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-   -   Insomnia - Punto Abarth vs Figo Diesel (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/hatchbacks/186863-insomnia-punto-abarth-vs-figo-diesel-3.html)

I am in the same dilemma. For me, it is not important whether the car is a diesel or a petrol; it is immaterial whether it is a sedan, a hatchback or an SUV.

It needs to make me smile every time I rev her up. I had an i20 earlier, and loved what it did when the rpm needle crossed 1850-2000 rpm. lol:

People say that 0-100 is immaterial in real-world conditions. For me, 0-100 is the most important thing, especially in Indian driving conditions; with no clear lane where you can overtake. You need to find small peepholes and get out, and that's where a super-powerful pull can help you leave everything behind. :D

This is the context. While I will test-drive all of them (and given that Abarth has apparently been discontinued), what will fit my needs best under 8-8.5 Lakh OTR - Delhi? Figo 1.5 TDCI? Platinum Etios 1.5? Ford Ecosport 1.0 Ecoboost? Baleno RS? Anything else? please:

Thoughts will be highly appreciated!

PS: Is it still possible to buy an Abarth Punto? Will extend budget for it :D!

The Abarth Punto is back in production, and you should be able to get a 2017 model. The last post before yours confirms this, but I am pasting the link below again for your reference.

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

I have to be honest and say that if you're most bothered about 0-100 timings, then amongst the cars this side of 15 lakhs, nothing, absolutely nothing will beat the Abarth Punto. Add the best handling & suspension to the package, and it really becomes the enthusiast's choice!
However, with the above being said, I recommend that you test drive all the cars you've shortlisted as planned, before you decide to put your hardearned money down.

Also, I couldn't help but notice that the VW Polo GT TSI was missing from your shortlist of cars, and do recommend that you test drive that as well, unless you're not interested in an automatic.

Please keep us updated on what you end up choosing :)

Cheers

Thank you. I will definitely keep everyone posted on my test drive feedback. FYI: I have added VW Ameo 1.5D to the list of possible contenders. Let's see who wins!:thumbs up

Hi! While I test drove a lot of cars. The selection boils down to Platinum Etios and Ford Aspire. Honestly, can't decide between the two;

1. Aspire has sheer pulling power, a super peppy ride and an engine that loves to be revved. It is just so much fun. That is indeed what I started out looking for.

However, Etios has that beautifully mature and powerful ride, a finesse to its acceleration - a 'mature & powerful acceleration' if you have it, that is equally addictive. It is something that I did not start looking out for and it just so enthralls you that you dream about it. The ride is also very 'plush'.

2. Aspire exterior is boring. Etios exterior is dead-on-arrival. While the ride is plush, will I regret looking at it every time I come back to it in the shopping mall parking lot to go back home?

3. Aspire interior feels good, and slick; Etios interior is also nice - though, boring.

2. Etios GX OTR is 7.02 L + 10k for ICE; Figo Trend TDI is 7.5 L OTR. With my driving style, I will probably get 10 kmpl on Etios and 15 on Aspire. Assuming 12k Kms annual driving, there is a saving of approx 30k INR. Hence, price-wise - they are at par.

I am in a huge quandry. Any suggestions?

PS: Ameo was outrightly rejected by family for the lack of rear leg-space. Abarth Punto - 20 phone calls and I could not even reach out to them. Can't have that as my primary car. Just so sad!

If plain pulling torque and aesthetics is the priority, it's the aspire diesel for sure.

But, if you start to bring in other factors like practicality ( read space, comfort, durability, maintenance cost ), then etios is a no brainer. Even though, you won't get the kind of push back you get on the aspire diesel, The Etios petrol is one of the fastest vehicles under 10 lakhs with the torque starting early unlike the other petrol engines in India. And even the dynamics is excellent and is much better than the Altis. The brakes are one of the best I've ever used. Add to that, the 4 star safety rating for the car manufactured for India and the support of Toyota and it's a winner. Again, it all depends on what you give priority for.

You might want to pm Samba as well to get his inputs on the Etios petrol. He has taken it to all sorts of terrain and has abused it like anything. :-)

Goes to show that 0 - 100 is extremely overrated in our country. Doesn't it?

There are factors which are way more important to the Indian enthusiast - such as a good dealership experience, rear legroom, boot space etc. Family also plays a good role in the decision making, which we fail to factor in - initally!

Would also need to add here that Etios is a safe car as per the NCAP crash tests where it performed a lot better than the new Figo. So, if these two are the final contenders and you're equally happy with both (for your requirements) - I would suggest the Etios.

@ CrazyDriver: Yes! On the 0-100),

Even though Aspire had more brute pulling power, it was that - brute and slightly unrefined, for me. It felt like my old i20 ( with a less refined motor).

Etios acceleration was also awesome. It just felt smoother, more mature, more refined. Its difficult to describe. It somehow brought more smiles.

To sum, I guess, apart from the pure acceleration, the way it is delivered also plays a very important role.

Just to round off my search: Will try the Etios Diesel tomorrow.

If these are your final 2 contenders: Do you recommend trying something else in the broad-ish 8L OTR?

@Blackwasp: Will do! Let me make a renewed effort to get an Abarth to test drive.:D

The Etios will outdo in terms of safety (was 4-star rated in 2014, since then side reinforcement, ISOFIX, middle 3-point seat belt were added) and space. The interiors are lot better and liveable since the Platinum Etios.

In a similar quandary, I preferred getting a Ecosport over the Aspire purely for the build and safety kit, the additional GC was a bonus. The same diesel motor might not be as brutal in the Ecosport, but it appealed keeping a long term perspective in mind.

If you have zen like patience (booking and waiting for delivery), you might also want to check the Nexon whenever dealers get a test drive car.

@manishk83 , it's not that the Abarth Punto is not reliable. @blackwasp has done Spiti return trip on his Abarth. So has bhpian @ycj. Without issues. Yes, the after sales service does vary from city to city. In Kolkata where I hail from its good enough so far. You need to befriend the service advisor and things should be smooth sailing. I had a rear door dent and the repair job took 2-3 days if I remember correctly , which is good enough. There were no insurance claims though. I blew off the left front wiper when I inadvertently switched on the wipers instead of indicators. I ordered it from 99rpm and fixed myself. Took 4-5 days to arrive.

As far as driver engagement is concerned I can say this: I drove a Q3 which I had rented from zoom car. It was a 35 TDI (180 bhp I think). While the Abarth in its current state of tune cannot run it down in a straight line on the highway, the Audi has a pretty insulated feel. No drama when u stomp the pedal, the steering is accurate but without feedback. So it turns as much as you want it to but doesn't tell you anything about the kind of surface you are on. In short the Abarth provides more smiles per mile. And if you really want to keep up with the Audi a remap should almost do it.

I had test driven a bolt, zest, baleno rs, polo tsi, and figo 1.5tdci(non S model). If I had money for another car I would buy the VW. I liked the way it revs and the sweet engine sound in S mode. The figo 1.5d could be as fast as the tsi or maybe better but doesn't rev as much. Quite naturally though. The rest of the hatchbacks including the baleno rs simply cannot hold a candle to the Abarth. And there's something else too. If you are the kind who would mod his car after a while, rest assured that there a plethora of tuning options for the Abarth. From engine maps to suspension, short shifters, intercoolers, exhausts and what not. Oh, maybe even a LSD.