Grande Punto and stable-mate Linea helped Fiat script a turnaround in Europe. Now, they seem to be repeating the story for the Italian carmaker in India as well.
Though the market remains wary of Fiat’s dodgy after-sale and service record, which has not allowed otherwise even excellent cars like Uno and Palio to succeed in India, the snub-nosed Grande Punto is holding its own against the likes of the Mahindra Logan and Maruti Swift.
“The Grande Punto has been positioned as a bold and sporty car. Its sleek and masculine looks have been received very well by Indian consumers,” says Rajeev Kapoor, president and CEO, Fiat India.
“The response to the Grande Punto has certainly lived up to our expectations. Through Fiat’s joint venture with Tata Motors we now have 105 Tata-Fiat dealerships and 114 points of sales in 81 cities across India catering to sales and service of the Punto.” He adds.
Apart from its looks, Punto’s strong build and big car feel appeal to consumers enough to ignore drawbacks such as mediocre after sales and service.
“The car scored on appearance but I also liked the space inside, which gave the feel of a big car,” says HCL executive Hemant Dhawan, 28. “It also came with a whole range of features such as front power windows in the base variant, missing in other cars in the segment.”
But the car is low on resale value. “There are few takers for a used Fiat. Though the Punto is better off, we don’t see it getting a good price,” says Angad Singh, owner of the Delhi-based Srijan Motors, which deals in used cars.
{{/usCountry}}But the car is low on resale value. “There are few takers for a used Fiat. Though the Punto is better off, we don’t see it getting a good price,” says Angad Singh, owner of the Delhi-based Srijan Motors, which deals in used cars.
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