[ghodlur]

Let me start first by thanking this wonderful forum and all the members who have contributed in making the forum the first stop for any thing related to wheels. Thanks a ton to mods for the detailed test drive reports and all the BHPians who have posted their ownership reviews which in a big way influenced my decision making process.

I am not good at words at all, hence would limit myself to my views. Wherever I have strayed I have the BHPians to correct me, Right?

Background of purchase
April 28th was the day when something happened, I was at the T-BHP meet at Delhi Durbar and had handed over my beast my faithful Ford Fiesta to my Brother in law. Little did I know that things were taking a turn from there. My Brother in law who used to eye the Fiesta for quite some time now and ride the beast whenever I visited Pune requested me to sell the car. Before I could say anything, my wife had already promised her brother the car was his. Later she reasoned with me saying the car would still be in the family and whenever in Pune I could drive it (with my BIL nodding from the back). Hmmm. They say “Saari duniya ek taraf, joru ka bhai ek taraf” (All the world to one side, Wife’s brother to one”). This set the brain over functioning as to what would my next drive be. Had to be something which could match the Fiesta’s experience. Should I buy a new or an used car? Do I want to buy a sedan again? Would it have to be Petrol or diesel? Should I upgrade or a downgrade? How much should be my budget? What will my friends n relatives say if I downgrade, do I have the face to face them? Ohhhh. The sweet ache of decision making. All said and done, sat down and listed the cars which I am going to test drive. Wife made it very clear that whatever car I should decide, the colour has to be white & with top notch safety features (atleast ABS if not airbags). Period. After a lot of deliberations, I decided I would stick to a hatchback and a diesel one, considering that my running will have actually increased to 1500 kms+ thanks to the (compulsory) 2 trips per week to JNPT from Thane (office had bought a warehouse there and I was to co-ordinate the set up) apart from the daily Thane-Powai runs and the trip to Pune once a month. A Sedan wasn’t considered coz it didn’t serve the purpose based on Fiesta experience, plus the parking woes of a sedan in my building & in the city spaces. One thought crossed my mind as to should I risk taking the car to JNPT? The BHPian inside me assured that there would be no problems

The contenders based on requirements
1) Toyota LivaGD-SP
2) Hyundai i20 CrdiAsta/Sportz
3) Fiat Grande Punto Emotion 1.3 MJD
4) Ford Figo titanium
5) Sail UVA - LT
Not in contention: Swift, Vista, Ritz, Polo. The first three had the same engine, why not then go for the original engine manufacturer? The fourth one dropped due to noisy 3 pot engine. No offence to the owners though.

Having zeroed on the contenders, I browsed through websites for a hardly driven used car to save on the additional expenses of buying a new car. The first car I TD was a Fiat Punto with 20K kms on odo, 2011 emotion pack and well maintained. Was surprised with the performance of the car, the car glided round the twists and turns, good ride quality and great to handle – all the Fiesta feeling. The diesel clatter was rarely audible which was a big plus. The rear space felt a little less but comforted self that the car is perfect for a family of 3 with occasionally my parents riding with me. The car was being offered for a princely sum which I was debating.

Next car to TD was a Ford Figo with 16K kms on odo, 2011 titanium. However the diesel clatter at the idle and during revving put me off. I remembered the new car which my building friend had purchased and I had to drive it home since my friend was relatively new to driving. I hadn’t experienced any diesel noise inside the cabin then, don’t know what changed in Figo thereafter. Again the price quoted was astronomical.

Third car to TD was Hyundai i20 – it was a Magna without ABS. TD it just to feel the engine performance. The engine was quite smooth although it didn’t handle the way the Punto did and neither was any diesel noise in the cabin. There were hardly any low run i20’s in the used car market and the one’s which were there already had done 65K kms or more.

Meanwhile I was thinking why not take the TD of new cars and then compare the used with new car performance. Hence TD the Toyota Liva, the car made for the masses quite evident from the plastic quality, compromising on many essential features . Again the diesel clatter inside the cabin put me off although I could not feel a huge turbo lag which was still present. The car handled well but scraped a few bumps during the TD. The interiors was not something great to write about. Plus the centre console was not to my liking. There was no great discounts offered too.

Next to drive was the Sail UVA LT ABS, the car was a breeze to drive, not much turbo lag present. The car handles sweetly too. The top end variant was feature rich. The dealer staff were also enthusiastic in arranging the TD car. But again no enthusiasm when offering discounts.

Hyundai i20 – didn’t think about that since the price was way over my budget.

Ford Figo – The Ford showroom didn’t have any test cars and neither did they show any interest in providing me even after being an ex-Ford owner. They offered me a display car for TD which I refused. Later a strong mail to Ford and I was called again to TD the Figo. The same feeling as the used car which I drove, nothing new. Was familiar with the interiors as it is somewhat same as Fiesta Classic

I had almost left the Punto when it came to new car from the list knowing them to be too pricey. A test drive @ 7pm in the evening at the Fiat dealer (only one in the whole of Mumbai) and me and my wife were kind of sold out on the car. The car ticked every requirement and was the right choice for the Fiesta replacement. But the moolah was the question – Can I afford it? The Sales guy (nice chap) suggested me to even look at 2012 cars which were being offered for a hefty discounts. On the paper there was about a 90K discount being offered for 2012 cars and this interested me. What started as a sweet beginning of a relationship was slowly to be turned into sour – I couldn’t have imagined that.

