[vamsi2390]

Voted for the Figo just based on that lovely engine.
Seats, headlight and gearbox could be improved though. I didn't find the seats uncomfortable, but they are not as comfortable as some of the competition.
My friends sitting in the rear though did complain that the rear thigh support isn't as thick as it should have been. But yeah they were comfortable enough. Nothing that would tire you out i guess.

I still feel the figo trend+/titanium are the best buys in this lot with the price being almost a lakh cheaper than the competition.

i20 - Top variants too costly. Never really test drove this so do not want to come to conclusions

baleno - i never really drove this but the sheet metal doesnt look too strong on a first glance. Not to mention the rattles that come along as the car matures with Maruti.
I would probably want only the top/zeta variant which again seems to be too costly.

Jazz - though i love the functionality and space of this car, too costly on the top spec magic seat variant. NVH nothing to be proud of for that price.


I am not interested in the other cars except maybe an updated liva if at all it does come through. Im not interested in spending close to 7-8 Lakhs on a Tata as it doesnt command the kind of respect that the other brands do.
(nothing against the brand. I do respect and feel honored for our desi Tata. Its just that no one really sees it as a premium hatch yet in India)

(Note: i do not own any of these cars. The Figo experience was on a self driven 900km mileage on a two day trip)

[Arvin_86]

Baleno has been faring pretty well in the market and it is bound to get more popular. I guess the maruti does evoke confidence for lot of Indians, and why not they have done tremendously well in Indian Car scene.
Somehow Elite i20 has set the standards so high, it is really hard to beat. The New figo is fresh, i love the Aston Martin-ish front fascia. It does make a good overall package, good dynamics and does retain a lot of features "the figo" is known for. If i were in market for a new car i would buy Figo, but best of the lot i feel is Elite i20.
And i respect Hyundai for pushing the game to a whole new level, look at the cars we got post i20 and there are many more exciting ones to come.

Originally Posted by vamsi2390

The Figo experience was on a self driven 900km mileage on a two day trip

Out of curiosity, was this the new figo, or the old one (I am presuming self driven meant, self driven rental cars - zoomcar of sorts)

[vamsi2390]

Originally Posted by Arvin_86

Out of curiosity, was this the new figo, or the old one (I am presuming self driven meant, self driven rental cars - zoomcar of sorts)

It was a Figo Aspire mate. Sorry about not being exact. And yeah, i do understand your curiosity on how newer Figos are already available on self drive rentals. They are not yet.

The aspire is though, in Hyderabad. And a lot of them are with Myles and Revv.

[redbaron91]

Hello all,

There is a 3 way battle running in my head for last few weeks. Think it happens for all when some one is buying a car. All suggestions & corrections welcome.

Thanks in advance for your kind help.

So here is what I have and I need

1) Maximum 10 lakhs at disposal for a Diesel hatchback.
2) I currently own a Swift Vxi and Yamaha R15. Both bought while they were at their best in the segment. So proud of their ownership.
3) Prefers a structurally stable and safer car. Since Airbags & ABS are standard at this price range.
3) A diesel hatch for daily city ride in Bangalore and once in a month long trip.

I couldn't help myself getting a highway drive in any of these 3 cars. So bit sceptical about their performance and feel behind the wheel.

a) Please advice on highway driveability too.
b) Do Nexa branding and AS service live upto its bills. Are they satisfactory? Suggetions from current Baleno owners highly welcome.
c) How does i20's steering feels on highways, Is it "Scare-free"?
d) Likewise, how safe is Baleno's BIW and impact mitigation properties? Considering the horrifying accident reported from Punjab in November, Is it a case to worry about light weighed body shell of Baleno? Same time Toyota Etios scored good scores in NCAP crash tests. It's confusing!!
d) Is it worth investing any amount on Punto for its stable ride and behind the wheel comfort alone?

I have listed down the pros & cons which I felt important;

[Night Raven]

Hi redbaron91,
I cannot comment on the i20 or baleno since I have never driven either. I will try to share my experience so far with the Punto, esp regarding the negatives you have mentioned. I own a diesel emotion 75HP Punto since Jan 2015. I have been to the fiat service 4 times so far, twice for the routine service at 5k and 10k kms. Both times they were good, but nothing extra ordinary. Third visit was a week after the 10k kms service when I found the car leaking some fluid. The 24 hour assistance people came and picked up the car from my home, finished the work on the same day and I picked up the car from them in the evening. I was told the diesel filter's seal had broken. Nothing was charged. The last visit was this month to change the battery of my remote key. So far I have faced no issues with the ASS, but I think it depends a lot on the service centre also.
I drive the car alone 90% of the time, so space inside or in the boot has never been a problem. But if you plan to drive it with 5 average sized adults and their luggage on long drives frequently, then consider other options.

About the aging vehicle concern, I agree its an old model, but still it's a rare one on the road. Gives you a lot of exclusivity. There are no confirmed news yet about a replacement for Punto, and knowing fiat its likely to be a distant future.

