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Fiat India is all set to launch the new Linea and the Fiat Avventura later this year. But
before the cars roll out, Fiat is very clear it wants to get its brand image right, reach
out to enthusiasts and most importantly offer excellent service, according to Nagesh Basavanahalli,
managing director, Fiat India. "We, over the last couple of months, have
done a lot of brand connect activities or 360 activities, listening to our customers,
understanding lessons learned from the past. So our networks today, our 100 plus point
of sales, offer an international service experience and will continue to do that. We have made
parts affordable, we have made parts available to the client. And we want to make sure the
customer experiences international quality of sales and service. So, we are committed
to that. On the brand side, Fiat as a brand has grown worldwide. We are significantly
present in other markets, whether it is Europe or South America. So our goal is to introduce
that Fiat brand, which is known for technology, for innovation, for right drive and handling,
and all the things that make a Fiat a Fiat -- the fun-to-drive, the joy of living. So
that is the brand I want to reintroduce to the Indian market. Over the last 10 months
we have been working exhaustively with a lot of customer connect activities, whether it
is, across the length and breadth of the country, through the online medium. I'm very glad to
report that online every day we interact with several thousand fans who are telling us what
they would like, like you said, a lot of them are enthusiasts. So that brand -- customer
connect is what makes us get better." By the end of 2014, Fiat will have five products
in India, including the new Fiat Linea as well as the Fiat Avventura and Abarth 500,
besides the Punto and Linea Classic. "So the five products if you look at it -- the
new Punto gets into the B-segment. The Linea Classic which was launched last year, goes
into the C-low segment. The new Linea will get into the C-High segment, the premium segment,
and then Avventura, which we believe creates a niche of its own, which is like the contemporary
urban vehicle or utility vehicle, creating an area of its own. And when you look at the
Abarth 500, that caters to enthusiasts, the performance oriented person who really wants
performance, technology etc. So we believe now that we are a five-product company in
2014. All of these products will be available by the end of 2014."
However, one of the concerns that Fiat buyers have has been after sales service -- and that's
something Fiat is focussing on. In fact, it claims its spare parts are the cheapest in
its segment. "One of them was to have an exclusive dealer
network and service network, with the assurance of guaranteed service, guaranteed international
quality in sales and service experience. I think we are doing that. Let me take a minute,
because clearly we have taken lessons from the past, service was an issue. That was one
of the reasons some people shy away. So what have we done on service? I'll take a couple
of minutes, because I think it's very important. On the service side, we have made sure that
our service standards are on par with international standards. So when a person goes to a service
station, he gets the parts that are affordable. In fact, Autocar, a third party magazine did
a survey and we were the most affordable. So, we knew that, but the perception if you
talk to a customer is slightly different. It will change, it is already changing. And
the other thing that we have done is, if you buy a car tomorrow, within 10 days, we have
a senior service representative coming to your house, talking to you about the features,
explaining the car, and answering any questions or service related concerns.
We are going out of our way to reach out to the customer. And we will continue to do that.
And then we have done what I call the mobile service van where if you are two hours outside
Delhi, Roadside Assistance, sending the mobile service van to areas where our dealers may
not be present. So we will continue to do that and give them that experience that an
international premium brand like Fiat can truly offer."
The New Linea drives in, in early March. The Avventura will come in by the festive season,
with the all new Punto also slated for launch. Clearly, Fiat enthusiasts have a lot to look
forward to this year.