[jetsetgo08]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

The OTR for Punto Evo in New Delhi, UP and Haryana

In Hyderabad, there are discounts available ranging from 40k(powertech Emotion, ~8.8L OTR Hyderabad) upto 90k, for the older non-powertech 90ps Emotion variant(~8.3L OTR hyderabad).

If you are serious about buying one, be sure to negotiate hard as it is a low selling model and they(Fiat) do have a good amount of inventory to clear off.
You might get an even better deal in January 2017.

[SKavuri]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

The sales representative told me there are no discounts, however I saw a banner outside their showroom which mentioned 65,000/- benefits on Punto Evo.

Here is some feedback after completing 1 month and 600km on the Punto Evo 90hp. Do check these and ensure before you make the decision. The discount, by the way are mentioned in their website and so they cannot say there is no discount.

Negatives:
- Just a couple of days ago I drive on the ring road and crossed 100kmph for the first time. What I noticed is excessive vertical movement (as if the suspension is too soft) once I cross 80. Since most of the TDs are in city at low speeds, you may miss this. Do take a TD on a free stretch and push to 100 to check this. The sales guy said the suspension is identical to Punto Sport 90hp - but clearly it is not true. I am a bit disappointed on this point. However, I touched 150km/h just to check the steadiness and it is very steady, confident inspiring and reassuring.

- First gear: It is very short and even with that, the torque seems a bit low, especially when starting on a uphill or taking a sharp u-turn. The longish clutch travel is not helping in this matter either. It stalled a couple of times.

- There is no proper user manual for the navigation system (just one page). Also it is not clear how to upgrade the navigation system. They said you can request for upgrade (basically replace the micro-SD card) when you get it serviced. But he sounded a bit hesitant when he said that and could not tell me how much it costs. Also first check the navigation system works. The micro-SD card was missing in my car and he plucked it from another car and inserted it at delivery.

- The turning radius was supposed to have been reduced in 2012 but I think it is back to pre-2012 levels. There is nothing in the "official" brochure and I didn't specifically ask this. But I can "feel" it everyday when I have to make three forward-reverse swings to fit in my parking slot. My earlier car Vista took two swings.

Some which could be specific to driver:
- I found foot-well a bit cramped. Took almost a month to get used to it.
- Reversed positions of the light and wiper sticks - even after a month, I keep washing my windscreen when i want to give turn-indication!!

Positives:
- Turbo-kick smoothened out and noise insulation is improved.
- Third gear is a pleasure - tall and decent torque. Ideal for city speeds.
- Even after 600km on monsoon-battered, metro-construction-affected, pot-holed Hyderabad roads, not a single creaking or rattling sound.
- Many Input modes for entertainment system: Aux-in, Bluetooth, USB and micro-SD cards! I had many old USB and micro-SD cards lying around, I copied my music on them genre-wise and I have all my collection ready at finger tips.

[sidindica]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

The sales representative told me there are no discounts, however I saw a banner outside their showroom which mentioned 65,000/- benefits on Punto Evo.

Discounts are there on powertech also. If you go for 75+remap, you will actually enjoy more. Take a drive of my car anytime you feel like.

[Williams_f1]

Originally Posted by SKavuri

Here is some feedback after completing 1 month and .......................
Negatives: .........
Positives:.........

Hi,

>You should wait till you complete 5k Kms, as the engine really smoothens out and the drivability is also better, the difference is almost night and day.
>The First gear is always a challenge, it does get better with time though.
> The vertical movement issue is news to me but I dont drive fast so can't comment but do check your tyre pressure.
>The stalks, again you have to live with them.
> The Clutch, for me is a joy to use and the same for my wife who favors it over our petrol swift which she finds very hard to modulate and keeps stalling it whereas in the Punto she felt at home from day one.

Welcome to the Fiat fraternity!

[nibedk]

Originally Posted by SKavuri

Here is some feedback after completing 1 month and 600km on the Punto Evo 90hp. Do check these and ensure before you make the decision. The discount, by the way are mentioned in their website and so they cannot say there is no discount.

