Fiat Grande Punto : Test Drive & Review

roms · 23rd June 2009, 18:21

The Fiat GP was launched in Mumbai last night at the Taj Lands End, Bandra.Since this was'nt a national launch, it was understandably a low key affair, especially in comparison to the previous two Fiat launches that were held at the same venue - the 500 & the Linea.

8 PUG/FCI members (5 from Mumbai & 3 from Pune) were invited to this event by FIAT. The commercial launch was slated to start at 7.30 pm but the press launch went on for quite a while. In the meantime, we got a chance to sample the cocktails on offer and had a chat with a senior Fiat official who was involved with development of the GP in India. Its not fair to reveal his identity on an open forum. A few things that I remember we discussed about :-

- What is the current localisation content on the Gp?
Roughly 60-65% (dont remember the exact figure) localisation at the moment, should go up to 80%+ within a year.

- The paint quality on the Punto is fantastic and even better than the recent Fiats. How is that?
Fiat has got its own paint facility and booth at Ranjangaon very recently and the results are there to see - the GP has deep paint finish and gloss.

- He mentioned that they were a bit skeptical about the blue at first, since that particular colour is India specific and not the same as available elsewhere across the globe. Elsewhere, the blue is darker. But they saw it in the flesh, liked it and gave it the 'go-ahead'.

- When questioned about the lack of rear seat space, he disagreed and said that the only error on their end was to give the front seats a lot of tavel, hence the impression of lack of space. The space as such is acceptable and not as bad as it is made out to be. I told him that a customer walking into a showroom and sitting in the GP for the first would'nt know that. To him the Gp would be cramped. Its only when the customer buys the product, would he actually know that the front seat travel is a bit too much. To this he agreed.

- He also mentioned that the ride - handling package on the GP is unmatched. There is virtually no hatch in India that can match up to the Gp's high speed stability, poise and corner carving ability. The 195/60 R15 tyres are a first in the segment. Infact, the suspension set-up is better than the Linea too. This very gentleman was also responsible in the development of the Ford Fiesta 1.6S!

- Is there a replacement for my S10? Can we look forward to more powerful variants? Maybe the 1.6 Torque engine since you are already sourcing that for the Palio? His reply was an interesting one and I am quoting him on this one -

" As of now, there is no replacement for your S10. As for future cariants of the GP, let me give you a politically correct answer - We are exploring options!"

There were a few other things that we discussed, but I dont think its fair to really put them on a forum

Cont - More data and a few pictures

P.S - Most of the recent threads relating to the Punto on the Indian Car Scene section have been closed, so I thought this is the most relevant thread to post on this topic.

adheesh · 23rd June 2009, 18:37

Fiat Grande Punto Launch Photographs at Taj Lands End. More detailed photographs to come.

Quote:

What is the current localisation content on the Gp?
Roughly 60-65% (dont remember the exact figure) localisation at the moment, should go up to 80%+ within a year.

Grande Punto is 58% localized as of today

Regards,
Adheesh Parelkar

Dine · 23rd June 2009, 18:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

Now, imagine that same car with matte black alloy wheels + dark tints!

That was an excellent review. Good Job GTO

I was also thinking in the same line, making the grills black with dark tints. It appears more BOLD and makes a statement. I have the same setup in my Dad's red color Santro with the wheels painted black with wider tyres.

23rd June 2009, 19:10

How about the Bossa Nova white with the grills painted black, dark tints and the alloys painted white? Maybe, smoke the headlamps too.

tajender · 23rd June 2009, 19:12

This is one awesome car. The best thing I like about it is the Blue & Me and the Flip Key.

Just praying to Gods to be kind and help me extend my budget

so that the next one be the Grande Punto, though it is a bit overpriced considering the Brand Image that Fiat has gained till date and more so the resale that it might have.

"And Bossa Nova White is what I am aiming for"

roms · 23rd June 2009, 19:16

The commercial launch actually took place at 8.15-8.30 pm. Shweta Salve was the host and she did a pretty good job. The entire proceedings went on for about half and hour or so. The highlight of the show was the Yuvi advert for the Grande Punto. Here is what I posted on 'Best Tv Ad' thread earlier in the day :-

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post1359322

Yesterday, at the Mumbai launch of the Grande Punto at Taj Land's end, we got to witness the tv commercial for the Punto featuring Yuvraj Singh. Its different, its in our national language and its shot in the dark which gives an eerie sort of a feel. The tagline "Be bold" is emphasized on throughout the ad by showing Yuvraj's achievments through his bold approach to his cricket. And the red Punto looks "hottttt" in the advert. The red GP almost teases you, you dont get to see it a lot in its entirety and are left wanting for more. Wait and watch it on your screens in a few days.

