Fiat trying to revv up

Do you remember the Fiat car? In the good old days, when Doordarshan was the option TV option, Fiat was the most popular selling car. Not bulky like the Ambasssador and not as pricey as the Premier, Fiat was the best option. It was “the” car just like the way Maruti is today. This was way back in 1950s.

But as others came in and Maruti took the country by storm, Fait did not bother to innovate and stay relevant. It continued with same old. And this today, despite being such an early entrant into India, it has driven itself into oblivion. According to Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) Fiat sold 7,001 units in the ten months of FY2016 and has a market share of 0.3%. And to top it off, it does not have a single dealer in Mumbai. Totally, all over India, it has some 100 dealers.

Now when all have given up, Fiat is trying to get back some attention. It is planning to launch its famous “Jeep” priced somewhere around Rs.29 lakh. The question now is – will people buy it and even if it for old times’ sake, will they fork out such a big price? After all for the same price, one can buy an Audi!