, but it is a 2-door small car with a decent enough punch, similar to the Mini, which BMW uses frequently to tempt the Indian audience. Also the 500 will be around 14 lakhs here! In my opinion the launch of this would solely depend on the success of the Punto and others to follow and Fiat India as a whole.
This time I hope Fiat adopts a totally narcissistic attitude when it comes to the launch of the newer models and go all out. This time too they have a great product to play with. I wish they bring about a surreal feeling ala Swift. I am sure the anxiety is getting to all. Here is wishing them all the best and most importantly all the luck which always seems to elude them this side of the hemisphere.
