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Old 17th September 2014, 10:42   #16
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Originally Posted by sourav21 View Post

This car is "un-driveable" in the city. HUGH turbo lag, incidentally the short gearing on first two gears instead of masking the lag, do nothing to correct the problem and instead add a couple more. As soon as the car comes into turbo, the engine starts screaming because of the short gearing and you need to upshift where you will be hit by the lag. Imagine I have to have 4000+ rpm in the second to overtake a stupid auto rickshaw and I can't be in the third because the car will be sleeping on account of the lag. The gap between the gears also accentuates the problem. It's hell driving in B2B traffic with this car. This with my car being remapped to provide more grunt at lower rpms. Add to this the notchy gearbox, long clutch and the completely messed up seating position induce fatigue very quickly.
Though your account has some truth in it, on the whole I feel its grossly exaggerated. 4000+ RPM in second gear and you'll be around 70kmph buddy!! Wonder which auto you'll overtake at those speeds, that too in city traffic!
Punto has short gearing and it takes a bit of time getting used to it. But once you are in sync, its not a pain to drive it in the city. I own a 75hp and I had taken my friend's 90hp to Bangalore once ( a total of 400+kms, half of it spent in Bangalore's b2b traffic. ). It was sluggish and frustrating for the first few kilometres, but once I got used to the boost and gears, it was no trouble at all; in fact it was a pleasure driving it!
Its not as good as the 75hp in city traffic, but it definitely isn't as bad as you make it sound to be.

Peace!
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Old 17th September 2014, 11:01   #17
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Re: 2014 Fiat Punto Evo : A Close Look

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Originally Posted by sourav21 View Post
This car is "un-driveable" in the city.
as a city car - look somewhere else like Micra Diesel
While I do agree that Punto is hard to drive in the city, its not really 'un-driveable' as you put it Gets some time to adjust to the funny gear ratios initially. However, once used to it, not a major problem. I've been driving it in the city for 3+ years now. Isn't a deal breaker.

Completely agree on the bold part. The Micra diesel is a gem of a vehicle to drive in the city. Awesome response and great maneuverability.
@TNAWAYAJ if your budget permits you, the Polo GT TSI looks like the most logical choice considering the usage pattern you're looking at.
Edit: Just saw TNAWAYAJ mentioning that the POLO TSI is commanding huge waiting period. Tough choice. I'd still suggest an automatic though. Having your left foot rest in heavy traffic is bliss!! Maybe you should look at the Hyundai i10/i20 Auto. Suits your requirements.

Last edited by deoelect : 17th September 2014 at 11:07. Reason: Update on the TSI
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Old 17th September 2014, 12:08   #18
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Re: The B2-segment Hatchbacks Comparison Thread!

At the starting of every week, a person has to start from a town nearby a hill-station, drive 20 km in normal 2 lane road, climbs 40 km through 40 hair pin bends(elevation from 240m to 1000m), drive through broken roads(motorable) in the tea estate, then return to the town after a few days.

Which diesel hatchback for him?
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Old 17th September 2014, 16:11   #19
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Re: The B2-segment Hatchbacks Comparison Thread!

I would recommend him MS Ritz or Toyota Liva. Both are practical and easy to maintain.
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Old 17th September 2014, 18:15   #20
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Re: 2014 Fiat Punto Evo : A Close Look

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Originally Posted by TNAWAYAJ View Post
Hi All,
I am looking for a new car and my usage is going to be 85% on city roads (crawling Bangalore traffic) and 15% on highways - I need a workhorse that has a light clutch, smooth gearbox, effortless steering, and really comfortable seats.
The first car that came to my mind while reading your requirements was the Elite i20. It is a fantastic car for the city; the clutch and steering are light, gearbox is smooth and throws are short and precise, seats offer good lateral support and the car is loaded with features to keep you entertained. For your 15% highway usage, the car feels adequately planted and is no more as nervous as some other Hyundais. It is the newest car of the lot, although the most expensive.

You could consider the Polo as your second option but the Punto Evo for city usage isn't a good option.
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Old 19th September 2014, 16:34   #21
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Re: The B2-segment Hatchbacks Comparison Thread!

Thanks for the advice, folks!

Regarding the TSi, I will test drive it this weekend, and see if the waiting period can be cut short.

