motoring section of the independant - 18/04/2006

the grande has lifted sales by 64% over march 2005.
"grande punto is a great product, and this is a good start" says Giulio Salomone, MD of Fiat Auto UK, "and we are on track to acheive our annual objective"

glad to see sales are doing well sir, now about the service.........

The French motoring press is saying the same, that the Grande Punto has been doing really well since launch. I don't know if you get the same ads in the UK, but there's a Fiat ad in some French-language motoring magazines saying that the Punto has been the best seller in Europe for two straight recent months. If you read the fine print at the bottom, it's the COMBINED total of the Punto 2 and the Grande Punto that they are basing this boast on. All the same, it's still doing quite well and when you add in the Panda 2 it starts to look like Fiat is on a roll. Too bad that no one will buy the Idea or the Croma 2.

yeah, the Punto is the only model to get over 70,000 registrations for Jan/Feb in europe. Don't be too worried that the small print might mention this is combined between the Punto & GP, Renault likewise combine the Clio 2 & 3, and Ford the old Fiesta & new one, perfeclty normal! The Panda continues to increase its registrations, up 9% this year.

Fiat want every model from now on to follow what they call the "Panda effect", ie to increase sales every year, update the range & bring on new editions.

The Croma is actually doing very well for Fiat, it beat its sales targets for Europe last year, and is doing well again this year, Fiat only need to sell 35000/year to make a profit on these, so it'll help with their bottom line.

The Idea though is a disaster, it sells so badly that it is actually out-sold by the Lancia Musa (which is 99% an idea, barring a new grille) in europe!

It's a shame the Idea isn't doing very well because it has a lot going for it. I thought there was a problem somewhere when I bought mine last year and the chassis number was just under 81000 after a year in production. I didn't realize the Musa was selling better than the Idea given that it's more expensive and offers the same performance. Of course I notice that the Musa get some advertising money spent on it, something lacking for he Idea. I'd like them to do an Alfa version, but I don't think that will ever happen.

the new punto is just car porn

Yeah i must admit i have seen ALOT more Grande Puntos around this town than i have the new Clio, even thought according to all the mags i read they prefer the clio etc etc.

Go Grande Punto! lmao they just look so different then anything else on the road. It is indeed car porn

I also herd that a new Stilo was coming out in 2007. Anybody shed some light on that?

Sonic74205 said:

Yeah i must admit i have seen ALOT more Grande Puntos around this town than i have the new Clio, even thought according to all the mags i read they prefer the clio etc etc.

Go Grande Punto! lmao they just look so different then anything else on the road. It is indeed car porn

I also herd that a new Stilo was coming out in 2007. Anybody shed some light on that?

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Our local renault dealer only has a few (3 or 4) new model clios in the show room, along side the old model, are renault still trying to get rid of old stock? Have seen quite a few grand puntos about, and I have to say the 5dr looks :yuck:

As for the new stilo, isn't it actually a bravo? There is a thread about it somewhere.

I dunno i just have this fiat timeline in a magazine ive got. For 2006 it says Panda Natural Power, New Stilo. thats all it says for 2006

The older Clio is still in production as an entry level car, just like the Super Five continued for a year or two after the original Cliio was introduced. The replacement Twingo will be on a Clio 2 platform. It will get a diesel engine option and just maybe RHD.

Sonic74205 said:

Yeah i must admit i have seen ALOT more Grande Puntos around this town than i have the new Clio, even thought according to all the mags i read they prefer the clio etc etc.

Go Grande Punto! lmao they just look so different then anything else on the road. It is indeed car porn

I also herd that a new Stilo was coming out in 2007. Anybody shed some light on that?

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the new Stilo, which might be called Bravo, will be launched in Jan 2007 in Turin, and the Chairman of Fiat Group Luca di Montezemolo has said " the car will be beautiful, modern and very Italian"

toby2449 said:

...Luca di Montezemolo has said " the car will be beautiful, modern and very Italian"

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Which translates as, "the car will be beautiful, modern and generally unreliable"
H

Alex said:

Our local renault dealer only has a few (3 or 4) new model clios in the show room, along side the old model, are renault still trying to get rid of old stock? Have seen quite a few grand puntos about, and I have to say the 5dr looks :yuck:

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The old Clio model lives on as the entry-level Clio Campus. In my opinion the 5 door version of any car usually doesn't look as good as the 3 door with perhaps the exception of the new Mercedes A-Class which is the exact opposite.

The Mercedes A-Class doesn't look good, period.

IMO.

CheeseMaster said:

The Mercedes A-Class doesn't look good, period.

IMO.

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Sister got one, it is crap, i'll go no further cause children might read this.

raton_laveur said:

It's a shame the Idea isn't doing very well because it has a lot going for it. I thought there was a problem somewhere when I bought mine last year and the chassis number was just under 81000 after a year in production. I didn't realize the Musa was selling better than the Idea given that it's more expensive and offers the same performance. Of course I notice that the Musa get some advertising money spent on it, something lacking for he Idea. I'd like them to do an Alfa version, but I don't think that will ever happen.

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the Meriva also sells more (in italy too)

the difference between the idea and the musa is that one is ugly, the other one is not. the musa also il made of better materials.. more refined. i like it. and i wouldn't buy an idea

raton_laveur said:

Too bad that no one will buy the Idea or the Croma

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Idea sells well in this part of the country,loads on the road...croma not to well but prices are getting slashed so sales should improve further