[thewhiteknight]

I am not sure if you are purely trolling this thread or you are just too blind to see why the Fiat Punto Abarth is a significant vehicle on Indian roads. Let me answer this piecemeal.

Originally Posted by iFuel

So what am I paying 10L+ for in a hatchback. The engine and BHP, is that it? There is nothing else that tells this car apart from the punto that no one wants to buy.

In a word, you are paying for the Power. If you believe in paying close to 6L+ for a Maruti Suzuki Swift with 80+ bhp, then paying 10L for a 145 bhp Punto Abarth is a no brainer-you do the math. You want fancy, go right ahead-put 52 stickers on the hatch and get a sound system which announces you about 3 KM away. Otherwise, take the decals off the Punto Abarth and build a sleeper and watch every other hatchback sold in India-at this price- fade away in the rear-view.

Originally Posted by iFuel

145BHP isn't ground breaking, maybe this thing was admirable during her days, whenever it was launched abroad(pardon me but fiat and I don't see eye to eye). I don't see why I would want to plonk 10L+ in a plain jane looking dull car with 145BHP and nothing else to drive home a point about it's road presence.

If 145 bhp for a 10L hatchback in India is not groundbreaking, then by those standards, the Ferrari LaFerrari is about the same as a Hyundai Verna in India. No idea about 'Punto's her days' but in India where the ex-most powerful hatchback-similarly priced-retails for about 10L and gives 2/3 the power, I would think its pretty ground-breaking. If you want road presence, no production car in India has it. This is purely because of the numbers we command. For something to command road presence, it needs to be a bit un-common. For road presence, It would be best to consider an exotic or something from the WnW thread.

Originally Posted by iFuel

And then we have some mad as hell drivers in New Delhi, that drive like maniacs.

Ah, the Delhi drivers. Yea, they are the worst. Or is it in Bangalore? Nope, actually, I would reckon Bombay takes the cake. Waitaminute, I see the Pune guys raising their hands too. And I won't even consider giving the good folks from Chennai a chance.

[ampere]

Mod Note: Guys, Lets keep this thread tied to the merits and demerits of the car. Lets leave the future of Fiat in the hands of its policy makers.

[chase_nt]

As a GT TSI owner i have no qualms about admitting how impressed i am with Fiat for offering the Abarth Punto. The GT TSI has interiors that are a notch above the Abarth, it may have an impressive DSG gearbox but at the end of the day if you are talking about sheer power, torque, handling and stopping abilities the Abarth Punto just runs circles around the GT TSI. Not to mention that you have all this with a manual gearbox that at the end of the day is just more fun to drive compared to an automatic gearbox that no matter how fast it might be cannot compare to the level of driver involvement that you get out of a stick shift. The only reason i purchased the the GT TSI was because it was THE most powerful hatchback at that time and i am not counting hatches by Mini or Merc as they are wayyyy over my budget. I was looking for raw power and the GT TSI had it and the fact that it was an automatic was something that i was going to live with. Fiats new offering makes such decisions a no brainer for people like me who are looking for a powerful hatch with a manual transmission and for everyone else theres the GT TSI. My heart says ditch my GT and get the Abarth Punto while my brain says "think rationally". I have a strong feeling that my heart is gonna win this fight. Why Fiat didnt you bring this car 2 years ago and save me from this plight?

[sidindica]

Its really sad to see discussions going downhill.

Also, as we who call ourselves car enthusiasts, spare a thought for Fiat, struggling to regain its foothold in the market, trying something different for the enthusiasts.

Going back to history,

Case 1:





Fiat launches a hatch with a big displacement 1596 hi tech torque engine belting out a 100 horses, which can do 0-100 in a shade over 10s with synthetic oil and high octane petrol, at a time the Indian market didn't see anything above 800 cc/1000 cc/1100 cc. Yes, the Indica petrol has 1405 cc, but how much popular it was?
The result is a sales disaster since the public was upgrading from lightweight "papa ki karaan petrol khatam hi nahi hoinda hai" Marutis spoiled by high FE figures and couldn't tolerate 6-8 kpl figures.
Market wasn't matured and as a result, the product bombed.

Case 2:





Today, the market clamors for a performance hatch, and the flawed tax structure and regulations doesn't permit things to go beyond 1.2 petrols. And VW spoilt people by breaking the 100 horse barrier after 11 years to give them a fast hatch with the convenience of an AT.
And Fiat makes another honest attempt, to a good 145 bhp and a claimed sub 9S time, and yet again it gets brickbats by many people up here. This just shows that we still stay in old school thinking in not letting appreciate choices in the market and more worried about brand X, brand Y etc.