The ride is definitely not soft, esp at low speeds, but I guess that's a compromise for the stability it offers. At higher speeds nothing much is felt inside the cabin except the noise of the wheel hitting the gutter.

If you ask me the one thing I am really unsatisfied with the Punto, its the driving position. I still can't find a position which is comfortable to my arms, legs and spine altogether. Either of these will always be at a minor discomfort.
If you can live with less flashy interiors, lesser mileage, less features, less resale value and a little lesser space (and people mocking you for the "stupid decision") I think it's worth considering. After All, it comes at a significantly lesser price and it has got most of its basics proven already.
Hope it helps

[redbaron91]

Originally Posted by Night Raven

Hi redbaron91,
I cannot comment on the i20 or baleno since I have never driven either. I will try to share my experience so far with the Punto, esp regarding the negatives you have mentioned. I own a diesel emotion 75HP Punto since Jan 2015. I have been to the fiat service 4 times so far, twice for the routine service at 5k and 10k kms. Both times they were good, but nothing extra ordinary. Third visit was a week after the 10k kms service when I found the car leaking some fluid. The 24 hour assistance people came and picked up the car from my home, finished the work on the same day and I picked up the car from them in the evening. I was told the diesel filter's seal had broken. Nothing was charged. The last visit was this month to change the battery of my remote key. So far I have faced no issues with the ASS, but I think it depends a lot on the service centre also.
I drive the car alone 90% of the time, so space inside or in the boot has never been a problem. But if you plan to drive it with 5 average sized adults and their luggage on long drives frequently, then consider other options.

About the aging vehicle concern, I agree its an old model, but still it's a rare one on the road. Gives you a lot of exclusivity. There are no confirmed news yet about a replacement for Punto, and knowing fiat its likely to be a distant future.

The ride is definitely not soft, esp at low speeds, but I guess that's a compromise for the stability it offers. At higher speeds nothing much is felt inside the cabin except the noise of the wheel hitting the gutter.

If you ask me the one thing I am really unsatisfied with the Punto, its the driving position. I still can't find a position which is comfortable to my arms, legs and spine altogether. Either of these will always be at a minor discomfort.
If you can live with less flashy interiors, lesser mileage, less features, less resale value and a little lesser space (and people mocking you for the "stupid decision") I think it's worth considering. After All, it comes at a significantly lesser price and it has got most of its basics proven already.
Hope it helps

Hi Night Raven,
Thanks a ton for your kind opinions.
I think, placing the Punto’s name first on subject did the trick in grabbing your attention.

In fact I was determined to go with i20 initially, then I had a chance to test drive Punto 90hp & Baleno 2 weeks back. That resulted in the dilemma which I am going through now. At this moment, I’m almost in the verge of ruling out i20 because of its increased OTR price for “sports” variant and lack of some creature comfort features in the specific variant.
Actually, i20 offers most of the features only in their Asta or Asta(O) trims, which are out of my budget.

That brings down the question between Baleno & Punto 90hp.
Regarding AS service credibility, I understood it’s a hit or miss chance. So, that can be left to my luck (“Thalavara”).

Vehicle ageing concern, I should have reminded myself, this was Fiat. Clear!!
Can live with tight suspension, butt can tolerate to great extent. (Riding a Yamaha R15 too). Thanks for reconfirming the stability it offers.

And then comes the driving position, read a lot about Punto weirdly positioned steering wheel. But to my surprise I found it trouble free during my TD. Don’t know if prolonged usage will result in issues you mentioned. For reference I am 5’7”.(I already have ergonomics issue and pain full palms and wrist after every ride in my Yamaha R15.
So I really want a relaxed position in the car I have). Will try to reassure my comfort level in next TD.

Wish it had telescopic adjustment. But SA at Fiat told me it’s a useless feature. I doubt that!!!

Feature wise I can say Punto Evo is almost par on with others in segment (IMO). Some features that I may miss are detailed MID like in i20 or Baleno, Auto dimming IRVM, Arm rest.

Apart from previous listing of pros & cons I’ve placed another image below, which mentioned the trim level I can choose with my budget and the features I think makes me more happy and content.

I’ve to wait for some opinion on Baleno’s highway capabilities and ride feel, negative means; Punto will be in my garage in few weeks.

Btw do you feel turbo lag bothering you much in stop-go traffic situation?

[Night Raven]

hello redbaron91, apologies for the delayed response.

Originally Posted by redbaron91

I understood it’s a hit or miss chance. So, that can be left to my luck (“Thalavara”)

Exactly what i meant. If you have a good dealer near your place, service shouldn't be a problem.

Wish it had telescopic adjustment

my wish too. At least for me it would have made things perfect.

Btw do you feel turbo lag bothering you much in stop-go traffic situation?

