General Here's a tip for you Sergio

[306maxi]

The 500 range seems to have been "improved" again for some strange reason.

We started off back in 2007/8 with the pop, lounge and sport. Everyone liked that and you sold craploads of them.

Now if I go on the 500 configurator I'm confronted with a mass of models, some of them which 99% of the population would never want to own.

Firsty, there's the bicolour, seriously, are people really so stupid that they'll spend £1400+ on a pinstripe, a splash of another colour on top as well as heated mirrors and the horrible lounge alloys? This is a horrible model and seeing this will make people dislike 500's.

Secondly, the byGucci monstrosity. Seriously, nearly 15k just to have a silly stripe, some gawdy seatbelts and different wheel centres? What are you smoking? The byDiesel managed to be fairly subtle, this isn't. I guess that's the point, but there are only so many showybitches in the world and you will only sell so many of these things....

Thirdly, the new Twinair spec is a stupid name for a spec. It's got nothing to do with the twinair. Why don't you call it the 20somethingwithnotastewhodoesn'tcantbebotheredwreckingthecarthemselvessowantstobuyitalreadywrecked? Seriously, what posessed you to make a spec level which is more or less the polar opposite of what most 500 owners have gone for? Black wheels? The only sorts of people who put them on their cars are the people who simply can't bear to have something which is as it came out of the factory, so what do you do? Make it a factory option!

Get a grip! Why not try to offer things that current owners would like? Perhaps some more retro style options for the people who like that sort of thing? Perhaps offer a handling pack (you know, Koni FSD's?) and things which would compliment the design of the car or improve it..... perhaps even some newer designs of wheels?

Just seems to me that the flagship is sinking.....

*rant over*

Discuss?

 

[bgunn]

I'll chime in and say - you've got yours, so it doesn't matter

 

[loveshandbags]

Twin Air as listed (the new one) is good value for money which includes half leather, air con and alloys (I could live with the blacky ones) at a £500 premium over the Pop TA.

I reckon that the range will be going through a transition phase allowing for the New Sport range from the US to 'come in'.
This TA set of models will be for the retro sporty types.

 

[306maxi]

Twin Air as listed (the new one) is good value for money which includes half leather, air con and alloys (I could live with the blacky ones) at a £500 premium over the Pop TA.

I reckon that the range will be going through a transition phase allowing for the New Sport range from the US to 'come in'.
This TA set of models will be for the retro sporty types.

The twinair seats aren't half leather, as always it's leatherette.

 

[loveshandbags]

The twinair seats aren't half leather, as always it's leatherette.

You are correct. The US site lists them as 'Sport Clothy / vinyl Bucket Seats' but could we pretend that they are leather.

At first I thought the red leather was exclusive to Twin Air + because it wasn't coming up on the Twin Air but then it 'appeared'. Maybe there were still programming / configuring the software in the 'background'.

But it is going to get a little confusing. It's taken me a while to master the specs and with the US differences and now this, the sales personnel in Fiat will truely be earning their title of 'Fiat Specialist'.

 

[Benny the Bee]

Firsty, there's the bicolour, seriously, are people really so stupid that they'll spend £1400+ on a pinstripe, a splash of another colour on top as well as heated mirrors and the horrible lounge alloys? This is a horrible model and seeing this will make people dislike 500's.

When my missus saw these in the dealer, she referred to them as 'Golf shoes'.
When we saw one one the road (registered an' all) she nearly wet herself with laughter!

 

[PandaLounge]

I have to agree with you about the Twinair spec. I'm not quite sure (apart from highlighting the engine) why Fiat feel the need to make a separate model when you can already have a Twinair as either a Pop, Lounge and previously as the Sport.

I can only hazard a guess that Fiat Poland must have a HUGE vat filled with Indigo paint left over from the ByDiesel and need to shift it somehow.

Pop, Lounge and Sport seemed to work. Pop, Lounge, Twinair, Twinair +, Lounge Twinair, Pop Twinair, ByGucci, ByGucci Twinair, BiColour, BiColour Twinair, Matt Black Twinair....................bloody hell!?! Besides, I honestly hated its stupid little noise and vibrations. So making a niche model, for me anyway, simply doesn't make me reach for the Visa.

