Team-BHP - Insomnia - Punto Abarth vs Figo Diesel

Abarth it is. No other car in that budget comes close to the experience it gives. Anything else is just a compromise. I'm having one of the compromises with me :)

Bargain for more discounts, you can also get the insurance done outside to save more. With this, you should have the gem of the car in Abarth for less than a million rupees.

Regarding the service in Bangalore, it is not good...But it's not like pathetic. they look lazy and the way they converse with customers are not good but the work carried out is not bad.
You are talking about far away from where you sleep in Bangalore, talk about some of us who went to Salem for better service!

Baleno-please read my signature :)

Hi foxworkz,

Really surprised at the level of support for the Abarth. Goes on to show how great a car it is. Being an owner of a Palio 1.6 Sports, can vouch for it myself.

However: Please note that, this car, if it is going to be your only one and daily driver, I would advise you to think twice before a Fiat. A daily driver needs to be supremely reliable, and should have excellent backing from the company. A simple hit on the bumper will take you off for a month, thats how things are in certain Fiat dealerships.

As for the Figo, it is a super fun to drive car - may be not as much as the Abarth, but, it does tick all the right boxes for a daily driver. Afterall, 99% of the time spent in the car, you arent racing.

You might as well check the Polo TSi. Agreed its an automatic, but, put in the manual mode, and the gear shifts are 100% more fun the Abarth box. I would buy the car only for its gearbox! :)

I was in a similar situation few months back as well. I would like to add another car to the list. VW Ameo Diesel. It is a scorcher as well trust me and faster than the Polo GT TDi and even maybe the Figo. I drove an Aspire diesel and an Ameo back to back so saying from that. The Ameo has a bigger turbo than the GT however is cheaper because it is a localized one. Try it. If not for the love for a Honda City since when it was launched, I would have gone for the Ameo. Abarth was TD'ed as well and it is a brilliant car no doubt, however I feel it is a great 2nd car to have for the weekend getaways on open roads and not for daily stop and 'no' go Bangalore traffic.

Whoa! Replies galore. I should check posts more often! Thanks everybody for your time and thoughtful inputs.

Update:

I think the Fiat dealer stumbled upon this post and decided to call me. It has been brought to my attention that the car is not in the 'yard' but it's coming from the 'plant'.

So, when I raised crucial concerns that user '//M' so rightfully pointed out - such as tires, wiper blades and the like, the dealer told me that the car will be assembled only after the order is placed (he insisted that is how it's done in Fiat); so the tires, wiper blades and the like will be brand new, and that the warranty will kick in from the date of purchase, so I don't have to worry.

I'm no expert but aren't cars assembled during manufacture itself and not otherwise as the dealer says?

Any merit in these words from the dealer?

Quote:

Originally Posted by //M (Post 4198261)

I would strongly advice you against a 2015 car with the dealer because it must have been parked in the yard exposed to the elements for such a long period. The tyres and wipers would have gone hard and components such as battery might need attention immediately.

Thanks for pointing these out. Would've never occurred to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO (Post 4198598)

What you should do:

1. Bargain harder for discounts. Just 1.2 lakhs isn't enough. Considering the dealer hasn't been able to sell it in 1.5 years, it's not like he has customers waiting for it. Needs a better discount. I usually never recommend buying cars that have been lying idle for so long (would prefer a daily-run car any day), but this is a unique situation as the model is out of production.

2. Look in the pre-owned market. Just heard of a BHPian who picked up a Punto Abarth with 30,000 km for 6.5 lakhs :D.

A lot of merit in what you say. I'll check for better discounts and the second-hand market. Thank you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhanushs (Post 4199161)

However: Please note that, this car, if it is going to be your only one and daily driver, I would advise you to think twice before a Fiat. A daily driver needs to be supremely reliable, and should have excellent backing from the company. A simple hit on the bumper will take you off for a month, thats how things are in certain Fiat dealerships.

As for the Figo, it is a super fun to drive car - may be not as much as the Abarth, but, it does tick all the right boxes for a daily driver. Afterall, 99% of the time spent in the car, you arent racing.