Is there a major difference in sound quality between the stock stereo in the regular Polo and the one in the TSi? I believe the one in the TSi is the RCD320.
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Old 19th September 2014, 21:54   #22
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Re: The B2-segment Hatchbacks Comparison Thread!

Guys I had posted my query on the old thread on deciding between swift, zest, grand i10 and brio. After TDing all the cars I've decided to go with swift zxi. Now my question is, should I buy the current one or wait for the facelift? What are the changes and new features expected in the facelift model? And will the price remain same? Should I go for the current model if I'm getting a good discount? The only things i wish the car had was reverse parking sensors and Bluetooth. As these are available as MGA kits, can I bargain to give me these for free?

Please give your valuable suggestion as I'm looking to buy the car before year end.
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Old 20th September 2014, 00:01   #23
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Re: The B2-segment Hatchbacks Comparison Thread!

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Originally Posted by kedar3223 View Post
Now my question is, should I buy the current one or wait for the facelift? What are the changes and new features expected in the facelift model? And will the price remain same? Should I go for the current model if I'm getting a good discount? The only things i wish the car had was reverse parking sensors and Bluetooth. As these are available as MGA kits, can I bargain to give me these for free?

Please give your valuable suggestion as I'm looking to buy the car before year end.
I don't think the price will go up by much as this is a price sensitive segment and all compete on price as well. That said if it is just cosmetic changes in the face-lift and you get decent discount on the current one, I'd suggest get this one, of-course you may bargain for those freebie's as well.
If your city has multiple dealers you can bargain for a good deal between them.

I don't know what the add-on's are but it is reported to go the key-less way along with some minor tweaks, but nothing significant you will miss on.
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Old 20th September 2014, 18:57   #24
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Re: The B2-segment Hatchbacks Comparison Thread!

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Originally Posted by s_pphilip View Post
I don't think the price will go up by much as this is a price sensitive segment and all compete on price as well. That said if it is just cosmetic changes in the face-lift and you get decent discount on the current one, I'd suggest get this one, of-course you may bargain for those freebie's as well.
If your city has multiple dealers you can bargain for a good deal between them.

I don't know what the add-on's are but it is reported to go the key-less way along with some minor tweaks, but nothing significant you will miss on.
Got a quote for swift zxi as following:
ex-showroom - 577634 (price mentioned on website is 4k less??)
road tax etc - 49121
insurance - 19608
extended warranty - 8006
otr - 654369


Free accessories worth 13000 and 8000 corporate discount.

Is this a good deal?


Now from what is written online, the facelift will have the following features and this is what they mean to me:

haves- Reverse parking sensor, Bluetooth, rear ac vents, electrical folding mirrors, rear disks(i doubt it will), any other mechanical improvements.

don't care- drl, redesigned bumpers, new alloys (big thumbs down if they are planning on the alloys in the spy pics), new fabric upholstery, keyless entry, start stop button.

Any other features that can be expected?


Considering the fact that I can get parking sensors and bluetooth as MGA accessories within the 13k discount, should I wait for the facelift or go ahead with a blue zxi that will be delivered to me by 10th October? Any mechanical chages expected in the facelift? Also am I right in thinking that the price of the facelift will be slightly higher and I wont get any discounts? Also when I asked one of the employees there who is known to me regarding the facelift, he said they have not been notified about the same and that the company initiates them about new launches a month in prior.


Members please give me your suggestions
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Old 21st September 2014, 13:19   #25
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Re: The B2-segment Hatchbacks Comparison Thread!

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Originally Posted by kedar3223 View Post
Free accessories worth 13000 and 8000 corporate discount.
Is this a good deal?
I think you can get more, these guys don't reveal till they face some pressure, don't give in to them and hold some cards, don't we have 3 Maruti dealers in Goa.
From what I've heard Aryaman can take the deal to the edge and Chowgule needs some prodding. Sai too can go the distance to seal it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by kedar3223 View Post
Now from what is written online, the facelift will have the following features and this is what they mean to me:

haves- Reverse parking sensor, Bluetooth, rear ac vents, electrical folding mirrors, rear disks(i doubt it will), any other mechanical improvements.

Considering the fact that I can get parking sensors and bluetooth as MGA accessories within the 13k discount, should I wait for the facelift or go ahead with a blue zxi that will be delivered to me by 10th October? Any mechanical chages expected in the facelift? Also am I right in thinking that the price of the facelift will be slightly higher and I wont get any discounts?
Most of these features are good to have but don't really have much to do with your driving experience which will be the same between either.