Negatives:
- Just a couple of days ago I drive on the ring road and crossed 100kmph for the first time. What I noticed is excessive vertical movement (as if the suspension is too soft) once I cross 80. Since most of the TDs are in city at low speeds, you may miss this. Do take a TD on a free stretch and push to 100 to check this. The sales guy said the suspension is identical to Punto Sport 90hp - but clearly it is not true. I am a bit disappointed on this point. However, I touched 150km/h just to check the steadiness and it is very steady, confident inspiring and reassuring.

Surely some issues with your car. There is no change on the mechanical front from 2014 update so I do not think it should be an issue.
What's the tire pressure you are using? Too high will lead to bouncing and vertical movements.


- First gear: It is very short and even with that, the torque seems a bit low, especially when starting on a uphill or taking a sharp U-turn. The longish clutch travel is not helping in this matter either. It stalled a couple of times.

You will get used to it. This is the nature of MJET. You need to keep it above 1700 rpms for better response.

- There is no proper user manual for the navigation system (just one page). Also it is not clear how to upgrade the navigation system. They said you can request for upgrade (basically replace the micro-SD card) when you get it serviced. But he sounded a bit hesitant when he said that and could not tell me how much it costs. Also first check the navigation system works. The micro-SD card was missing in my car and he plucked it from another car and inserted it at delivery.

Can't comment as I have a 2014 Grande Punto Sports which doesn't have navigation. I prefer navigation on mobile. Google maps for online maps and Sygic (paid for Asia) for Offline. Both have been serving me well. At least I do not have to take my eyes off road. In the night I use the HUD feature from Sygic. All it takes in eyes 2 seconds off the road. I will continue using mobile maps till car manufacturers can provide maps which can be displayed on wind screen or if I do not have to take my eyes off road

- The turning radius was supposed to have been reduced in 2012 but I think it is back to pre-2012 levels. There is nothing in the "official" brochure and I didn't specifically ask this. But I can "feel" it everyday when I have to make three forward-reverse swings to fit in my parking slot. My earlier car Vista took two swings.

Well it was 5.4 m for pre-2012. Current Evo/Power Tech is 5m

Now the shocker 5.2 m for Elite i20
One more Jazz is 5.1 m
Figo, Vista and Baleno @ 4.9 m are comparable.
I still don't get why folks have an issue with Punto's turning radius. It’s as big as Elite or Jazz dimension wise. I do agree space utilization has not been that great. But what do we get in Jazz and Elite. Thinner seats, smaller dashes, thinner door pads. Quality may look better to eyes and to touch but they are not as abuse friendly as Fiat or Tata.

It’s more of a part of Fiat's folklore that refuses to die.


Some which could be specific to driver:
- I found foot-well a bit cramped. Took almost a month to get used to it.
- Reversed positions of the light and wiper sticks - even after a month, I keep washing my windscreen when i want to give turn-indication!!

Agreed to point one. Even Swift's is better but @ what cost. No dead pedal.
No doubt for city drive it’s a pain but for long drives it’s a boon.
Folks who do 1 K kms at stretch know it better. I do regularly and hence can vouch for its utility. Besides it’s a matter of getting used.

On point two I do agree that for some getting used to the ergonomics can take ages. But as an individual I have driven multiple cars European, Japanese, Korean and it doesn't take me long to adjust to these changes. This again is a matter of getting used. I took to Fiat after driving Maruti for close to 2 decades. But have been fortunate enough to drive a whole lot of other cars ranging from humble Amby to Beetles, Dodges, Pontiacs, Fiat 500 and lot more.

The only issues I keep facing is opening the rear windows instead of front ones. I laugh @ myself every time thinking that Italians have longer arms and legs compared to their torso. See the P in older Punto logo. One can clearly make out a person with longer limbs than torso.


Positives:
- Turbo-kick smoothened out and noise insulation is improved.
- Third gear is a pleasure - tall and decent torque. Ideal for city speeds.
- Even after 600km on monsoon-battered, metro-construction-affected, pot-holed Hyderabad roads, not a single creaking or rattling sound.
- Many Input modes for entertainment system: Aux-in, Bluetooth, USB and micro-SD cards! I had many old USB and micro-SD cards lying around, I copied my music on them genre-wise and I have all my collection ready at finger tips.