The GT has no steering, chassis, suspension, brakes, wheels and tyre upgrades over the standard 1.2 highline and it only has a different engine and transmission that's it. It spoilt enthusiasts just because compared to other "1.2s", it was FAST. But, at the same time, Fiat continued to languish with its "slow old dated" engine image of the Punto.
The only way that the image had to be diluted was getting this. And as far as constant discussion on rubbery gearshift is concerned, once again, compared to my own punto, its far better due to redesigned linkage cables in the evo. Do give it a thorough test drive before making flattening comments what we have seen above.
The Abarth evo is not for everyone, and those who cannot justify paying 12 lakhs on road need not necessarily buy it. Its about sheer engineering and performance, and handling, not about having a zillion buttons or fancy gadgets present in H and H. I welcome this move, and we must appreciate that we have choices for all customers out there. That who will buy it or not, is not our decision, its the public's.
The Abarth gets a bigger tuned engine, lowered suspension, stiffer dampers, all round anti roll bar, rear disc brakes, bigger alloys and wider tyres not present in GT. And that's what counts, at the end of the day.
And, like a popular saying goes, there is no replacement for displacement.

Want another enthusiast car on a budget, probably instead of drawing conclusions over this, the swift glory makes sense.

Case rested.

(punto abarth pics source motoroids)

[P242]

That's some seriously good pricing , will be going for TD this weekend. I don't really need a second car but why not. Even though its not a full Abarth but 145hp in a hatch especially for India is really great and Punto has great chassis to handle it.

Finally we are getting some nice cars and hopefully one day Maruti will also see the light and will bring Swift sport to India instead of the silly cars they are coming up with now.

Side note: Just wish that VW comes up with a full blown polo GTI this Diwali and keep the price under 15 lac.

[Sathya_sc]

Originally Posted by sidindica

The Abarth gets a bigger tuned engine,


1. Lowered suspension,
2. Stiffer dampers,
3. All round anti roll bar,
4. rear disc brakes,
5. Bigger alloys and
6. Wider tyres

not present in GT. And that's what counts, at the end of the day.
And, like a popular saying goes, there is no replacement for displacement.

This is quite useful and eye opening for those who think the Abarth is pricey since the perception is, it only has a bigger engine and higher bhp numbers than the regular one. Thanks SID. I think safety is key and having driven the Tjet I could say how the larger tyres and all wheel discs truly help.

I think, FIAT has genuinely made an attempt to satisfy the driving enthusiasts / petrol-heads around and its truly commendable.

Where I am a little skeptical is, this being a petrol, how many of them would actually make the plunge (in our diesel dominated market). Only time will tell.

The only saving grace shall be, when a person test drives it, he cannot resist the temptation (like a kid wanting a candy) and buys it (I bought the Linea Tjet that way)..

I sincerely hope this succeeds so that we see more and more of these cars in our market. Come on guys, let us give FIAT a chance.

[chase_nt]

I just called the nearest Fiat dealer who is located 341 Km's away in Vijayawada (AP) and they have a white Abarth Punto in stock. I was given a quote of Rs 11.65 lakh on road. They however do not have any test drive car and hence going all the way for a test drive is virtually ruled out. Besides i really do no need to test drive this car as it has a pedigree. In fact i even bought my GT TSI without a test drive, something that i had never ever done in my life. I'll bet the Abarth Punto will be the second such instance.

I have virtually made up my mind to replace my GT TSI with this mean machine. Its ironic because many years ago before i actually took to the wheel, my grandfather was purchasing the Palio 1.2 and i would try and convince him to take the Palio 1.6 GTX instead. Every once in a while a legend comes along and after a long wait here is another legend from Fiat. Kudos to Fiat for this exciting launch.

[loki]

Wish i could trade in my Linea 1.4 Fire and get the Abarth Punto!

The Punto/ Linea always had segment best ride, handling and build quality (close the door and you get a proper 'Thunk'). And with the 145 BHP engine, its one sweet deal to be honest. After getting used to the brilliant hydraulic steering in my Linea, I find it weird to drive Electric Power steering cars - especially on highways.

Im Ok with the ergonomics/ seating position too. But I guess a lot of folks have issues with it. If Fiat could sort that part out, then I suppose it will become a better package.

[Naparajito]

People who claim paying 10Lakhs for this car isn't worth it there are other choices available in the market already like the Swift Glory which offers everything, slightly less power and infact way better service network. VW polo GT TSi is another fantastic option too, but the matter of fact is none of them give you the best of both worlds, do they?
I agree your view is important but at the end of the day people who have to buy the Abarth Evo will buy it and who want a Swift Glory, probably have booked it already.

Appreciate them for the good work they have done rather than craving for what's not perfect. Like always, the glass is half filled or half empty. Your perception.
Cheers

[fuelinmyveins]

Originally Posted by skm1967

Went to Thrust Fiat Moti Nagar today looking forward to a TD of Punto Abarth. There is not even a display vehicle at the dealership. It will be available after a week only. Unfortunately it seems people are posting wrong information here.

Originally Posted by SUPERSPORT

Can you please point out which is the pure and complete drivers car under 10 Lakhs? No car is perfect man. The way I see it this is as close as it can get to pure drivers car under 10L.

Originally Posted by vibbs

Well that's interesting.
Could you pls clarify. The gentleman here says there was no Punto Abarth on display forget test driving at Moti Nagar dealership.

