We bought Fiat Punto 1.3 MJD Dynamic from VST motors Chennai. The dealer was very polite and helpful. Ok here comes the story of what made me choose this Italian beauty among other diesel cars.
We already had a Tata Indica petrol car at home. On continuous rise in petrol prices, we were forced to sell our close-to-heart car. Then we were looking for used diesel cars and nothing was satisfactory neither to me nor my father. After 2 months of used car hunt, we finally decided to go for a new car. There started the confusion as to which car to buy.
The first choice was swift. But the new swift diesel had waiting period of 6 months. So, I ruled this option out of my list. Next was Ritz Diesel. Though I had no personal like towards the appearance of it, I had to keep that option open since it was from Maruti stable. I hesitantly went for a test drive. But there was the turning point. The moment I started driving the car, I felt that it was very powerful and the performance was very good on the whole except for the suspension. I did not like the suspension of Ritz. It was a bit hard and was not upto my expectations on a 6 lakh car. Though I was very impressed with the car, the rear seat was not too comfortable for my parents. Still I could not whole-heartedly accept Ritz due to it’s appearance. I did not opt ford figo since the ground clearance was too low and I was concerned about the high cost of spares. I was also very keen on going for an indica vista. I heard that the suspension, the interiors and the engine is far better than the old indica. So, I test drove an indica vista as well. But as soon as I put my foot on the pedal, I decided not to buy it. It was too sluggish and the interior fit and finish was not really upto the mark. I went for a test drive and did not like it at all.
I20 was too pricey for me. Polo was not really an option for me since I heard that Polo’s spares are costly, so is the service cost.
My next option was Punto diesel.
The moment I saw the car, I instantly fell in love with the design. But I was very cautious in making my decision because I heard that the service may not be good since it is taken care by TATA motors. Anyhow, I took it for a test drive and was really happy with the performance, the style, the interiors, the space, the comfort and especially the suspension. It is not too easy to maneuver in city traffic, but I was not worried about it. I knew that the same fiat diesel engine is present in swift, ritz, vista and punto. Of course the initial pick up of Punto was not as good as Ritz, but it was adequate. Everything in Punto was favourable for me. Even the dealer offerred me around 40K discount(free insurance of 21000+cash discount of 10000+corporate offer of 7000+accessories worth 5000). I was in a dilemma in choosing between Ritz and Punto.
Ritz or Punto - dilemma:
Ritz - Value for money, maruti brand name, low maintenance cost, decent family car, outer appearance not so good, no discounts.
Punto - Stylish, good interiors, good handling, superb suspension, good discounts, unknown maintenance cost, less resale value.
Then I test drove both Ritz and Punto for the second time(different test drive cars this time). Finally I decided to go for Fiat Grande Punto considering it’s superb handling, proven engine and of course it’s Italian styling.
So far so good in my Grande Punto.
Will update later on more driving experience.
Updated on 21.12.2011:
Went for a trip from Chennai to Tiruvannamalai(around 440 km round trip). It was awesome to drive a Punto out on the highway. The FE was 23.5 kmpl(without AC) while going from Chennai. Then it was a mix of AC on and off and the overall FE was 22kmpl, which I felt was not bad at all(of course, I did not exceed the speed of 80kmph since the car is in run-in period). Even I felt that the multi information display showed the mileage wrongly. So, I tested manually by filling up the tank and the mileage was really 22kmpl. The rear seat comfort was also good and the suspension at the rear was great. The FE in bumper to bumper traffic conditions in city was 13kmpl with 100% AC on. In normal city traffic conditions, it returned around 15-16kmpl(100% AC on). The AC effect is very good. The handling is too good in highways and has become quite manageable in city traffic.
Updated on 21.01.2012:
Went for one more long drive roughly around 800km roundtrip. The suspension was too good. Since the car is in run-in period, I did not go beyond 85kmph. With decent driving behaviour, the car returned 22.5kmpl with A/C on for 30% of the time. The handling and steering response is best in class. Sometimes I do feel the 2nd gear to be a bit notchy. I guess that would be fine after the first service. Sometimes I feel uncomfortable sitting in the driver seat for long. But since we stopped for breakfast and lunch, I was able to relax before continuing the drive. The only thing I am worried about is the yellow scratches in the rear wheel arches by an auto. No other niggling issues so far.
After purchasing this car, I also started wondering if I could have bought Figo and saved some money(Price of Figo is cheaper than Punto). But after this trip, I don’t have any regrets purchasing Punto. Punto is really good for a comfortable journey with stunning looks, good performance and decent mileage.
Updated on 18.06.2012:
Went for a weekend trip of about 800 kms roundtrip. It was an awesome drive. Though the trip was for continuous 24 hours(without sleep), the drive was not tiresome. It was a pleasure to drive the Punto in a beautiful stretch, except for the second gear being notchy at times.
After the trip, the car went for the first service. Since it was the first service, nothing much to say. But somehow, when the car returned from the service, I could find that the gear shift was no more notchy. The gear shift is bit smoother now.
After the first service, I slowly started to increase the speed limit while driving. So far I have touched about 110kmph and found the handling to be pretty good.
Also, drove a Figo and tried to compare the performance with that of Punto. Figo is also a good car. The acceleration is better compared to Punto since it is lighter than Punto. The turning radius is also smaller than Punto making Figo a very driveable car in city traffic. The rear seat legroom is definitely better than that of the Punto. But from the driver’s seat, I could feel that Figo is still a smaller car. It doesn’t have the’big-car-like’ feel and sturdiness that I feel in Punto.