Th MultiJet Blitzkreig : Suzuki Ritz VS Fiat Punto

shantyrocks · 16th July 2009, 15:23

The only reason for not including the swift is that its alredy a winner.its alredy crossed the chequered flag and is sitting pretty on the top spot.I myself drive a swift DDis and my previous car was a petra 1.6 which was awesome itself.

The race now is between the newcomers on the block.They have the swift and the indica vista to beat.Also IMHO the fun to drive factor in swift is lots more as compared to the punto or ritz.I feel that if the swift follows the BS4 norms it might get slightly slower.

ntrack · 16th July 2009, 16:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by shantyrocks

The only reason for not including the swift is that its alredy a winner.its alredy crossed the chequered flag and is sitting pretty on the top spot.I myself drive a swift DDis and my previous car was a petra 1.6 which was awesome itself.

The race now is between the newcomers on the block.They have the swift and the indica vista to beat.Also IMHO the fun to drive factor in swift is lots more as compared to the punto or ritz.I feel that if the swift follows the BS4 norms it might get slightly slower.

The Swift DDiS is surely a FTD car

, but feels jittery at speeds in excess of 120kmph - the 'sure-footedness' of the Punto or even the Palio is heavily missed. Also the steering is not of my liking at higher speeds.

Punto is not as swift in comparison to Swift or Ritz but is certainly not underpowered. In isolation (acceleration of course), it comes out as a good all-rounder.

ntrack · 16th July 2009, 16:14

The ride quality of the Punto again is unmatched in the segment & this is a very very important factor for passenger comfort.

pmbabu · 16th July 2009, 17:30

Well, we can all say over a hundred things and vote for either - but as far as the actual sales goes, Ritz will be (and it already is) miles ahead of Punto.

Within the city, Punto's large turning radius is a big disadvantage. Ritz sure wins in practicality department.

shantyrocks · 16th July 2009, 17:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmbabu

Well, we can all say over a hundred things and vote for either - but as far as the actual sales goes, Ritz will be (and it already is) miles ahead of Punto.

Within the city, Punto's large turning radius is a big disadvantage. Ritz sure wins in practicality department.

yes i agree.Ritz will outsell the punto by a few thousands.

nurni76 · 16th July 2009, 17:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmbabu

Well, we can all say over a hundred things and vote for either - but as far as the actual sales goes, Ritz will be (and it already is) miles ahead of Punto.

Within the city, Punto's large turning radius is a big disadvantage. Ritz sure wins in practicality department.

Agree. The real testimony to the success of a car is the actual sales. It is like an actor saying, "Film awards are appreciation by a team of people, but real award is the number of fans who see the movie and appreciate the same"

But finally it is also left to the individual's needs and requirements. So people who like practicality will opt for a Ritz, while those who love to have a good handling car will opt for the Punto

aaggoswami · 16th July 2009, 17:53

Voted for Ritz DDiS.
Reasons :

1) Looks : I dont like Punto Looks. Linea looks better, but Punto looks like frog to me. Looks are subjective.

2) Poor FIAT A.S & S. : Maruti wins. The dealerships are also wide spread along with service centers.

3) Engine noise in Punto : After a long day, I want silent engines if they are not petrol. In case of Petrol motors, I can take them to 6K rpm + and that is good, but not diesels.

4) Cost cutting in Punto : The quality of plastic parts and not putting in rubber beadings, etc. are bad in case of Punto. Where is Palio like quality. Today I feel Palio is one of the better built hatches under Rs. 7 lakh.

5) Turning radius : Any narrow street ( all streets are getting narrower as more people convert widened roadsides as their parking place ) U-turn will make anybody realize what I am trying to say.

Overall, I think Punto loses on practicality. For such a large hatch, I feel interior space could have been better.

vineethvazhayil · 16th July 2009, 18:11

Purely on the car factor, my vote is for the Punto! If you add up a lot of other factors, Ritz comes closer, but for me Punto has its nose ahead!

harry10 · 16th July 2009, 18:22

Voted for Punto-
Had not driven Ritz but i will buy out that its more peppy to drive however for me a car needs to be good looking and Ritz IMO is ok from front and ugly from back. I love Punto's look and the only one to compete in looks is i20.
Also i feel Swift Vdi is most fun to drive in all the hatches i had driven till date but after 100kmph speed it does not inspire much confidence due to the stability factor.

pmbabu · 16th July 2009, 18:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by harry10

Ritz IMO is ok from front and ugly from back.

I agree, Ritz is just soooooooo ugly from the back. I wonder how such a design can pass even initial sketches.

Wolfheart · 16th July 2009, 18:39

I'm not a big fan of hatchbacks but given the choice between a rtiz and a punto I would go for the punto.

No offense to all the ritz fans but guys this car is just plain ugly

. It's a horrible abomination masquerading as a 21st century design. Alright maybe it has good specs otherwise but hey. I wouldnt want to be seen in one of those!!!