Very true. Besides, Bangalore traffic's is not exactly "moving", let alone fast!

Again, thanks everyone. Really appreciate it! Cheers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by foxworkz (Post 4200122)

Update:

I think the Fiat dealer stumbled upon this post and decided to call me. It has been brought to my attention that the car is not in the 'yard' but it's coming from the 'plant'.

So, when I raised crucial concerns that user '//M' so rightfully pointed out - such as tires, wiper blades and the like, the dealer told me that the car will be assembled only after the order is placed (he insisted that is how it's done in Fiat); so the tires, wiper blades and the like will be brand new, and that the warranty will kick in from the date of purchase, so I don't have to worry.

I'm no expert but aren't cars assembled during manufacture itself and not otherwise as the dealer says?

Any merit in these words from the dealer?

That's more of a lie, nothing more. However, he is right is mentioning that the warranty will start only from the date of sale.

Quote:

Originally Posted by foxworkz (Post 4200122)

Very true.

Service situation has been pretty average for FIAT, specially in Bangalore. Not many major complaints from owners (Of Punto and Linea, not the Palio). That said, would I consider buying a 2015 Abarth for the prices you have been quoted?

No! They need to offer a lot more discounts. No two ways about it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by foxworkz (Post 4200122)

Update:
I think the Fiat dealer stumbled upon this post and decided to call me. It has been brought to my attention that the car is not in the 'yard' but it's coming from the 'plant'.

So, when I raised crucial concerns that user '//M' so rightfully pointed out - such as tires, wiper blades and the like, the dealer told me that the car will be assembled only after the order is placed (he insisted that is how it's done in Fiat); so the tires, wiper blades and the like will be brand new, and that the warranty will kick in from the date of purchase, so I don't have to worry.

I'm no expert but aren't cars assembled during manufacture itself and not otherwise as the dealer says?

Any merit in these words from the dealer?

In a normal scenario, yes cars are assembled first based on estimates of demand and shipped to dealers. But considering Abarth is a less selling model with more imported parts, it is possible that they are assembling it to order. Something only someone with contacts in FIAT can verify. Maybe you can check with FIAT directly as well.
You'll always be able to verify it by the VIN later, but the VIN will be provided only after the car ships from the factory.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO (Post 4198598)

Cars like the Punto Abarth aren't launched too often in India. It's legendary. That's why, if you are a driving enthusiast who is currently in the position to get one, just go ahead & buy it. You will have many years of grin-inducing drives, reliability & poor service be damned. You got to live a little, man! The Abarth easily matches cars costing thrice as much in terms of driving pleasure.

The Tjet engine is pretty reliable, the rest of the parts or more less common with the Punto Evo, I see no spares issues coming up except for very very slow moving parts like clutch kit, etc. Else the Tjet engine is as reliable as any engine be. Spares issues is more because of the stupid dealers and not because of the company. I have got most parts off the shelf, or worst case in 4 days maximum. Reliability and spares should not be the criteria to knock out Punto Abarth from the probable list. As you said, you live once, get the damn car and fly low :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by foxworkz (Post 4200122)

I think the Fiat dealer stumbled upon this post and decided to call me. It has been brought to my attention that the car is not in the 'yard' but it's coming from the 'plant'.

So, when I raised crucial concerns that user '//M' so rightfully pointed out - such as tires, wiper blades and the like, the dealer told me that the car will be assembled only after the order is placed (he insisted that is how it's done in Fiat); so the tires, wiper blades and the like will be brand new, and that the warranty will kick in from the date of purchase, so I don't have to worry.

I'm no expert but aren't cars assembled during manufacture itself and not otherwise as the dealer says?

Any merit in these words from the dealer?

Which dealer is it by the way, this story a dumper load of bull shit. The cars are assembled and parked in the factory parking yard without the batteries. When you order the car, they plonk a new battery and ship it. If its assembled why on earth will it have 2015 VIN number. Dealer is simply bluffing big time here.

