Finally, I Test Drove this car, Grande Punto (Diesel) from the Fiat’s stable for my friend.
PUNTO is a style statement in itself, with bold wheel arches and sloping roof-line, looks beautiful from any angle, which Fiat claims they borrowed from Maserati (which is also owned by Fiat).
However, for me it resembles more of Aston Martin DB9, which is a beautiful car as well. But the similarity ends here.
There is enough head and legroom for 4 to 5 adults, seat’s with soft fabric feels firm but provides good under thigh support. Black and Grey interior is nicely matched by same colored two tone seats, which looks sporty, but the downside is, it makes the interior look smaller than it is. All the plastic parts are well built and has a rubbery feel to it, which is nice to use.
The door feels heavy and closes with a reassuring thud. The highlight will be the quietness in the cabin (Fiat’s engineers must have worked extra hour in effectively concealing the cabin from outside noise) and suspension effortlessly tackles out potholes . Overall the car feels silky smooth and robustly built with proven Fiat’s quality.
In performance front, the old saying ’looks may be deceiving’ holds true. This car does not match its sporty looks with performance. It has a smaller (for small car tax benefit) 1.3 Liter Multijet Fiat’s motor which is reliable and refined, and had already proven its mettle in the likes of Maruthi Swift Diesel, Tata Indica Vista and Fiat Palio as-well. Due to Punto’s increased size and weight this car is not a blinder, but will be adequate for daily commuting, and, the car’s road hogging quality, I believe, will make it a good highway cruiser.
But before you write your check for this car, check spare parts cost and Tata’s service. The showroom staff doesn’t seem too keen to sell Fiat cars and instead try to push Tata products. (Some rep. even tried to convince me that Tata indica is much more advanced than Punto!)
For the poor service and lesser resale value, this car is not for the first time car buyers and if you have a larger purse, then definitely go for it.
My friend liked this car and wrote his check. If everything goes as promised, we will get this car in three weeks time and I will be able to write a more detailed long term review sometime later.