Booked our first car - Punto Active Diesel. EDIT Took delivery

[Kaustav]

Hello everyone,

I am very happy to share the news with you all that last Wednesday evening, me & my wife went to Prerana Motors & booked a Silver GP(Active). It had been a long search for all these days, in fact months. I have always been a FIAT follower & have a huge faith in their cars. Around 6-8 months back, I had decided on the Palio MJD and was almost on the verge of booking it. However, I got to know about the forcoming GP launch & then decided to wait. Once the Grande Punto was launched I did a lot of research on it, gobbling up every bit of info I could get from all possible sources(Team BHP being the biggest source). The review that GTO provided some time back was a big deciding factor. Although me & my wife(was able to change her views about FIAT after lots of brainstorming sessions) were decided on Grande Punto, I had one final question for everyone which was - why not go for Palio MJD which is a proven car with the same engine as the Grande Punto. Thanks to all of you who responded back with your views, all of which suggested that logically, I should be going for the Grande Punto.

This would be our first car & a much awaited one too. Few of you might be amused to hear that I have just completed my 9 hours of "car driving training" form a training school (1 hour has been kept balance for a crash course on the day I would go for my 4-wheeler licence). The dealer experience was ok. I would be given the standard accs like mud flaps, floor mats, 3M polish, etc & I have also asked for an additional anti rust coating on the underside. Getting a corporate discount of 12,000 Rs

Well, thats all for now. Shall keep everyone updated.

[Trust_In_Thrust]

Congratulations .All Fiat cars come with antirust coating direct from factory .It is mentioned in this forum somewhere.

[Caramelo]

congratulations on your first car!! it must be exciting! it always is isn't it!

[phamilyman]

Congrats man. Sensible choice of car.

I must tell you - I bought a swift for the peace of mind of service (Tata is INCOMPETENT in gurgaon except autolinks) but as i cruise highways 80% of the time, I am consistently losing peace of mind when speed hits triple digits (ie daily).

[NutsNBolts]

Congrats Kaustav. 9 hours behind the wheel! Now this fact calls for a celebration of your judicious decision. Is that the first active MJD on Team BHP? You says silver GP, or is it Mild Grey ? the color advertised officially by Fiat. Do load pics and your experience with dealership after you purchase.

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by Kaustav

Few of you might be amused to hear that I have just completed my 9 hours of "car driving training" form a training school (1 hour has been kept balance for a crash course on the day I would go for my 4-wheeler licence).

I am not amused. I am impressed, and I assume that this was high quality training. Was it? A lack of this approach is one of the major reasons for our horrifying state of road accident statistics. Remember that till you complete 100000kms in various conditions, you will still be on the learning curve, and drive accordingly. All the best!

[Gandhi]

Congrats Kaustav for your first car.

Can you share a bit more on the decision making process you went through? Why particularly Active variant and not some higher variant?

I did saw one Silver Active Punto on old Airport road (from HAL towards Marathalli).

[NutsNBolts]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

I am not amused. I am impressed, and I assume that this was high quality training. Was it? A lack of this approach is one of the major reasons for our horrifying state of road accident statistics. Remember that till you complete 100000kms in various conditions, you will still be on the learning curve, and drive accordingly. All the best!

Couldn't agree more. Everyday is like a new experience, just when you thought you have become proficient, you will thrown one of the multitudes of probabilities. What Sawyer says is worth its weight in gold. Be safe.

[vishwask82]

Congrats Kaustav on booking your first dream car. Keep us posted on the developments and don't forget to post pics


- Vish

[Kaustav]

Thanks everyone for all your Good Wishes.
This is one of the Best things about all the BHP'ians. Its an extended family, really it is. Yesterday night I posted one of the biggest news yet in my life & within this short time you all have sent your congratulations & Good wishes. Thanks a lot !!!

Originally Posted by Sawyer

Remember that till you complete 100000kms in various conditions, you will still be on the learning curve, and drive accordingly. All the best!

