FIAT Stilo 3 door in India -Could this be a viable Pro

Can a Fiat Stilo 3 door be manufactured in India? It may very well fit as a premium sporty hatchback and I am sure there wont be anything like it on indian roads as well. It would be cheaper option as well as the new bravo has replaced it here in the UK. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the car and it has stunning sporty looks and equally stunning interiors not seen yet on indian roads in the same segment or may be even above. There still isnt anything like it on British roads in that segment. A 3 door Astra Sportsback is the only option and it is a mere copy of design lines seen on the the STilo introduced in 2001. Fiat lost with stilo big time in Europe due to lack of proper marketing and sales but let me tell you as a car designer myself, Stilo 3 door is one of the best designs Fiat has ever produced and it should be launched in India as a lifestyle product. I am sure it would do well. Costwise as well, it would be a viable option. They can also consider exporting it from India to select markets where the demand may still be strong. May be some minor tweaks are required.

Here are the pictures of my Stilo sporting. What say guys?



Here are some more pics from other websites here -



The last one is a red vauxhall/opel astra sportback.

your ride looks great as i already said. but i dont think 3 door will work in india. there have been attempt earlier also. but yes if Fiat can get this thing in a 5 door variant in india then it would be great.

3 door cars are not well received in India. A 4 door version, if available will do. But it won't be cheap, like you said. It looks very big, and as you mentioned it was replaced by Bravo, the price will be 9-10 lacs(if manufactured here), and at that price there will be only less takers. A SR-V competitor. IMO it'll be better for Fiat, if they don't bring it here.

IMO if fiat works on this they can bring its price close to Jazz.

Guys I think, it would as its not manufactured in italy anymore and tooling etc can be imported to India as its not used here anymore and then manufacturing costs many be brought down as well. my friend has a diesel 1.9 stilo and that could be shared with the linea 1.6 if its launched there. People would certainly buy it as its different and trust me has enough space for indian family and if its projected as a lifestyle vehicle and advertized like that, it would be gr8 proposition. Indians perceptions are changing lately and sportiness of a 3 door can never be beaten and a five door stilo is as un- sporty as cars may get. On the contrarary, the 5 door is the worst looking Stilo even in abarth form. This may be looking big in pics but is of corolla size... If Fiat can bring bravo for 15-17 lakhs, this stilo may be cost effective yet no risk proposition for them.... I think....Common fiat!!! do some feasibility study and clinics on this one...... ))))

Now that is one beautiful beast!
Vauxhall Astra has always been my favorite supermini, but this one is also quite a looker.

i agree amber. but there's still time that lifestyle vehicle sell big time in india. and 3 doors may be sporty but indian market needs practicality more than sportiness. Fiat tried the lifestyle segment with Fiat 500 and it could hardly get any sales. the indian market has different needs. what is a hit in UK need not necessarily be a hit in india. a hatchback in india costing above 8 lacs is dangerous. honda Jazz is also in that segment. and despite Honda being a reputed brand in india there's still risk involved with Jazz. so we can imagine what will be end result of a 16 lac bravo in india.

I think the Vaxhaull Astra is a good car, but still isn't practical for our roads. A couple of years down the line, this could be a good option. But only if it is produced here, will that happen.

@Hummer, The Fiat 500 and Bravo were never meant to be volume sellers. They were more aimed at making a style statement. Hence the high price does not really make a difference to Fiat.

i know they were not supposed to be volume sellers.as i already mentioned. Fiat 500 was in the lifestyle segment and there's still time for a lifestyle segment to pick up in india.

Yes. The economy needs to improve for that to happen. But then cars like the Fabia, i20 and the new Jazz are showing good signs. So we can expect a quicker rate of development.

Well, i posted the Astra picture because its only one of its kind and is inspired from the Fiat Stilo 3 door as ASTRA Sportsback was launched post 2005 while the Stilo has been around since 2001. The Stilo and only 3 door for that matter, being over 8 years in business still looks fresh and appealing in front of more recent crowds even in front of say sixth gen golf.

thats true. even now the stilo looks cool. i'm really pleased with its looks. and although i've been saying it wouldnt be wise to bring this car in india at this point of time. i'd surely love to own this thing.

@dc yes the mentality towards hatchback is slowly changing in india with the incoming of cars like Jazz.

yes the 5 door is not as good as the 3 door. but it still looks much better than the indian stilo.

I remember they made a Michael Schumacher Limited Edition of this model a while back. Ambar, your spot on about the design of this vehicle, its really striking & unique. Italians are the best @ designing cars.

Even I like the design and am sure that it will appeal to the masses. But the 5-door looks like an overgrown Maruti 800. Still, before coming to India, a facelift would be advised to spice things up. It would be nice if Fiat showcases this car in the upcoming Auto Expo to gauge the public response.

it would be nice if they can bring the 3 door design with 2 extra doors.

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VT