Turbo lag is definitely there. It became even more noticeable to me after I drove a relative's Ecosport diesel. If I press the A pedal hard while the engine is out of turbo range, for a moment just the rpm goes up, then suddenly the thrust comes. It's like the car is telling you, "give me a moment, I am working on it", and then it leaps forward. Its not bothering me much in the kind of traffic that I face daily, but it will trouble you if you are used to a more peppy engine.
Btw, I am a little confused about the OTR prices you mentioned in the table. Does the emotion sport cost more than 9 lakhs on road I got my 75hp emotion for 7.38L on road one year back.

[redbaron91]

Hi Night Raven,
Got your point Night Raven. Life will be little hard moving from Petrol to Diesel initially.
From your feedback & my TD I guess, the turbo performs same in city for both Baleno & Punto, even though Punto 90hp comes with VGT, (Btw, I ruled out i20 already, I can't justify myself the price tag for "sports" variant, and the nonsense steering wheel).

And yea, Punto Emotion 90Hp cost 9 lakhs, thanks to all these price hikes in 2015/16.
Need to negotiate further for some freebies or discount.

[maninr]

Originally Posted by VRPAI

Congratulations!.The Punto is a wonderful car which will always plaster that smile on your face while driving. The ride,the handling,the build quality ,that brilliant steering is always going to keep you a happy man on the highway. Wishing you thousands of kilometers of happy Motoring.This is a car build for the highway and every time you take it on d highway your gonna love it .
Congrats again

Having decided to buy the Punto Evo 90 in the next 10 days, Im now confused on the selection of colour. Unable to decide between Grey, Black and White. I know its a subjective issue, but any pointers will be highly appreciated. If Punto owners can post the real life pics that would be great.

[abhipuri]

Hi BHPians,

Dad had a near fatal accident that had led us car-less.

Details of the accident are here:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/owning...hpians-12.html

Budget: 5-7 lakhs (can extend to 7.5 at the max)
Fuel type: Petrol

Must have features:
1 Min 2 Airbags (the more the better)
2 ABS+ EBD
3 < 4m length
4 Good boot (~300 lt)

Desirable features in the same order:
1 Rear Defogger
2 Auto day/night IRVM
3 Bluetooth telephony
4 60:40 rear seats
5 Auto AC
6 Adjustable driver seat height
7 Ready Availablity

Baleno's Delta/Zeta and Elite i-20's Sportz variant seems to fit the bill perfectly. Put off by the loog waiting periods of Baleno. We would be needing the car in a month's time. The extra premium of 50k-60k in Delta and zeta variants will fetch me rear wiper(useful), front fog lamp(can be fitted later on or as an accessory), u v cut glass(really useful?), alloys(useless for me) and bigger MID. Is the zeta variant worth the extra premium over the delta variant?

Hyundai has skimped on features like split rear seats, adjustable rear neck restraints, DRLs in the latest avatar of i20.

Your kind views would be highly appreciated

[abhipuri]

@mods: apologies for the back to back posts since the previous query did not solicit any response.

Bhpians, kindly pour in your valuable advice. Dad is smitten by i20's interior quality. Only thing holding him back is the deletion of features viz a viz igen i20 sportz. Baleno is having pretty long waiting periods.

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by abhipuri

@mods: apologies for the back to back posts since the previous query did not solicit any response.

Bhpians, kindly pour in your valuable advice. Dad is smitten by i20's interior quality. Only thing holding him back is the deletion of features viz a viz igen i20 sportz. Baleno is having pretty long waiting periods.

I own baleno zeta petrol. I like everything about the car except bumpy low speed ride. Performance and handling is better in baleno. But baleno is ages behind in interior quality compared to i20. I20 weighs around 150 kgs more and has better build quality.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by abhipuri

Bhpians, kindly pour in your valuable advice. Dad is smitten by i20's interior quality. Only thing holding him back is the deletion of features viz a viz igen i20 sportz. Baleno is having pretty long waiting periods.

Since you mention Airbag requirement as 'more the better', why not the Ford Figo titanium+ which comes with 6 airbags and meets most of the other criteria also. With current offers and discounts, should come within the budget.

[Aaron:)]

Originally Posted by abhipuri

@mods: apologies for the back to back posts since the previous query did not solicit any response.

Bhpians, kindly pour in your valuable advice. Dad is smitten by i20's interior quality. Only thing holding him back is the deletion of features viz a viz igen i20 sportz. Baleno is having pretty long waiting periods.

If it's petrol your considering, I'll suggest you go for the Jazz or the Baleno.
The Baleno has dual airbags as standard across the range, while the Jazz gets them SV onwards. In fact, the Jazz might get standard dual airbags soon.

[landcruiser123]

Looking at your requirements, I would suggest the Baleno, Jazz and i20 in order of preference.

You could also consider the Polo or Punto with the boot space requirement, but their petrol engines are not exciting. (Barring the TSI which is expensive)

6 airbags are offered by the Figo, which has 250 liter boot. It's not got a great petrol engine either.

Originally Posted by abhipuri

u v cut glass(really useful?)

I loved the UV cut glass. But all these features aren't worth the premium IMHO.

You could look at compact sedans like the Xcent if you want to minimise waiting.