Just 'cos maruti has a good market share they've become overconfident and churning out one monstrosity after the other.

I thought they had peaked with the ugly swift desire ( which is basically a swift with an a$$) but the ritz takes the cake!! It's shocking that people actually spend good money on buying these cars. Wake up folks!!
(just my two bits, no offense intended to anyone except for the designers at maruti suzuki

)

prkothan · 16th July 2009, 18:42

I really don't understand what they mean by poor FIAT A.S.S and spares issue. I own a FIAT Palio 2002 model. Till now I have faced 2 accidents (twice city bus rammed my car from the rear). Till today I have't faced any service issue, spares issue (except once). Once there was delay in procuring trunk door, service centre just repaired and delivered it to me. I get sick of reading repeated mention of poor A.S.S by fiat. Hence I really hate to visit Team-bhp.com Because I know its pure lie and mostly written by people who haven't used FIAT vehicles. But there is limit for everything. This is getting beyond stupidity. Here some facts about my car. My Palio gives around 10.25 kmpl for my regular office drive. And gives around 14-15 in highway. Around 50,000 kms, I replaced entire clutch assemply. Thats the only change done to my car in terms of wear and tear. Its looks rock solid and new. Well, I love my car and I maintain it properly. Resale value ? I guess my car (7 years old) will fetch 1.5 lacs. How much other car 7 yrs old car will fetch ? Atleast if some one buy my car will live happily for another 3 yrs. I don't similar if some one buys a 7 yr old Wagon R or Santro. Regards, Prasanna

NFS2024 · 16th July 2009, 18:44

Purely from a practicality point of view voted for the Ritz. I guess over a period of time people will get used to the looks and it already is selling in large numbers anyways.

Will buy Fiat only when they establish their exclusive dealer networks and service centres in India, its high time they did.

Gandhi · 16th July 2009, 18:51

Voted for Punto based on the looks as I haven't driven either of the cars

.

itsrenjith · 16th July 2009, 18:57

My two cents:

GP: Great car to look at and drive. But interior space is very cramped, both at the driver seat and at the back. Punto back seat is made for two and three is deinitely a crowd there. Costlier (emotion pack variant) compared to Ritz VDI+ABS. However some additional features make up for the price difference. I think it will sell very well among the young urban professional families and singles.

Ritz: Many people have blamed the looks, but i think it will grow on everyone over the time. I own a Ritz VXI and initially i hated the looks, but now i actually feel that the looks are quite nice and are likely to last as more refreshing compared to the conventional looks of other cars. The big plus in Ritz is the internal space, i think its much better than the Punto, both at the driver seat as well as the rear.

I think both the cars appeal to different set of people. Punto is very much a personality car and would be preferred by the enthusiasts (like the TBHPians), whereas the Ritz would sell well among the masses who want a decent ride with less after sales headaches etc.

IMHO the poll here is a bit unfair on the Ritz which is a more practical car compared to the red-hot Punto which is an enthusiasts car.

View Poll Results: which is better?
Ritz DDiS	65	20.50%
Punto MJD	252	79.50%
Voters: 317. You may not vote on this poll

16th July 2009, 15:23	#31
shantyrocks BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: thane Posts: 741 Thanked: 5 Times	The only reason for not including the swift is that its alredy a winner.its alredy crossed the chequered flag and is sitting pretty on the top spot.I myself drive a swift DDis and my previous car was a petra 1.6 which was awesome itself. The race now is between the newcomers on the block.They have the swift and the indica vista to beat.Also IMHO the fun to drive factor in swift is lots more as compared to the punto or ritz.I feel that if the swift follows the BS4 norms it might get slightly slower.
	() Thanks

16th July 2009, 16:14	#33
ntrack BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 111 Thanked: Once	The ride quality of the Punto again is unmatched in the segment & this is a very very important factor for passenger comfort.
	() Thanks

16th July 2009, 17:30	#34
pmbabu BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: On The Net Posts: 335 Thanked: 47 Times	Well, we can all say over a hundred things and vote for either - but as far as the actual sales goes, Ritz will be (and it already is) miles ahead of Punto. Within the city, Punto's large turning radius is a big disadvantage. Ritz sure wins in practicality department.
	() Thanks

16th July 2009, 17:53	#37
aaggoswami Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Vadodara Posts: 4,982 Thanked: 2,930 Times	Voted for Ritz DDiS. Reasons : 1) Looks : I dont like Punto Looks. Linea looks better, but Punto looks like frog to me. Looks are subjective. 2) Poor FIAT A.S & S. : Maruti wins. The dealerships are also wide spread along with service centers. 3) Engine noise in Punto : After a long day, I want silent engines if they are not petrol. In case of Petrol motors, I can take them to 6K rpm + and that is good, but not diesels. 4) Cost cutting in Punto : The quality of plastic parts and not putting in rubber beadings, etc. are bad in case of Punto. Where is Palio like quality. Today I feel Palio is one of the better built hatches under Rs. 7 lakh. 5) Turning radius : Any narrow street ( all streets are getting narrower as more people convert widened roadsides as their parking place ) U-turn will make anybody realize what I am trying to say. Overall, I think Punto loses on practicality. For such a large hatch, I feel interior space could have been better.
	() Thanks