We were blessed with an opportunity to meet the CEO of Fiat India himself, Mr Rajeev Kapoor! On mentioning that we belonged to FCI/PUG/Team-bhp, he said that he was well aware of these groups and that he and his team make it a point to take feedback from team-bhp on a regular basis and that the forum is splendid.

Also, the Ranjangaon plant will be open to any forum that wants to visit it. He was tight lipped about any questions regarding the future of their products and strategies. But that is understandable.

There was this funny incident though, he was asking each one of us about our rides, when I told him that I own the S10, he replied 'thats a beautiful car, a nice drive, it has the 1.9 diesel right?!?!'

Thats fine actually, that car was made long before he took charge of the company.

So it was nice rendezvous overall.

Pictures coming up -

roms · 23rd June 2009, 19:27

A few images from yesterday - Pictures courtesy - BHPian rudrah.

Pic 1 - PUG members at Bandra-Worli Sea link. I am not here but my S10 is right there, peeping from behind.
Pic 2 - That is a lovely picture of the cars under lights rudrah
Pic 3 - Take a look at the blue GP 1.2. The wheel caps actually look better than those on the Dynamic (IMO)
The rest are self explanatory. The last pciture is interesting. The plastic and rubber quality was pathetic on that particular part of the engine bay.

roms · 23rd June 2009, 19:44

Cont - Pictures from the launch

If you notice in the first pic, the right hand side of the parcel tray came off from its plastic holder/hinge and just refused to go back in there. May be there was a mechanism to fit it back or maybe it was broken!

The top end red MJD Punto that was on the stage for display looked bloody amazing. What a head turner. The red is 'the' colour for the Punto. Even the alloys looked fantastic in the real.

roms · 23rd June 2009, 20:10

Last set of pictures -

- Our very own rudrah and his red GP

- Thats me interacting with Mr. Rajeev Kapoor. Rudrah looking on

- Extreme left is bhpian rapideffect shaking hands with the CEO & extreme right is rudrah again.

- Thats the front end of the Brrrr... nah its my ride. We were'nt able to take the front shots of the Bravo since the CEO left off in a hurry.

- Me and my ride again

- Thats moi with the GP

Last 2 pics - Bravo! Bravo!! That is the CEO's personal ride. Just look at those tail lamps! Stuff of dreams!

bonobashi · 23rd June 2009, 20:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

Other points:

• Someone else mentioned that the fuel gauge takes 5 - 7 minutes to show the correct reading, right after a tank fill. I haven't verified this statement.

Known to Palio owners. A Fiat family trait?

faithless_1984 · 23rd June 2009, 20:55

Well me and a friend went car hunting today with as he wants to buy a new hatch ,preferably diesel.
First we had a T.D of the Vista quadrajet ,my friend really liked it (basically for the VFM it offered) but somehow i was not convinced and suggested to him that we should also check out the Punto.
Went to the showroom in noida which had it for display and here is my small (Unbiased) review........

The car looks big and attractive.!
Will look killer with some nice alloys ,bigger tyres ,dark tints etc.
The interiors were not that bad ,i liked the dashboard.
My friend however is still not a fan of the cars styling/design ,to each his own.
Boot space is good enough.
Sadly no T.D is available till 26th so cant say anything about the engine/driveability.

The bad part.....the back seat IS cramped.!
With the front seat pushed back there was hardly any space for an adult to sit comfortably.
IMHO it wil be difficult for 3 adults to fit in the back which is a must for my friend as he mostly travels with his family.
Also he said that he couldnt adjust the drivers seat to his liking no matter how much he tried ,it was not comfortable.
All in all he will not be going for the Punto ,still i will push him to take a T.D once.

Some pics...........

I think it looks the best in Black (Well most of the cars do

)

mahadev_kc · 23rd June 2009, 21:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonobashi

Known to Palio owners. A Fiat family trait?

No not at all. In palio it depends upon how the car has been parked. If it is parked downside road, the fuel needle will show less, if parked on upside road, it will show more. But will correctly guage after it is on a level surface.

finneyp · 23rd June 2009, 22:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by mahadev_kc

No not at all.

Yep, my Palio's fuel gauge shows correct reading immediatly after the fuel refill.

Faithless, if you push back the Punto's front seat to the max, then the rear leg room appears cramped, but if you adjust it to the required right position, there is enough legroom.

carfreak · 23rd June 2009, 22:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by mahadev_kc

No not at all. In palio it depends upon how the car has been parked. If it is parked downside road, the fuel needle will show less, if parked on upside road, it will show more. But will correctly guage after it is on a level surface.