Steve

 

[nicks500]

Now the twinair is on the configurator it looks awful, its interior looks like every other car, and have you noticed you cant ask for climate control (or is it me going mad!)

 

[306maxi]

Now the twinair is on the configurator it looks awful, its interior looks like every other car, and have you noticed you cant ask for climate control (or is it me going mad!)

I don't see the problem with the interior, it's just a sport interior with a byDiesel style dash.

 

[bgunn]

It's standard, the interior views are wrong, but if you do a comparison you'll see it's fitted as standard now..

 

[RobinPJ]

I agree the naming is confusing - but there is history here (I think?). Didn't "Zetec" start off as an engine before becoming a spec level for Ford?

 

[allen_b]

Why not try to offer things that current owners would like?

Because the potential customer base is much larger than the current customer base.

We are absolutely not the market they are chasing. They've already caught us.

Time to move on, adjusting the target market as they go.

 

[306maxi]

Because the potential customer base is much larger than the current customer base.

We are absolutely not the market they are chasing. They've already caught us.

Time to move on, adjusting the target market as they go.

I see what you mean, but the sort of people who wants to ruin their car with these sort of horrible modifications generally wants to do it themselves.

 

[allen_b]

Well, I guess the market will decide if this was a good move.

 

[bgunn]

I see what you mean, but the sort of people who wants to ruin their car with these sort of horrible modifications generally wants to do it themselves.

And now they can do it from the factory. Styling is subjective after all.

I'm wondering, do you have shares in FIAT? You seem to be concerned about their profitability. I'm sure they've done their market research.

 

[RobinPJ]

For what it is worth, here is a scan of a full page ad from today's Metro (read on my approach to the Congestion Charge Zone incidentally).

The ad completely fails to explain or differentiate between engine name and trim designation, as I understand that you could get this "Twinair" car with a 1.2 engine. So that will confuse the Bejesus out of people. (Possibly including me as I now am not at all sure I am right about that...?)

Anyway, y'all may have seen this already but I thought I'd share.

 

[jrkitching]

..as I understand that you could get this "Twinair" car with a 1.2 engine. So that will confuse the Bejesus out of people.

FIAT have a proven track record for choosing confusing names. I remember the first time I saw a "byDiesel" in the showroom and was somewhat surprised to find a petrol engine lurking under the bonnet.

 

[bgunn]

I thought it was just the TA engine that was offered, I'm sure it was when I checked last night. The 'version' part of the configurator isn't working at the moment, so I guess they're rejigging things.

Surely the point of creating the TA trim level is to encourage more people to buy the TA engine?

 

[loveshandbags]

FIAT have a proven track record for choosing confusing names. I remember the first time I saw a "byDiesel" in the showroom and was somewhat surprised to find a petrol engine lurking under the bonnet.

There was an ad sometime back that read 500 1.2 byDiesel (Not a Diesel) and I reckon that the Salesperson got tired explaining - but if you were into Fashion or you were from Italy then it would have been obvious.

PJs reference to Zetec is correct...
http://www.burtonpower.com/tuning-guides/tuning-guide-pages/ford-zetec-e-tuning-guide.html
The name Zetec is pretty confusing because it’s now used by Ford as a badge on the back to describe a level of trim. On top of this, there’s a smaller capacity Zetec - described elsewhere - plus, late Zetecs were made to look like the latest Duratecs.
For me having an Escort CVH at the time back in the late 80s - Ford was so excited about the Zetec engine they were putting the name everywhere - it was a quantum leap for them over the rough CVH that you daren't rev past 4000rpm.

Fiat are even more excited about the TA or is it the Twin Air and judging by the ad that PJ posted it's targetting the boyracer 'guaranteeing' that they are going to have fun regardless

Here lies the differentiation for now...
Pop TA
Lounge TA
Twin Air
Twin Air+
I can see the Pop TA being dropped. Why would you buy the Pop TA if for the extra £500 you can get the Alloys (Wavey Black ones), Air con & Half leatherette on the 'Twin Air'. (OK a limited spec)
The Pop might just might end up only having the cheaper 1.2
The Lounge will be the only 'category' where you can get white ambiance and the TA engine.

Notice that 'category' is used because what is the model now ?

 

[arorat]

Great starting post Maxi

I may reply later using my new tablet from your favourite computer company