Fiat replacing AC kits for Punto and Linea

Fiat India is replacing the air-conditioning system of its Linea and Punto petrol variants following numerous complaints from owners regarding the ineffectiveness of their cars’ AC, especially in temperatures of over 40 degrees. However, Fiat India is only calling Punto and Linea petrol variant owners in the northern and western region to get their vehicles’ AC kit replaced free of cost.

A Fiat India spokesperson is reported to have said, “This is a goodwill gesture on our part where we are acting proactively to a minor issue we felt in the air-conditioning system of all petrol-powered Punto and Linea.”

Fiat Punto and Linea are good Italian models showcasing the company’s next-generation design language as well as new technologies in par with competition.

However, the sales figures of both the cars present a sorry picture (see table below). In the past 6 months, on an average, the Linea has sold 610 units a month while the Punto managed a measly 863 units a month. Considering the booming car market in India, these numbers suggest that the Linea and Punto have not impressed many buyers as expected.

One of the reasons why Fiat cars aren’t selling well is the poor marketing of Tata Motors, which shares its showrooms with Fiat cars. Many customers acknowledge that the salesmen at Tata-Fiat showrooms insist on buying Tata cars than their equivalent Fiat models, though Tata Motors denies such acts.

Another reason could be Fiat’s brand image, which has been considered inconsistent in terms of its sales and service back up, since the time the Fiat Uno was launched. This, and a whole lot of other reasons, led Fiat to tie up with Tata Motors to gain customer’s confidence. But, so far, this joint venture hasn’t been able to prove its full potential.

We earlier reported that Fiat was looking for new strategies to boost sales of its two models, Punto and Linea. There were speculations that Fiat may launch exclusive shops to sell Fiat cars. But so far, the company has not executed any new strategies.