Ha Ha very very true-one of my friend told he experienced the same thing with his wagon r too!!!

faithless_1984 · 23rd June 2009, 23:06

Quote:

Faithless, if you push back the Punto's front seat to the max, then the rear leg room appears cramped

It IS cramped.!

Quote:

if you adjust it to the required right position, there is enough legroom.

And what is the `required right position` ?
Afaik there is no universal right position ,it changes from person to person.
Me and my friend are both 5`11 and for the position in which we felt comfortable the person sitting at the back will definitely get cramped/stuck.

We tried the same thing in the i20 and even after pushing the seat back to the max there was still enough space at the back for a person to sit comfortably.
Am not bashing the Punto by comparing it to its rival ,am just stating the facts.

23rd June 2009, 18:21	#331
roms BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 641 Thanked: 27 Times	Mumbai launch of the Grande Punto - 22/6/09 The Fiat GP was launched in Mumbai last night at the Taj Lands End, Bandra.Since this was'nt a national launch, it was understandably a low key affair, especially in comparison to the previous two Fiat launches that were held at the same venue - the 500 & the Linea. 8 PUG/FCI members (5 from Mumbai & 3 from Pune) were invited to this event by FIAT. The commercial launch was slated to start at 7.30 pm but the press launch went on for quite a while. In the meantime, we got a chance to sample the cocktails on offer and had a chat with a senior Fiat official who was involved with development of the GP in India. Its not fair to reveal his identity on an open forum. A few things that I remember we discussed about :- - What is the current localisation content on the Gp? Roughly 60-65% (dont remember the exact figure) localisation at the moment, should go up to 80%+ within a year. - The paint quality on the Punto is fantastic and even better than the recent Fiats. How is that? Fiat has got its own paint facility and booth at Ranjangaon very recently and the results are there to see - the GP has deep paint finish and gloss. - He mentioned that they were a bit skeptical about the blue at first, since that particular colour is India specific and not the same as available elsewhere across the globe. Elsewhere, the blue is darker. But they saw it in the flesh, liked it and gave it the 'go-ahead'. - When questioned about the lack of rear seat space, he disagreed and said that the only error on their end was to give the front seats a lot of tavel, hence the impression of lack of space. The space as such is acceptable and not as bad as it is made out to be. I told him that a customer walking into a showroom and sitting in the GP for the first would'nt know that. To him the Gp would be cramped. Its only when the customer buys the product, would he actually know that the front seat travel is a bit too much. To this he agreed. - He also mentioned that the ride - handling package on the GP is unmatched. There is virtually no hatch in India that can match up to the Gp's high speed stability, poise and corner carving ability. The 195/60 R15 tyres are a first in the segment. Infact, the suspension set-up is better than the Linea too. This very gentleman was also responsible in the development of the Ford Fiesta 1.6S! - Is there a replacement for my S10? Can we look forward to more powerful variants? Maybe the 1.6 Torque engine since you are already sourcing that for the Palio? His reply was an interesting one and I am quoting him on this one - " As of now, there is no replacement for your S10. As for future cariants of the GP, let me give you a politically correct answer - We are exploring options!" There were a few other things that we discussed, but I dont think its fair to really put them on a forum Cont - More data and a few pictures P.S - Most of the recent threads relating to the Punto on the Indian Car Scene section have been closed, so I thought this is the most relevant thread to post on this topic. Last edited by roms : 23rd June 2009 at 18:23.
	() Thanks

23rd June 2009, 19:10	#334
ashwinpak Posts: n/a	How about the Bossa Nova white with the grills painted black, dark tints and the alloys painted white? Maybe, smoke the headlamps too.
	() Thanks

23rd June 2009, 19:12	#335
tajender BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Delhi Posts: 110 Thanked: 34 Times	This is one awesome car. The best thing I like about it is the Blue & Me and the Flip Key. Just praying to Gods to be kind and help me extend my budget so that the next one be the Grande Punto, though it is a bit overpriced considering the Brand Image that Fiat has gained till date and more so the resale that it might have. "And Bossa Nova White is what I am aiming for"
	() Thanks

