[PrideRed]

Good effort by Fiat India in getting the Abarth Punto. At 9.95 lacs ex-showroom one gets 145 horses, a Turbo charged Petrol. However as an enthusiast it does look like an half hearted attempt, though good part is that they have made an attempt at least.

The Good Part
1.145 BHP, Turbo charged Petrol motor. I would love to listen those horses revving all day.
2.Decent pricing provided the power it packs. When Maruti can charge 9.20lacs for 1.4 NA 91BHP Ciaz RS, 9.95 for Abarth Punto doesn't looks bad.
3.Disk brakes all around. Much needed to to handle additional power.
4. Lower GC than regular Punto,yet practical for Indian roads.
5.Good looking alloy wheels. Suits the car very well.


The Bad Part
1. Come on Fiat, a car with 145 horses deserves a better ,much better gearbox.
2.Apollo 195 section rubber on a hot hatch? really? How hard is it to get a deal with say Michellin/Pirelli ?
3. Not even exclusive Paint job? The Matte Grey looked awesome. The only differentiator from EVO are cheap sticker and awesome alloys.
4. No Attempt to reduce the weight? The weight details is missing from the brochure as well.
5.Some more safety kits should have been part of this hot hatch. Additional airbags,TCS,ESP etc are sorely missed.


There have been mixed opinions in this forum, however I don't see a single BHPian booking(or have I missed) an Abarth, not even a Fiat fanboy??

[RavenAvi]

Motoroids has brought out their first drive review, and they tout the Abarth Punto as the true successor to the Palio 1.6 GTX!

Start the car and the engine settles down to a nice throaty hum; no Japanese or Korean efficiency themed purr. The clutch is super light and once you start rolling, the car just makes you grin ear to ear. The acceleration is quite linear for a turbocharged petrol motor, although you do get a really nice, trademark “whoooooosh” as the tachometer needle works its way up! From around 2k rpm all the way until 6k rpm after which it again flats out. The advantage of having this is that in normal traffic all you need is just a slight tap of the throttle. Need to overtake that large truck up ahead? No sweat, just tap the throttle and away you go. There is no need to downshift at all; the torque spread is nice and even.

Launching from a standstill, if you floor the throttle, you really need to hold on to the steering wheel because there is a fair amount of torque steer turning the car to one side, switch to second and it’s still there although now it does taper off soon. Apart from holding on to the steering wheel you’ll notice that you’ve hit the tonne pretty soon. A couple of rough runs and I was hitting the tonne in 9.5 seconds, which is really remarkable and I am sure Fiats claim of an 8.8 0-100 should be true. However you really aren’t aware of the speeds you’re doing because of the solid planted ride of the Abarth. All you feel is a satisfying surge of power and away you go. The other thing which really shines out is the amazing braking power and feel of this car. The all wheel discs, coupled with ABS and EBD, make the car stop really soon and true. There is no drama once you brake, with the car following a straight line when the anchors are dropped, which gives a lot of confidence to the driver. With the retuned suspension being on the stiffer side, taking a corner is an absolute joy ride with the car hugging the road confidently and firmly. The hydraulic steering unit of the Punto also gives great feedback and you can feel exactly what the front wheels are doing.

All this combined provides a really great driving experience for any petrolhead. Except for one really annoying fly in the ointment. It’s the rubbery feel of the gearbox. The same problem which has plagued all the Puntos, has been carried over to this. Not that the gears don’t slot in properly or the ratios aren’t good. It’s just the shifting feel which is missing from an otherwise soulful car. And that really gets my goat. Everything in this car is perfect, from the power to the brakes to the handling to the way it engages the driver. But the moment you shift a gear, you just feel like they’ve been a little lazy in ironing out the gearbox issues.

The car is a great combination of having fun behind the wheel while also being a practical hatch for the city. For many diehard Fiat fans this is the true successor to the Palio 1.6 GTX, and rightly so, the car is blazingly fast and has opened up a new and much needed segment in our car market.

Motoroids

[KiloAlpha]

Originally Posted by Diesel_convert

Bad tires are easily fixed.

It is still a torsion beam hatchback, the way it handles mid corner bumps and real world roads will make it or break it.

Hopefully the balance of the car is not as understeery as my Skoda. Waiting for a drive of the car to take a call.