Well every car will have its own pros and cons. I believe we buy cars based on that.

Anyone who picks up a Fiat for reasons which doesn't include the brilliant hydraulic power steering, balanced suspension, driving dynamics, safety features and build quality has not picked the right car.

Other than the older Figo and Fiesta nothing else comes close.

If you picked up the Fiat for any other reason then you bought the wrong car mate.

Note from Moderator: Please do not type the whole post in BOLD and ITALICS. Thanks

[Turbanator]

Anyone thinking of buying this for driving pleasure must test car longer as suggested by others as well, apparently Narain Karthikeyan was not convinced either.

"Brilliant engine, but the suspension is too comfort-oriented to be a real Abarth."

The Abarth Punto’s strong mid-range and considerable punch make it tremendous fun to drive in a straight line. And there’s plenty of feel from the steering. But this isn’t a car that’s well suited to hard cornering on the track, and that’s primarily down to the soft suspension: it just doesn’t let you carry speed into corners. “It gets full marks for a half-baked job,” says a clearly disappointed Narain. “The engine is phenomenal and the interior gives you a feel of the real thing, but the soft suspension just lets it down. It rolls so much, often you just can’t put the power down.” It should have at least been quicker than the Polo GT.

http://www.autocarindia.com/auto-fea...-402973.aspx/0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c64WQaCOjwo

[SKavuri]

Originally Posted by Williams_f1

Hi,

> The vertical movement issue is news to me but I dont drive fast so can't comment but do check your tyre pressure.
> The Clutch, for me is a joy to use and the same for my wife who favors it over our petrol swift which she finds very hard to modulate and keeps stalling it whereas in the Punto she felt at home from day one.

Welcome to the Fiat fraternity!

Originally Posted by nibedk

Anyone who picks up a Fiat for reasons which doesn't include the brilliant hydraulic power steering, balanced suspension, driving dynamics, safety features and build quality has not picked the right car.
If you picked up the Fiat for any other reason then you bought the wrong car mate.

- Seems I need to get the suspension checked. I spoke to them on phone and was told that there is little that they can do unless there as a damage.

- I am aware the comparative strengths of Punto. Indeed I bought Punto for the Ride and Handling, dyamics, suspension etc. Otherwise I would have picked Honda City or other more popular ones. The suspension is a real concern in my case. I could be unfortunate to have got one with a defective suspension set-up. Tyre pressures are ok.

- The turning radius concern is also a reality - as I said, this is in comparison with the Vista (2008). One can definitely "feel" the difference, and I confess I have not actually measured it.

It is not as if I am regretting buying Punto. I had a couple of surprises which I wanted to share so that the other buyers make a informed choice.

[Waspune]

The new suspensions (2012 onwards), specially with the lower profile tyres (Punto Evo Sports) feel a little stiff at initial speeds, but after that it smothers everything on the road. The suspension is tuned in such a way that it gives a flat ride. If that's not the case then please get it checked. Vertical movement in a Punto is like lazy performance by City ivtec mill.

The turning radius is normal, at par with Kwid and lower than i20.

PS:I drive Punto Evo 90 HP Sports

[nibedk]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Anyone thinking of buying this for driving pleasure must test car longer as suggested by others as well, apparently Narain Karthikeyan was not convinced either.

"Brilliant engine, but the suspension is too comfort-oriented to be a real Abarth."

The Abarth Punto’s strong mid-range and considerable punch make it tremendous fun to drive in a straight line. And there’s plenty of feel from the steering. But this isn’t a car that’s well suited to hard cornering on the track, and that’s primarily down to the soft suspension: it just doesn’t let you carry speed into corners. “It gets full marks for a half-baked job,” says a clearly disappointed Narain. “The engine is phenomenal and the interior gives you a feel of the real thing, but the soft suspension just lets it down. It rolls so much, often you just can’t put the power down.” It should have at least been quicker than the Polo GT.

http://www.autocarindia.com/auto-fea...-402973.aspx/0

https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=c64WQaCOjwo

With all due to respect to Narain Karthikeyan who no doubt is one of the best drivers in India we need to understand the context before jumping to any conclusion.

