The news broke recently that only 45% of Fiat Dealerships are profitable, and of those, most went against Fiat's demands for single-line stores and they sell multiple car lines.
To me, I find them really ugly and overpriced for their size. The new CUV thing is taking on the Aztek for butt ugliness. It seems like only the top-line Abarth is any fun, whereas at Mini, all models are at least decent. I don't see a bright future for Fiat without a few more models.
How about importing the Fiat Freemont? USA likes crossovers.
Oh wait. That's a Dodge Journey. OK, what about the Doblo?
Wheh. Ugly. What about the Quobo?
<>Sorry, I threw up in my mouth a bit. the Panda might work.
Unless those gals at 7 feet tall, that thing is tiny! How about the Sedici??
Doh! That's a Suzuki that we already know won't sell here!
I guess they are SOL in the USA.
pinchvalve wrote:
To me, I find them really ugly and overpriced for their size. The new CUV thing is taking on the Aztek for butt ugliness. It seems like only the top-line Abarth is any fun, whereas at Mini, all models are at least decent. I don't see a bright future for Fiat without a few more models.
The regular 500 is a lot of fun for a car of it's price and it is a whole lot cheaper then a base MINI. I think the regular 500 is more fun then the regular MINI.
Also you left out two cars that are being sold in other places around the world.
Fiat Bravo and
Fiat Punto
JoeyM
Mod Squad
10/9/13 8:51 a.m.
pinchvalve wrote:
The news broke recently that only 45% of Fiat Dealerships are profitable, and of those, most went against Fiat's demands for single-line stores and they sell multiple car lines.
I find the idea of Fiat "Salons" to be silly. (It's a car dealership.....stop pretending to be something else.) Perhaps the rest of the country holds similar opinions
JoeyM wrote:
pinchvalve wrote:
The news broke recently that only 45% of Fiat Dealerships are profitable, and of those, most went against Fiat's demands for single-line stores and they sell multiple car lines.
I find the idea of Fiat "Salons" to be silly. (It's a car dealership.....stop pretending to be something else.) Perhaps the rest of the country holds similar opinions
I wasn't aware they call dealerships "salons", but perhaps this picture explains why. Are they targeting women? Their ads with the scorpions would lead me to believe they aren't, but who knows? I wonder what the demographics are.
And are those women pointing at the car and laughing? Or are they laughing at the poor guy inside who's trying to slump down far in his seat so as not to be seen in it? 
Ugh...stupid fingers, hit the wrong button...deleted duplicate post.
JoeyM
Mod Squad
10/9/13 9:18 a.m.
Klayfish wrote:
JoeyM wrote:
pinchvalve wrote:
The news broke recently that only 45% of Fiat Dealerships are profitable, and of those, most went against Fiat's demands for single-line stores and they sell multiple car lines.
I find the idea of Fiat "Salons" to be silly. (It's a car dealership.....stop pretending to be something else.) Perhaps the rest of the country holds similar opinions
I wasn't aware they call dealerships "salons",
I don't know if they still are, but for a while the marketing droids were big on the "salon" concept:
2009: Chrysler to outfit Fiat 500-approved dealers with specific showroom "salons"
2011: http://consumerist.com/2011/07/14/car-dealerships-adding-cafes-beauty-salons-other-gimmicks-to-give-customers-an-experience/
To that end, dealerships are doing everything from the merely cosmetic — updating signage and modernizing the decor — to the entrepreneurial. The News cites two examples: A Cadillac dealership with a beauty salon and a Buick GMC dealer complete with a cafe.
Klayfish wrote: but perhaps this picture explains why. Are they targeting women?
My guess is that they are targeting women and metro guys.
93EXCivic wrote:
Fiat Punto
Its a new EP3 civic. I would love something like that.
wearymicrobe wrote:
93EXCivic wrote:
Fiat Punto
Its a new EP3 civic. I would love something like that.
Me too. It is a bit smaller then the Civic but in Europe it is priced about the same as the 500.