I can't believe they have released a hot hatch without any official kerb weight figures

For a car with a torsion beam rear suspension - I am hoping suspension will be tuned closer to the RenaultSport Megane - see http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/ne...r-2014-misfits

Kerb weight is not published because I guess it is on the wrong side of portly. Closer to 1200kg than 1000kg. FIAT dealer is just up the road from my office, as is a weight bridge ...

Originally Posted by SnS_12

The on road price of Abarth Punto Evo in Bangalore is 11.16 lakhs.

Source: http://auto.ndtv.com/news/fiat-abart...5-lakh-1233816

If this is indeed the case, I might not need to wait for discounts! Total VFM, is what I would say!

[PatchyBoy]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

The on road price of Abarth Punto Evo in Bangalore is 11.16 lakhs.

Source: http://auto.ndtv.com/news/fiat-abart...5-lakh-1233816

Are we sure about the authenticity of that article? It also reads -

In terms of safety, the Fiat Abarth Punto gets 7 airbags, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-Force Distribution (EBD), Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), Hill-start assist control, etc.

[Mad Max]

Looks like the first mod for performance would be a LSD almost all reviews keep talking about the torque steer.

[RavenAvi]

Motor Trend's Avventura Abarth first drive review:

the second I put my foot down the Avventura went like no Avventura before did, yes, finally the power to match its looks. You see the diesel as well as the 1.4 petrol were not exactly fun motors dripping with bhp so this one gives the Avventura the power it needs and it is more thrilling in some ways as you do not expect a car like this to go so fast. It revs very quickly and once the turbos kick in, all hell breaks loose so much so that the smidgen of lag at the start only accentuates the sense of acceleration. The drive was too short to properly test the numbers but we do not doubt the 0-100 km/h time.

Other noticeable bits include the superb braking performance and how the engine dominates the driving experience. Despite the Avventura being quite heavy, it does not feel like it from behind the wheel and there is not a lot of body roll plus there is plenty of grip which means it is not sloppy at all. Other bits remain the same which means the steering is nice and the driving position is not so nice plus the 5-speed manual is not slick in its operation at all but spend some time and you will forgive everything. Yes the addictive acceleration and the more subtle looks of the Avventura powered by Abarth unlike the Abarth Punto means it is, to me, a brilliant and a very desirable car.

Motor Trend

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

There have been mixed opinions in this forum, however I don't see a single BHPian booking(or have I missed) an Abarth, not even a Fiat fanboy??

Enthusiasts will not book this car because there are practical options available. Fiat Fanboys wont book this because they are still being hassled by family members for buying a Fiat

Jokes apart, I believe it has been priced well. I wont go Gung ho about it because it is out of my reach at the moment. But I am happy that we now have a true Hot hatch that one can buy for a sane amount of money. Happy that Fiat who was always considered a Laggard, took this step when big guns like Maruti keep their performance versions like Swift sport away from their biggest Market.

There are a lot of coments on the awkward driving position on Fiat cars. I was just wondering how many of them actually own a Fiat. No this is not a Fan boy rant, but I do feel that the driving position in Fiats (specially the Punto) takes some getting used to. It wasn't too comfortable to begin with for me either and initially I used to miss my Swift's driving position. But believe me over a period of time, I have so got used to the Punto that when I drive Swift now, I am hard pressed to understand what was so superior about the Swift's driving position. I have done a couple of long drives around 14 Hrs at a stretch and I dont think it could have been any more comfortable.

Cutting long story short, while Fiats may seem uncomfortable at first instant for the driver, over a period of time you get used to it and in a month or two the car is as comfortable to drive as any other Hatch around. Yeah you might still keep pressing the rear power window switches instead of the front though.

I also agree to what CD had posted earlier a normal Tjet Punto instead of the 1.4 Fire. No point in carrying on with that engine when in any case you have a much better engine of same capacity. Moreover, a more direct competitor to the 'now warm Hatch'

[sovenkat]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

The on road price of Abarth Punto Evo in Bangalore is 11.16 lakhs.