16th July 2009, 18:11	#38
vineethvazhayil Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 1,513 Thanked: 456 Times View My Garage	Purely on the car factor, my vote is for the Punto! If you add up a lot of other factors, Ritz comes closer, but for me Punto has its nose ahead!
	() Thanks

16th July 2009, 18:22	#39
harry10 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Faridabad/Delhi Posts: 2,712 Thanked: 3,622 Times View My Garage	Voted for Punto- Had not driven Ritz but i will buy out that its more peppy to drive however for me a car needs to be good looking and Ritz IMO is ok from front and ugly from back. I love Punto's look and the only one to compete in looks is i20. Also i feel Swift Vdi is most fun to drive in all the hatches i had driven till date but after 100kmph speed it does not inspire much confidence due to the stability factor.
	() Thanks

16th July 2009, 18:39	#41
Wolfheart BHPian Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bombay Posts: 160 Thanked: 28 Times	I'm not a big fan of hatchbacks but given the choice between a rtiz and a punto I would go for the punto. No offense to all the ritz fans but guys this car is just plain ugly. It's a horrible abomination masquerading as a 21st century design. Alright maybe it has good specs otherwise but hey. I wouldnt want to be seen in one of those!!! Just 'cos maruti has a good market share they've become overconfident and churning out one monstrosity after the other. I thought they had peaked with the ugly swift desire ( which is basically a swift with an a$$) but the ritz takes the cake!! It's shocking that people actually spend good money on buying these cars. Wake up folks!! (just my two bits, no offense intended to anyone except for the designers at maruti suzuki )
	() Thanks

16th July 2009, 18:42	#42
prkothan BHPian Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: chennai Posts: 180 Thanked: 39 Times	I really don't understand what they mean by poor FIAT A.S.S and spares issue. I own a FIAT Palio 2002 model. Till now I have faced 2 accidents (twice city bus rammed my car from the rear). Till today I have't faced any service issue, spares issue (except once). Once there was delay in procuring trunk door, service centre just repaired and delivered it to me. I get sick of reading repeated mention of poor A.S.S by fiat. Hence I really hate to visit Team-bhp.com Because I know its pure lie and mostly written by people who haven't used FIAT vehicles. But there is limit for everything. This is getting beyond stupidity. Here some facts about my car. My Palio gives around 10.25 kmpl for my regular office drive. And gives around 14-15 in highway. Around 50,000 kms, I replaced entire clutch assemply. Thats the only change done to my car in terms of wear and tear. Its looks rock solid and new. Well, I love my car and I maintain it properly. Resale value ? I guess my car (7 years old) will fetch 1.5 lacs. How much other car 7 yrs old car will fetch ? Atleast if some one buy my car will live happily for another 3 yrs. I don't similar if some one buys a 7 yr old Wagon R or Santro. Regards, Prasanna
	(1) Thanks

16th July 2009, 18:44	#43
NFS2024 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 839 Thanked: 444 Times	Purely from a practicality point of view voted for the Ritz. I guess over a period of time people will get used to the looks and it already is selling in large numbers anyways. Will buy Fiat only when they establish their exclusive dealer networks and service centres in India, its high time they did.
	() Thanks

16th July 2009, 18:51	#44
Gandhi BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 958 Thanked: 206 Times View My Garage	Voted for Punto based on the looks as I haven't driven either of the cars .
	() Thanks

16th July 2009, 18:57	#45
itsrenjith Newbie Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 16 Thanked: 10 Times	My two cents: GP: Great car to look at and drive. But interior space is very cramped, both at the driver seat and at the back. Punto back seat is made for two and three is deinitely a crowd there. Costlier (emotion pack variant) compared to Ritz VDI+ABS. However some additional features make up for the price difference. I think it will sell very well among the young urban professional families and singles. Ritz: Many people have blamed the looks, but i think it will grow on everyone over the time. I own a Ritz VXI and initially i hated the looks, but now i actually feel that the looks are quite nice and are likely to last as more refreshing compared to the conventional looks of other cars. The big plus in Ritz is the internal space, i think its much better than the Punto, both at the driver seat as well as the rear. I think both the cars appeal to different set of people. Punto is very much a personality car and would be preferred by the enthusiasts (like the TBHPians), whereas the Ritz would sell well among the masses who want a decent ride with less after sales headaches etc. IMHO the poll here is a bit unfair on the Ritz which is a more practical car compared to the red-hot Punto which is an enthusiasts car.
	() Thanks