I don't hate it, but if it's actually anything like the EP3 Civic, i'll pass, thanks.
Our Chrysler store sells Fiats and we have 3 or 4 over here, the story is the big boss man refused to build a single line store for them.
I tried over and over at a bunch of car rental counters in Italy and Spain to get a Punto a few years ago. Memorable alternatives were:
-
Lancia Musa, which we affectionately referred to as "The Lancia mucus". The rental clerk saw my USA license and kept saying "eees GOOD! eees AUTIMATICO!!!". What a poor, misbegotten, ugly turd of a car. Uggh.
-
Renault Clio "Rip Curl Edition". Nothing to do with the US surfwear brand. At least it was manual.
I did get to hoon it on the Via Aurelia
-
Audi A4 tdi w/ 7km on the odometer when they handed me the keys. If they sold the A4 tdi manual wagon in the US, just like this - cloth interior, manual seats, no complex infotainment system, I'd buy one.
...But I never got to drive a Punto.
wearymicrobe wrote:
motomoron wrote:
- Audi A4 tdi w/ 7km on the odometer when they handed me the keys. If they sold the A4 tdi manual wagon in the US, just like this - cloth interior, manual seats, no complex infotainment system, I'd buy one.
Me too.
Add me to that list assuming it retains the Euro Tow Rating
There is a dealership by my wife's work. It's actually tucked into the side of her parking garage. It's insanely out of the way and the showroom only fits 3 or 4 cars. So what they do is park 4 or 5 on the street in front of it. Then add in the normal parking for the day and you have a dealership that even if you know about and seek out, you either have to pay to park in the garage, or you have to park at least a block away. I can't imagine a worse way to sell cars.
pinchvalve wrote:
The news broke recently that only 45% of Fiat Dealerships are profitable, and of those, most went against Fiat's demands for single-line stores and they sell multiple car lines.
Do you have a link to this story? Not that we don't trust you, but these kinds of stories aren't always based on hard news.
mazdeuce wrote:
There is a dealership by my wife's work. It's actually tucked into the side of her parking garage. It's insanely out of the way and the showroom only fits 3 or 4 cars. So what they do is park 4 or 5 on the street in front of it. Then add in the normal parking for the day and you have a dealership that even if you know about and seek out, you either have to pay to park in the garage, or you have to park at least a block away. I can't imagine a worse way to sell cars.
My dad had to go to a Honda dealership in the Virgin Islands fr a replacement wheel on a rental car (long story, as is typical of my family yes alcohol and loose women were involved 
). The dealership was in a single car garage behind a guy's house, there was one new car parked in the guy's back yard and a few parts stacked in the back of the garage.
In reply to Curmudgeon:
Sounds like where I had to get parts for my mom's daewoo on Long Island. I thought they were gimicky and overpriced until we looked at one. We got a Pop with an automatic for $16,500. For what my wife needs it is ideal and cute as a button.
I would buy the Punto Abarth if it were available, they sure do make some ugly ones though...
They all look like shoes, like the Ford Aspire.
That's a better percentage than congress.
I think Fiat's problem is that they only sold one model. If they sold 3 different models, then I think they could have been more profitable.
In reply to SyntheticBlinkerFluid:
That's a good point. Also, there's a lot of stiff competition when it comes to small, front drive hatchbacks.
Sergio Marchionne roped most of the US Fiat dealers into building $1m+ brick and mortar stand-alone Fiat "salons," with the promise that by 2012 they would have an array of exciting Alfa Romeo models to sell. Those cars have yet to show up and the kicker is that the coming Alfa sports car is slated to be sold at Maserati dealerships.
NOHOME
Dork
10/10/13 6:06 a.m.
How does the 45% figure compare to other brand dealers?
They introduced a Multipla here recently. I've even seen one on the road. The one review I saw called it the worst new car since the Yugo.
The family has owned 3 Fiats over the decades. All of them crap in one way or another. Hopefully, they'll just go back to Italy soon (again).