Source: http://auto.ndtv.com/news/fiat-abart...5-lakh-1233816

I doubt that on-road pricing. In karnataka the RTO charges are about 16.33% of the ex showroom value (Approximately) and insurance is about 3.5% of the ex-showroom value. That makes the on-road price of the car at about 995000 + 162483 (16.33 %) + 34825 (3.5%). Which comes upto around 1192308. If you add the showroom handling charges of about 6k-10k , it adds upto an on-road price of 12 lakhs in bangalore.

I might be wrong here with my estimates. We also don't know about any discounts being offered at this point of time.

[RavenAvi]

Gaadi has posted their First Drive review of the Abarth twins as well, and they have come back quite impressed.

Abarth Avventura:

After a fair bit of perceptible turbo-lag at lower rpm, all the grunt from the turbocharged motor comes bursting in at once at around 2,000-2,500rpm. The tacho needles climbs up in a frenzy and by the time you hit the 4,000 rpm mark, the wheels are already begging for mercy. Rev the motor a little harder, upshift at the 6,500rpm redline and all hell breaks loose! Thanks to the short and closely matched gear ratios, the engine never runs out of boost if you are shifting cogs above the 5,000 rpm mark. The torque delivery although linear will always have some shove on offer every time you prod the throttle pedal.

First up, when you’re doing a full-bore acceleration run, there’s a crazy amount of torque steer. You really have to hold on to the steering wheel as Fiat’s recent ad campaigns also aptly suggest. Go fast around a bend, try and give it full beans while taking the exit, and you can feel this twitchiness getting more pronounced along with a slight bit of body roll and understeer as the tyres lose their desired track. The car’s ground clearance of 205mm coupled with the stock suspension of the regular Avventura play the killjoy here.

There’s no denying that the Abarth Avventura is laughably scary and offers unparalleled fun for a car of its kind, but concurrently, you cannot neglect the glaring fact that its suspension somehow is not able to keep up with added grunt of the engine. The steering on the Avventura also feels a bit light on the move by Fiat’s previously set hydraulic steering standards, however, it is as communicative and precise as we had expected. Ride quality is atypical of a Fiat; bumps and undulations on the road are soaked up in a comforting manner. Also, thanks to disc brakes all around, speed is shed in an impressive and convincing manner, too!

Abarth Punto:

As soon as you slot the gear in first and dump the clutch, the Abarth Punto rockets with a sense of surefootedness. The steering has more weight and feel to it even at lower speeds, the suspension is super stiff and while there’s a fair bit of torque-steer it is no where as wayward as the Avventura. Like mentioned before, the engine behaves in an identical manner as in the crossover, but in the Abarth Punto all the other components are so well synergized that they complement each other and inspire confidence to go fast. It just feels more connected to the road.

The Abarth Punto is also the car where the true potential of the 1.4 T-Jet motor is also realized. In a straight line, you will be doing high triple digit figures in no time. The stability is rock solid and the way the speed builds up can be best described as addicting. Fiat’s claims of Abarth Punto taking 8.8 seconds to do a 0-100km/h run have to be taken seriously. This car really goes like stink!

Around corners, the Abarth Punto impresses even more. There’s absolutely no body roll, the steering feedback is crisp and only when you try to gun out of a corner does it understeer a bit. The Apollo Alnac 4G tyres it comes fitted with as standard offer decent grip, but during hard cornering they give up a little too soon. Braking performance is ace, courtesy disc brakes on all four wheels along with ABS and EBD.

Gaadi

[rav11stars]

Originally Posted by vibbs

There are a lot of coments on the awkward driving position on Fiat cars. I was just wondering how many of them actually own a Fiat. No this is not a Fan boy rant, but I do feel that the driving position in Fiats (specially the Punto) takes some getting used to. It wasn't too comfortable to begin with for me either and initially I used to miss my Swift's driving position. But believe me over a period of time, I have so got used to the Punto that when I drive Swift now, I am hard pressed to understand what was so superior about the Swift's driving position. I have done a couple of long drives around 14 Hrs at a stretch and I dont think it could have been any more comfortable.:

You echoed my thoughts there bro! I drive on and on for hours without even noticing that it's been more than 10 hours since I stopped for a break; Put it on the seating position, the well-sorted ergonomics, the car just sails. The most fun to be had is when cruising in it; It just feels as if it's gliding.
I'm glad I made this decision to get a Punto.