You have managed to get a lot of us worked up with your experience and I believe a clarification is due.

Originally Posted by carwatcher

Sorry but you forgot the most important one,

FIAT would wind-up from India before you reach home after taking delivery of the car.

Sir

I humbly apologise to all my fellow forum members , for this slight controversy.

I would like to clear the air with following comments:-

1. I Had first enquired with thrust Fiat who claimed that the car will not be available for display before November thus I had scheduled for a testdrive with Kashyap Fiat on my friend's recommendation.

2. The test drive of Punto was scheduled with Kashyap Fiat , by registering for a test drive inquiry/request a week in advance and thanks to my friend who has a long association with them for Fiat and Volvo cars(Kahsyap group owns a Volvo showroom as well).

3. The other two cars were tested at Vokswagen Delhi west and Hans Hyundai respectively. Both are in Moti Nagar as well.

4. The venue Was chosen as Moti Nagar, as Our factory in situated in the nearby industrial area along Rama road and my friend lives nearby in Rajouri Garden as well.

5. Name of the car dealers were not mentioned as I didn't want to promote or discredit any dealer chain as such.

6. So in short due to the excitement of sharing my experience and because of my reservation in naming any of the dealers, the text of the post seemed to suggest that I had test driven the car at thrust fiat.

I hope it clears any confusion that you guys may have.

regards

[rav11stars]

Originally Posted by sidindica

And as far as constant discussion on rubbery gearshift is concerned, once again, compared to my own punto, its far better due to redesigned linkage cables in the evo.

Now that you've mentioned it, I'd like to ask something even though it's slightly off-topic.
Are there any other differences between the GP and the Punto Evo? I can't comment as I'm not that technically literate and I've not driven the GP extensively to feel any differences between it and the Evo.

[sree83]

Was lucky to get hold of one yesterday for a rather small td. Sharing my standpoint.
1. The car is really fast. Power delivery is a bit linear instead of that sudden surge expected from a turbo petrol mill.
2. One can actually feel the abundance of torque when needed. I felt the gear ratios better here. In 3rd gear one can actually cruise from crawling speed to 3 digit speeds without any fuss.
3. The steering felt great to hold as compared to evo. I strongly feel that fiat has reduced the steering dia in Abarth. I test drove the evo couple of weeks ago and was struggling to find a comfortable driving posn which didn happen with Abarth.
4. Powerful brakes with good bite and commendable stopping power impart the much needed confidence.
5. As it is in any punto ride quality still excels in Abarth even with the stiffer suspension set up.
However I couldn't drive it over really bad roads.
But I believe most of the roads in kochi are bad enough for the purpose.
6. The major fly in the ointment is the rubbery gearshift which needs a bit of struggle. ng

In a nutshell I found Abarth really involving to drive. Exactly what the doctors have been prescribing for enthusiasts.Further I appreciate Fiat for taking such a big move which hopefully will bring more contenders in future. We all know that no car can be perfect, but Fiat through Abarth at least tries to make a move in the right direction.
Also please note that I drive a fiesta classic and have not owned any Fiat cars in past.

[S.MJet]

Originally Posted by Sathya_sc

This is quite useful and eye opening for those who think the Abarth is pricey since the perception is, it only has a bigger engine and higher bhp numbers than the regular one.

And there are many engine components different from Linea T-Jet (shared by PatchyBoy earlier on this thread), in all probability these would be imports.
1. Turbo Charger
2. Exhaust Manifold
3. Intake Camshaft
4. Exhaust Camshaft
5. Intake Air Fuel Module
6. Pressure Sensor after the Intercooler
7. Boost Pressure and Temperature Sensor on Intake Manifold
8. Fuel Rail
9. Spark Plugs
10. Injectors
11. Battery
12. Different maps.

[driveanddrive]

Originally Posted by firstguri

That is correct.
What sensor? Can you please elaborate?

The SA also said there will be an exhaust on offer as an accessory, which will be priced at ~ 25K.

See the image below, it might be a silly observation too



The little thing near the windshield on the dashboard, that's what I was talking about.
Pic Source: Post #804

[Sathya_sc]

The SA also said there will be an exhaust on offer as an accessory, which will be priced at ~ 25K.

Now thats even more interesting. All the horses with a wicked engine growl.. Even sweet. I am sold fully if this is true.

Originally Posted by S.MJet

And there are many engine components different from Linea T-Jet (shared by PatchyBoy earlier on this thread), in all probability these would be imports.
1. Turbo Charger
2. Exhaust Manifold
3. Intake Camshaft
4. Exhaust Camshaft
5. Intake Air Fuel Module
6. Pressure Sensor after the Intercooler
7. Boost Pressure and Temperature Sensor on Intake Manifold
8. Fuel Rail
9. Spark Plugs
10. Injectors
11. Battery
12. Different maps.

Can the mods add this post or the points from this post or PatchyBoy's earlier post somewhere (may be in the first post of this thread) to help understand on what has changed in Abarth when compared to the regular Evo.

This will be an eye opener for those who complain that the price is not justified.

Just a suggestion.