With Fiat CEO, Sergio Marchionne stepping down this year,
Is Fiat UK a diminishing network of franchises that risks going below `critical mass` or are there now new openings?
With particular reference to the Grande Punto which seemed to be perceived as `the last hope` for Fiat to maintain a UK prescence prior to its launch?
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As a one-time, but never again Fiat customer, my observation is that they seem to have a sucession of crises and are presumably bailed out by their National Government at each round.
I found their representation and dealer network in the UK to be a model of confusion, inefficiency and incompetence.
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As the amount of interest shown to this post is minimal, I'll add my bit!
I'm NOT anti Fiat, in fact in lots of previous posts, I've praised them, for their small cars.
As for the customer service, it doesn't appear to have improved, since Mrs V had her 1986 Uno 70SX - super little car, excellent value & much better than same priced Fiesta.
There was a recall on possible front suspension faults. We hadn't bought it new, obviously we sourced it in the trade & the local dealer didn't know this. So what an ideal opportunity for them ler to grab a new customer & introduce themselves, by, say offering a courtesy car, while the work was done, maybe a discount voucher for future servicing, a pre MOT check, or even a 'when are you looking to change your car' chat.
Nope - it was them doing us a favour, by having the recall work done!!
Silly really, some things don't change!!
VB
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I think they are going through the same phase as they are with Alfa, sorting the good and bad dealers.
If you search on google, their sales in the uk outstrips any other manufactuer in percentage increase this year and they are coming out of the red more than any of the others such as Ford and GM which also had support from the US goverment. So it can't be all bad.
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Be careful using percentage increase as a performance indicator. If FIAT sold 1 car last year and 10 cars this year, their percentage increase would outstrip that of most other sellers.
659.
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Ok, then read this. As I said they are out-stripping sales with a 64% increase where market sales in general are down 3.9%.
www.motortrader.com/24656/Dealer-Drive-2007-Fiat.e...l
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Yes, but is it not the case that this is an increase after years and years of decline?
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>>I think they are going through the same phase as they are with Alfa, sorting the good and bad dealers.
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Well if you look on their website for dealers in London West you will see a desert.
A big rich catchment area but no local showroom tells a talel.
I ran a very old Uno for a while but what a trek to get spares.
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Well, I guess HJ's is almost the definitive reply...! My take is that:
- The Panda is a pretty good car. - So is the Grande Punto. Both merit serious consideration.
- The new Bravo is nice enough, but rather a dullard.
- Quality is improving.
- So is the dealer network, but I'm unsure how quickly. I think there's awareness on high that the brand has a serious problem with reputation/image.
- For the consumer, there's still a sizeable question mark hanging over Fiat and its dealer network.
- There's a question mark is over corporate Fiat too.
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Are they not about to overtake Renault in the sales stakes ? Also, the point about the % increase is valid, but the Grande Punto / Punto is the top selling car in its segment in Europe.
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We run 2 Pandas in our household, delighted with both.
The new Ford Ka and Fiat 500 will be based on the forthcoming Panda and will be built in the same Polish factory.
Since the dire Reg Vardy Fiat dealers disappeared when taken over, I have used Benfield Fiat in Newcastle and find them very efficient. Even the girls on service reception have a good understanding of Fiats and their most common faults.
I feel Fiat is a brand on the up with products that offer something different from those of boring French or USA owned companies.
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As a Fiat/Alfa owner of many years standing,I have found them to be as reliable as most cars. I ran a Nissan Primera for a few years and had more rust problems and minor niggly things going wrong with it -far more than with Fiats. I`ve always found Fiats have almost a soul:- Toyotas etc might be more reliable,but they are so boring.
The main problem with them(Fiats) is not the cars themselves,but the could`nt care less attitude of the dealers. I have had to threaten my local dealer with legal action becaue they quite unecessarily changed a very expensive part. Too many spotty youths with lap-tops,and no real mechanical know-how.
If Fiat keep doing what they do best, i.e. small cars they will be fine. We in the U.K. seem to think we are the only market that matters.Fiat have a very strong position in the rest of Europe. They also supply engines to many other car makers. Methinks reports of their demise are somewhat premature.
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