Well for sure you won't get discounts though I am not sure about the price increase with the face-lift, though they may offer higher-spec engines for some difference.

Last edited by s_pphilip : 21st September 2014 at 13:20.
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Old 21st September 2014, 14:29   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by s_pphilip View Post
I think you can get more, these guys don't reveal till they face some pressure, don't give in to them and hold some cards, don't we have 3 Maruti dealers in Goa.
From what I've heard Aryaman can take the deal to the edge and Chowgule needs some prodding. Sai too can go the distance to seal it.



Most of these features are good to have but don't really have much to do with your driving experience which will be the same between either.

Well for sure you won't get discounts though I am not sure about the price increase with the face-lift, though they may offer higher-spec engines for some difference.

Well the quote I got is from chowgule. Will visit sai and aryaman on Monday. How much better deal do you think I can manage? Corporate discount will be the same right? As of now I got 13k free accessories.

As for higher spec engines, I highly doubt they will bring in the k14b and will instead get a vgt ddis. Also if the 1.4 does come, itl be atleast 40k costlier.
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Old 2nd October 2014, 11:38   #27
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Re: The B2-segment Hatchbacks Comparison Thread!

Finally my search for a B2 hatch has come to an end. Got GT TSI's older brother ,a used Polo 1.6 . I was looking for a replacement for the Palio MJD, considered Brio, Fiesta 1.6, GT TSI etc.

Thanks to all the members who gave valuable inputs to my queries.
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Old 2nd October 2014, 18:10   #28
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Re: The B2-segment Hatchbacks Comparison Thread!

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Originally Posted by GreenmachinE View Post
Finally my search for a B2 hatch has come to an end. Got GT TSI's older brother ,a used Polo 1.6 . I was looking for a replacement for the Palio MJD, considered Brio, Fiesta 1.6, GT TSI etc.

Thanks to all the members who gave valuable inputs to my queries.
Congrats on the Polo 1.6.

Do post the review on a separate thread. Wish you many many miles on the Polo!

Anurag.
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Old 5th October 2014, 02:54   #29
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Re: The B2-segment Hatchbacks Comparison Thread!

After endless hours of discussions, reading, inquiring I have narrowed down to two cars. Both the cars are totally different IMO and I happen to like both but am unable to decide which one I should be buying. The cars are Fiat Punto Evo Active Multijet 1.3 and Honda Brio E MT. Yes I know they are miles apart.

The background is I am looking for a monthly city commute of around 1000 kms and a highway run of another 1000 kms.

In the Brio I like the peppy engine, easy maneuverability, Honda reliability and am worried about the high petrol costs. In the Punto I like the design, Steering performance, build quality, FE and am iffy about Fiat A.S.S.

My question is a diesel punto worth additional 1.8 lakhs ? or should I just stick to the brio given my monthly mileage and the fact that I am on a very tight budget.
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Old 5th October 2014, 12:44   #30
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Re: The B2-segment Hatchbacks Comparison Thread!

If your monthly commute should cross>1000 kms (in your case, it is 2000 kms), you should consider buying a diesel. Therefore the Punto 1.3 MJD would make a good choice. You can also consider the Swift Diesel if you are worried about the Fiat After Sales Service. Both comes with the same engine.

The Punto is far more spacious and is more planted on the road as compared to the Brio. The Brio is more suited for city commutes. If you are planning to hit the highway more, then Punto is any day a better car than Brio.

Advantages of diesel heart:

1. Good Mileage when you are planning to run 2K kms/month.
2. Good Resale Value after 4/5 years.

Quote:
Originally Posted by kilireddy0 View Post
After endless hours of discussions, reading, inquiring I have narrowed down to two cars. Both the cars are totally different IMO and I happen to like both but am unable to decide which one I should be buying. The cars are Fiat Punto Evo Active Multijet 1.3 and Honda Brio E MT. Yes I know they are miles apart.

The background is I am looking for a monthly city commute of around 1000 kms and a highway run of another 1000 kms.

In the Brio I like the peppy engine, easy maneuverability, Honda reliability and am worried about the high petrol costs. In the Punto I like the design, Steering performance, build quality, FE and am iffy about Fiat A.S.S.

My question is a diesel punto worth additional 1.8 lakhs ? or should I just stick to the brio given my monthly mileage and the fact that I am on a very tight budget.
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