Well, cant say that the training was very Good, however I have concentrated towards getting the basics right. Once I get the car home, I shall undergo self training sessions during the early morning hours for a couple of weeks. Only when I am confident about myself & others also feel that I am ok to face the traffic, I shall venture out on the main roads. I heartily take your good advice & shall ensure that I drive carefully now & always.

Originally Posted by Gandhi

Congrats Kaustav for your first car.
Can you share a bit more on the decision making process you went through? Why particularly Active variant and not some higher variant?

Well, the decision making part was a huge pain for me. As you all know, I learnt driving a car (or should I say holding the steering wheel) just a few days back. So, there was no way that I could take test drives and then decide. I have always been a Fiat fan, an ardent fan. The first Fiat car that had caught my attention was Fiat Adventure, the crossbreed between car & MPV. If only they would have launched that model with the 1.3 VGT (or higher), i would have been a sureshot buyer. The next car was the Palio, an awesome, time tested car, that got a new reincarnation as the Palio Stile. The third was the Linea which is an absolute beauty. Then came the Grande Punto, a truly Global model which already has its footprints in many countries. It was actually a hard decision for me to steer my heart away from the Stile & wait for the GP. Once GP was launched, I just went ahead with my decision as there was no point in waiting any further. Even if the VGT model is launched at a later point, I would have had to wait further & even the price would be higher.
I went for the Active(D) as it was withing my logical budget. I say logical because I could have actually spent upto 7 lacs for a decent, first car. However, the lowest Linea diesel sells for more that 8 lacs in Bangalore and is also a big car to handle for a novice like me. So Linea was ruled out. Next I started to think about the new Ford Icon, which makes a lot of sence as a 6 lacs sedan. That was ruled out as Ford is in troubled waters & somehow I was not prepared for a sedan. I have always dreamt of long drives so always wanted a Diesel car. I would shell out more money initially but everytime I visit the petrol pump, the fuel costs would not bite my pockets. Thus, all other small hatchbacs that are petrol only, were kept aside. I never liked the swift's personality and stance, hence was never interested for it. Ritz looks to me as if its an incomplete car from the back, just like a movie with an abrupt ending. Well, these are purely my views & I know that there are many who like Ritz. The I20, Fabia & Jazz are costly as per my requirements.
The higher versions of GP have better wheels with ABS & EBD, a Music System, Blue & Me, rear wiper & rear power windows.
1> Bigger wheels with ABS & EBD - good to have but at a cost. driving safely would take care of that to some extent
2> Blaupunkt Music System with Blue & Me - I don't get many calls, maybe 3-4 in a day and only junk messages. So Blue & Me wouldn't add much. The speakers that are provided are not up to the mark for me. I would get a better ICE fitted after the car is delivered.
3> Rear power windows - In all fiat cars, the rear windows anyways go only halfway down. So, I might as well ask the rear passengers to move their muscles & open the windows. Seriously, mostly only me & my wife would be travelling. So, result is that rear power windows can be neglected for now

Another big point that I have is that, as I was purchasing a Hatchback (one of the best available in the market now) I also wanted to maintain the maximum distance from the sedans in terms of price. The vital ingredients are same across all variants - same body, same engine, same suspension(tires & grip is better though, in higher variants). My formula was - get one hatch among the best hatches available, but at a fairly lower cost than good sedans like Linea. So, Active made more sence for me.

And yes, during the decision making process, there were numerous sessions with friends, colleagues, wife & many others who asked - why fiat? I was stirred but never shaken. I shall try to post more of that later, this post has already grown huge.

Originally Posted by NutsNBolts

Congrats Kaustav. 9 hours behind the wheel! Now this fact calls for a celebration of your judicious decision. Is that the first active MJD on Team BHP? You says silver GP, or is it Mild Grey ? the color advertised officially by Fiat. Do load pics and your experience with dealership after you purchase.