I got a quote from one dealer here for 10.3 lakhs on road here. If you are willing to pick it up from a dealer in another city, you will get a lot more discount. I got a mouth watering deal from another dealer which is less than the 7 digit number quote you got.:)

On the query of which car Punto or Figo? Turbo Petrol is way more enjoyable to drive than turbo diesels in the hatch category we have here. I know many folks who bought the 1+ year old Fiats and happily driving around without the world falling apart around them. But, if you are a paranoid kind of guy even for a small thing or resale weighs the most for you, dont bother buying any Fiat for that matter, better to stick to a Maruti or Hyundai. This may sound blunt, but at the end of the day, all you need is peace of mind.

Well, it's only fair I post an update after all this.

I've gone through each and every reply probably a hundred times. And I asked myself just one question. "In 30 years, will I regret not getting the Abarth?" The answer was a resounding "Yes!"

So two weeks ago, I decided to jump the gun. I even drove a hard bargain and got the dealer to drop the price by a whopping 1.65L. I was supposed to go to the showroom to book; but it rained heavily that weekend and being my lazy self, I decided to postpone it. It wasn't like people were queuing up to buy it.

Boy, was I wrong. Last weekend, I called up the dealer to tell him I was coming in to book the vehicle and he told me that I missed it. Someone had booked the last one the previous Monday. There were (are) no more Abarths to buy. Apparently, the last few ones sold like hot cakes. He said I could still go in for the Urban Cross Powered By Abarth. I went in for a test drive (during which the SA who accompanied me got 3 calls asking for the Abarth Punto); but it was just not the same.

The drive back home was a long one and probably my saddest. I had missed the car by 4 days. 4 DAYS.

Sure, "it was just a car", there'd be plenty more to come, but I was so close to doing something I'd almost never done in my life; following my heart, instead of my mind. And I died a little inside for not getting to do it.

Anyway, it's been a week. I'm taking a vacation from finding the "right one" for now. But one day, ONE DAY, I'll be posting my ride here. One that ticks the 'heart' box.

Thanks to each and everyone of you for all the contacts shared, for your time and guidance.

LLAP. And drive safe.

I have got a Figo 1.5D and have driven in over 30k km in 17 months. I could have got the Abarth for the additional EMI, which would be less than the couple of refills on the Figo. I do believe that, 30 years from now, being unable to drive the car we own and spend huge to maintain will be more regrettable than not buying and sparsely driving a better car. The higher maintenance, higher fuel cost and abysmal resale(even though it is the others who sell) will put a blot in our memories. I say that out of experience of owning Tata Indica Xeta 1.2, which was our 'abarth', when compared to Maruti 800, 8 years ago.

Quote:

Originally Posted by foxworkz (Post 4214197)

Well, it's only fair I post an update after all this.

I've gone through each and every reply probably a hundred times. And I asked myself just one question. "In 30 years, will I regret not getting the Abarth?" The answer was a resounding "Yes!"

..
The drive back home was a long one and probably my saddest. I had missed the car by 4 days. 4 DAYS.

Sure, "it was just a car", there'd be plenty more to come, but I was so close to doing something I'd almost never done in my life; following my heart, instead of my mind. And I died a little inside for not getting to do it.

Anyway, it's been a week. I'm taking a vacation from finding the "right one" for now. But one day, ONE DAY, I'll be posting my ride here. One that ticks the 'heart' box.

...

foxworkz,

Looks like your guardian angel has listened to you. You need not have any regrets. Instead you can get a 2017 fresh off the assembly line :D

Quote:

The 2017 make Abarth Punto is now available in showrooms. The first batch of 40 cars has been produced and dispatched to dealerships. The production was stopped sometime in 2016 as they had many 2015 make models lying in stock. Further, due to the upcoming Jeep Compass, their assembly line was being upgraded up until now. The factory has now resumed production of Abarth Punto in both colour options - Pearl White and Hip Hop Black. It was rumored that normal production would resume post June 2017.

Source: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ml#post4235391