He rated Figo 8/10 and Abarth 6/10.

So do we conclude Figo is a better car? No doubt it’s a brilliant car in its class.
But is it a better driver's car compared to older Figo, pre or post Punto/Linea/Fiesta. No it’s not. I am not even comparing with Abarth yet.

For the class which Figo is it pretty good and despite compromises to its dynamic ability compared to even its predecessor that stonker of an engine makes up for what it loses in other areas.

I have driven Figo old and new, Fiesta new and old and all Fiats. So I know how they drive.

I have driven Abarth as well and none of these cars will be as good as a driver's car.

Well even though I have not driven the real Abarth but the one in India is better than any other car as a driver's car only currently in India.

What Mr. Narain meant is in comparison to the full-fledged Abarth the one in India is not there yet.

And if any one believes that there is any other car better than Abarth - strictly as a driver's car needs a trip to Ooty or Valparai behind the Indian Abarth’ s wheel and all his doubts would be clear.

I am in no way pointing that it is THE BEST.

i20, Polo will have better gear boxes. Even Swift or a Baleno will have better gear boxes. The TSI has a brilliant auto gear box.

i20, Baleno and Jazz will have more space and better ergonomics.

The Fiesta will feel more agile and tauter It has a brilliant EPS which is as good as Linea/Punto's HPS and lighter as well

But the car as a whole is more than the sum of its parts and as a driver's car nothing else comes close.

May be till VW comes up with Polo GTI or whatever they are going to call it. But it will be double the cost. I am pretty sure it will drive faster but dynamics and suspension may still be not a match to international standards. We will have to wait for some more time till it’s launched.

[sinharishi]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Find another one from the showroom and if that guy is better, give him that sale please!

Originally Posted by jetsetgo08

If you are serious about buying one, be sure to negotiate hard as it is a low selling model and they(Fiat) do have a good amount of inventory to clear off.

Originally Posted by SKavuri

Do check these and ensure before you make the decision.

Originally Posted by sidindica

If you go for 75+remap, you will actually enjoy more

I have made the decision, unfortunately, I had to give Punto a miss without test driving it. Taking delivery of S-Cross 1.3 Delta on 28th October.

[SKavuri]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

I have made the decision, unfortunately, I had to give Punto a miss without test driving it. Taking delivery of S-Cross 1.3 Delta on 28th October.

Congratulations! Look forward to posts on your buying experience followed by ownership experience.

[pdma]

Originally Posted by EPMV

After a long wait to put my hands on the 90hp, this is really a bad news for me. I was drooling about the 16 inch alloys and full black interiors in 90 hp. Discontinued message is really not a happy message, can't they offer these in the dynamic variant atleast.

EPMV,

I agree to your point, the black interiors are a boon and they look very nice. We can always find some after market solutions after a couple of years so that the new instinct stays intact .
The 16 inchers look meaty, but trust me 15 inchers are not bad. My car runs on 15 inchers and they pretty good as well.
All the best for your purchase. Do keep us posted on the development .

Cheers,
Pradeep.

[sidindica]

Booked one in silver. Comprehensive ownership review to come by End 2016.

[EPMV]

Originally Posted by sidindica

Booked one in silver. Comprehensive ownership review to come by End 2016.

Congrats for the booking. If that is multijet emotion variant, May i know the price details.

[sidindica]

Car is here, and I find my frosty reindeer to be a vastly improved version of the erstwhile red beluga.







So, all the 90HP multijet engines manufactured in Punto evos post June 2016 batches (with "powertech" badging) now see the timing chain change at 90,000 kms compared to early 60,000 kms. I cross checked with an owners manual of 2014-2016 Punto Evo series for the "sport" variant and that has a 60,000 kms interval.