23rd June 2009, 19:16	#336
roms BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 641 Thanked: 27 Times	Cont - Mumbai GP launch The commercial launch actually took place at 8.15-8.30 pm. Shweta Salve was the host and she did a pretty good job. The entire proceedings went on for about half and hour or so. The highlight of the show was the Yuvi advert for the Grande Punto. Here is what I posted on 'Best Tv Ad' thread earlier in the day :- http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post1359322 Yesterday, at the Mumbai launch of the Grande Punto at Taj Land's end, we got to witness the tv commercial for the Punto featuring Yuvraj Singh. Its different, its in our national language and its shot in the dark which gives an eerie sort of a feel. The tagline "Be bold" is emphasized on throughout the ad by showing Yuvraj's achievments through his bold approach to his cricket. And the red Punto looks "hottttt" in the advert. The red GP almost teases you, you dont get to see it a lot in its entirety and are left wanting for more. Wait and watch it on your screens in a few days. We were blessed with an opportunity to meet the CEO of Fiat India himself, Mr Rajeev Kapoor! On mentioning that we belonged to FCI/PUG/Team-bhp, he said that he was well aware of these groups and that he and his team make it a point to take feedback from team-bhp on a regular basis and that the forum is splendid. Also, the Ranjangaon plant will be open to any forum that wants to visit it. He was tight lipped about any questions regarding the future of their products and strategies. But that is understandable. There was this funny incident though, he was asking each one of us about our rides, when I told him that I own the S10, he replied 'thats a beautiful car, a nice drive, it has the 1.9 diesel right?!?!' Thats fine actually, that car was made long before he took charge of the company. So it was nice rendezvous overall. Pictures coming up -
	() Thanks

23rd June 2009, 19:27	#337
roms BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 641 Thanked: 27 Times	A few images from yesterday - Pictures courtesy - BHPian rudrah. Pic 1 - PUG members at Bandra-Worli Sea link. I am not here but my S10 is right there, peeping from behind. Pic 2 - That is a lovely picture of the cars under lights rudrah Pic 3 - Take a look at the blue GP 1.2. The wheel caps actually look better than those on the Dynamic (IMO) The rest are self explanatory. The last pciture is interesting. The plastic and rubber quality was pathetic on that particular part of the engine bay. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by roms : 23rd June 2009 at 19:37.
	() Thanks

23rd June 2009, 19:44	#338
roms BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 641 Thanked: 27 Times	Cont - Pictures from the launch If you notice in the first pic, the right hand side of the parcel tray came off from its plastic holder/hinge and just refused to go back in there. May be there was a mechanism to fit it back or maybe it was broken! The top end red MJD Punto that was on the stage for display looked bloody amazing. What a head turner. The red is 'the' colour for the Punto. Even the alloys looked fantastic in the real. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by roms : 23rd June 2009 at 19:50.
	() Thanks

23rd June 2009, 20:10	#339
roms BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 641 Thanked: 27 Times	Last set of pictures - - Our very own rudrah and his red GP - Thats me interacting with Mr. Rajeev Kapoor. Rudrah looking on - Extreme left is bhpian rapideffect shaking hands with the CEO & extreme right is rudrah again. - Thats the front end of the Brrrr... nah its my ride. We were'nt able to take the front shots of the Bravo since the CEO left off in a hurry. - Me and my ride again - Thats moi with the GP Last 2 pics - Bravo! Bravo!! That is the CEO's personal ride. Just look at those tail lamps! Stuff of dreams! Attached Thumbnails Last edited by Dippy : 24th June 2009 at 10:59.
	() Thanks

23rd June 2009, 20:55	#341
faithless_1984 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Delhi Posts: 1,575 Thanked: 328 Times View My Garage	Well me and a friend went car hunting today with as he wants to buy a new hatch ,preferably diesel. First we had a T.D of the Vista quadrajet ,my friend really liked it (basically for the VFM it offered) but somehow i was not convinced and suggested to him that we should also check out the Punto. Went to the showroom in noida which had it for display and here is my small (Unbiased) review........ The car looks big and attractive.! Will look killer with some nice alloys ,bigger tyres ,dark tints etc. The interiors were not that bad ,i liked the dashboard. My friend however is still not a fan of the cars styling/design ,to each his own. Boot space is good enough. Sadly no T.D is available till 26th so cant say anything about the engine/driveability. The bad part.....the back seat IS cramped.! With the front seat pushed back there was hardly any space for an adult to sit comfortably. IMHO it wil be difficult for 3 adults to fit in the back which is a must for my friend as he mostly travels with his family. Also he said that he couldnt adjust the drivers seat to his liking no matter how much he tried ,it was not comfortable. All in all he will not be going for the Punto ,still i will push him to take a T.D once. Some pics........... I think it looks the best in Black (Well most of the cars do ) Attached Thumbnails Last edited by faithless_1984 : 23rd June 2009 at 21:00.
	() Thanks