You are right, its called Minimal Grey. I mentioned silver in a hurry as the colour looks very silvery. I had been to the Dealer once again today morning. I spoke to the Sales Manager and enquired about the underbody rust coat. He mentioned that the car already gets an anti rust coat from the factory (also stated by Trust_In_Thrust in his post) & that it cannot be provided free as a part of the package. He also mentioned that for Bangalore weather, an addional coat would not be required for now. So the benefits that I am getting are:
1> 12000 Rs Corp discount (Level A companies get 6000, level B 9000 & Level C get 12000)
2> mud flaps, floor mats, boot floor mat, perfume & Ganesh Idol
3> 3M polish on the car
As per the Sales Manager as it is a newly launched car, nothing else can be provided for free.

I shall keep updating this thread as and when I have more info to share. Until then . . . Take care all of you & drive safe.

[Sawyer]

Good training schools are not easy to find...I suggest a look in Bangalore bookshops to unearth a book on how to drive and negotiate traffic. You will find it very useful in terms of advice that can turn out to be priceless.

[Gandhi]

Thanks for the detailed explanation of your decision making process. I will be in the same situation 2-3 months down the line for my first car.

How much is the Active variant costing you OTR Bangalore? Which insurance and loan are you going for and what are the quotes for the same?

[manij]

Congrats Kaustav. You have gone through a very logical decision making process.

As a new driver with a new car in Bangalore, one word of advise is that small scratches and dents are imminent due to the traffic - please expect to get some and dont get worked up about this. Also if one is a experienced 2 wheeler driver, there is a tendency to squeeze into gaps and going to the left of the road expecting to squeeze into a 'not wide enough' gap - better option would be to give the 2 wheeler drivers enough space to comfortably go through on the left and drive one's car in the center (lane) as much as possible.

Here's wishing you many pleasant drives and experiences.

[Kaustav]

Originally Posted by Gandhi

How much is the Active variant costing you OTR Bangalore? Which insurance and loan are you going for and what are the quotes for the same?

The Active Variant On road comes to 5.76 lacs. I would get 12,000 Rs corp discount on that.
I am trying to get a Loan from SBI as I am already holding a Joint account there. They have a good Car loan scheme - 8% rate of interest for 1st year, 10% for 2nd & 3rd year & then floating for the remaining years, no loan processing fee & I guess preclosure is either within 2% penalty or Nil.
I intend to take a loan for 2.25 lacs & shall try to preclosure it within 1st year itself. So, if there is a penalty of 2%, I still pay at max 10% rate of interest. If there is no pre closure penalty then I get an awesome rate of 8%. Regarding the Insurance, I am yet to explore. Vinz has posted few numbers for correspondents from Bajaj Allianz who have given a low quote. Might go for that.

Originally Posted by manij

Congrats Kaustav. You have gone through a very logical decision making process.

As a new driver with a new car in Bangalore, one word of advise is that small scratches and dents are imminent due to the traffic - please expect to get some and dont get worked up about this. Also if one is a experienced 2 wheeler driver, there is a tendency to squeeze into gaps and going to the left of the road expecting to squeeze into a 'not wide enough' gap - better option would be to give the 2 wheeler drivers enough space to comfortably go through on the left and drive one's car in the center (lane) as much as possible.

Here's wishing you many pleasant drives and experiences.

Thanks again for all your Good Wishes. You have shared a very important point regarding the mindset that one gets into after driving motorcycles for quite some time. I have been driving 2 wheelers for more than 10 years. I would make sure that I get out of the urge to squeeze into corners & take the leftmost lane to overtake others in a Jam & rather stay in the middle among other cars.
However, I am still very concerned with the fact that the new car would get scratches, somehow or the other. I shall try to be as safe as possible & keep her as scratch free as possible & leave the rest to others on the road.

[tj123]

Originally Posted by Kaustav

...1> 12000 Rs Corp discount (Level A companies get 6000, level B 9000 & Level C get 12000).........
.

Hi Kaustav can you let me know what is this Level A,B &C companies list for availaing discounts. Also wanted to know what is the On the Road price- Bangalore , it will be great if you can give a breakup .. Thanks