[Latheesh]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

There have been mixed opinions in this forum, however I don't see a single BHPian booking(or have I missed) an Abarth, not even a Fiat fanboy??

TD cars are not available yet. Whether enthusiasts or average joe one needs to test drive extensively before booking hot hatches like Swift/i20.

[jayded]

Originally Posted by vibbs

There are a lot of coments on the awkward driving position on Fiat cars. I was just wondering how many of them actually own a Fiat. No this is not a Fan boy rant, but I do feel that the driving position in Fiats (specially the Punto) takes some getting used to. It wasn't too comfortable to begin with for me either and initially I used to miss my Swift's driving position. But believe me over a period of time, I have so got used to the Punto that when I drive Swift now, I am hard pressed to understand what was so superior about the Swift's driving position. I have done a couple of long drives around 14 Hrs at a stretch and I dont think it could have been any more comfortable.

People need to realize "getting used to" does not mean it's not a flaw. That way, owners of cars with poor NVH get used to them in some time. Drivers get used to the long clutch travel, turbo lag, rubbery gear shift, lack of power, lack of ground-clearance etc. as they get accustomed with the car. A lot of "feel good/right" factors should be considered at first impression. That way, the Punto and Linea have sub-par driving position set up. And no one needs to own one of these cars and drive it around for thousands of kms to get used to the bad offering from the manufacturer.

Bottom line is, people get used to or settle for what they have in hand since they have to. Doesn't mean it's the best. "First impression is the best impression" does hold true in some cases.

[vinodvayyat]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

There have been mixed opinions in this forum, however I don't see a single BHPian booking(or have I missed) an Abarth, not even a Fiat fanboy??

Going by what has happened so far in this thread, any attempt by any car brand would be termed as a half-hearted one - easily. How can such an improvement for a car would be half-hearted when the improvement itself is significantly brilliant than any other attempt made by any other manufacturer?
By the same logic, I would term any of the existing affordable cars as manifestations of half/no-hearted attempts.

I understand if you say that you wished FIAT had better gear throws rather than "a better gear box", for the fact that none of the reviews so far have talked about a bad tuned gear box. Let it come to showrooms first, have a test drive and then crib about bad gear box.

Spare the fanboys and even enthusiasts - no obligations to certify one's own desire for performance cars by buying one - or do we need so as to continue our discussions here?

For the good parts that you've mentioned, I hope someone would go and own this beast to have the first ownership thread started in T-BHP.

Cheers.

[PatchyBoy]

Originally Posted by jayded

That way, the Punto and Linea have sub-par driving position set up. And no one needs to own one of these cars and drive it around for thousands of kms to get used to the bad offering from the manufacturer.

I own a Linea T-Jet and have found the driving position to be absolutely perfect from day 1. Wonder why you term it sub-par? Or perhaps I am sub-par too.

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by jayded

People need to realize "getting used to" does not mean it's not a flaw. That way, owners of cars with poor NVH get used to them in some time. Drivers get used to the long clutch travel, turbo lag, rubbery gear shift, lack of power, lack of ground-clearance etc. as they get accustomed with the car. A lot of "feel good/right" factors should be considered at first impression. That way, the Punto and Linea have sub-par driving position set up. And no one needs to own one of these cars and drive it around for thousands of kms to get used to the bad offering from the manufacturer.

Bottom line is, people get used to or settle for what they have in hand since they have to. Doesn't mean it's the best. "First impression is the best impression" does hold true in some cases.

Buddy, I can speak only for myself. And I speak from Experience. I had a swift which we sold off two months back and I have a Punto which came home two years back.

Getting 'used' to the 'flawed' driving position of the Punto will not make me suddenly feel that Swift is the same. When I said getting used to it meant trying different positions over a period of time and then arriving at the most comfortable position.

Further 'People' also needs to understand that what might 'feel' comfortable over a short test drive might actually end up being uncomfortable over longer drives. I don't have any data to support anything and just speaking from my experience of the two cars I mentioned.

Before Maruti fans flame me, I do not mean that Swift does not have a comfortable driving position. Just that over a period of time, 'I' have managed to find a position which keeps me comfortable in my Punto more than it used to be while driving 'my' swift.

This will be my last post on this subject.

Thanks