[ghodlur]

Decision & Buying experience:
It was decision time. After weighing every pros and cons I had decided to go with the Punto and possibly the 2012 manufactured ones since the 2013 ones were in the league of i20 pricing. It was Emotion variant and the colour was White as wanted by other half. (my son meanwhile had enjoyed the various TD’s and was oblivious of the trauma his father was going through, he was happy sitting in different cars for sure). Enquired with Balaji Motors Thane and they confirmed that a Dec 2012 manufactured car in White was available. The final pricing was coming to Rs 7.6L on road and following would free – Extended warranty, Insurance (without zero dep) with Gift cheque and dealer discount being thrown in. The negotiation part was the most harrowing one and will need a separate thread for discussions, not going to get into the details here. Arranged the finances (old car sale+ own sources) and paid the cheque outright on 9th June 2013. The dealer promised the delivery by 14th June. Asked the Sales Advisor for the VIN no of the car and asked fellow BHPian Wildon for the decoding. Was aghast to know that I was offered a July manufactured car. A couple of calls to the SA and the dealer MD and I landed at the dealer’s door step determined to cancel the booking. The SA showed me the list of cars available and none of them before August manufactured. He even showed me a few bookings made for Punto Diesel of March 2012 manufactured allotment. The MD of Balaji Motors however requested me to take the TD of the car which was already in the stockyard & could be brought down to the showroom & compare it with a 2013 car also. He assured me that in regards to the performance both the car would be same. Also the service offered would be the same as being offered to 2013 manufactured cars as the warranty applicable on the 2012 car would be for 5 years (incl the extended warranty) starting from the date of car delivery. Hesitatingly I drove both the cars and frankly didn’t find any difference in the engine performance. Overnight thought about the situation, made a few phone calls to friends who had contacts in Fiat who eased my apprehensions and with fingers crossed agreed to buy the July manufactured cars. I must say the MD patiently listened to my earlier ranting and explained a few details about Fiat manufacturing facts. Gave a go ahead for registration

PDI and Delivery:

I had already driven the booked Punto and actually did a semi PDI on the day I drove. I was promised the delivery of 14th June but decided to take the delivery on 18th June (Courtsey wife). Armed with T-BHP PDI checklist reached the showroom on 18th June. Completed the documentation formalities, saw the car decked in the usual ribbons. Ran through the exhaustive checklist (lasted for 1.5 hrs), wifey getting impatient looking at the sky. The customary bouquet, sweets, snaps, thank you’s, handshakes all done, took the keys and drove to the nearest bunk. The car came with 62 kms on the odo thanks to my previous drive too. Topped up the tank and with a big smile on the face reached home.

Paid Future Generali an additional 4K for the zero dep add on along with the free Insurance policy (yet to take the NCB letter from my Fiesta). Went to the 3M outlet in Thane (thanks to Parrys for answering some queries) and bought the 3M Nomad mats (thanks KarthikK for the suggestion). Chose the black coloured mats. Mr Sheshadri also helped in having a look at the anti rust coating and confirmed that there was no need for any additional coating as of now, the coating provided by Fiat would withstand for the next couple of years atleast

What I liked about the car

• Stylish looking (already few heads turned at the housing complex with envious looks
• Superb handling and ride quality
• Strong build quality
• Fantastic suspensions
• Meaty steering wheel which responds to the commands effectively
• Confidence inspiring brakes
• Great ground clearance
• Feature rich Emotion variant with Blue N Me. Was blown over by the set up (since I am first time user
• 60:40 rear split seats

What I disliked

• Interior plastic quality is not to the mark
• Glaring panel gaps in some places
• Stock Apollo tyres, could have been Goodyear
• No illumination at the rear bench and insufficient in the boot
• Rear bench a squeeze fit for three
• Seat adjustment levers not ergonomically placed
• Small door pockets, insufficient to hold a litre bottle

Other imp sore/plus points

1. The one touch up & down windows option for driver side is a real boon
2. There is a limitation to the electrically operated OVRMs
3. The IVRM is fit for purpose, could have been big bigger
4. The fuel filing latch/lid does not snug fit
5. The fuel latch opening handle & boot opening handle plastic quality inside is really doubtful
6. The Glove box opening clashes with the front passenger knees if rear space was to be increased
7. The AC is chilling. The directional blowers help a lot
8. The MID is great advantage to have, lot of features.
9. USB slot is difficult for easy access (in the absence of any illumination

[ghodlur]

]Initial feel of the car

Being a petrolhead earlier I was used to the quick accelerations at the signals, after turning to a diesel head I am getting used to the driving requirements of a diesel car. Initially it was pain to wait for a minute or so to allow the turbo idling at the start/stop of the car, but now I keep myself engaged for the period. The car slowly but surely is growing on me. The car amazes me on the highway with the planted performance but irritates me in the B2B traffic. The gear stick seems a bit stiff, I hope it loosens after the first service. The dead pedal sort of thing provided is at a lower level than the clutch pedal. I felt that all the 3 pedals in Punto were slightly higher than in my earlier Fiesta. Till date I have been driving sedately till the run in period. What a season to test the Punto’s suspension than monsoon. The car does glide over the smaller potholes and over some monstrous speed breakers. Till date have driven around 200+ kms in actual 3 days of driving to office, the fuel efficiency as seen in the MID is 15.5 kmpl.

I had a bad experience with the ribbons which had come with the car during delivery, there was colouration on the bonnet when I removed the ribbons. Fortunately Fiat arranged for detailing of the bonnet where there were colour marks. Suggest new car owners to remove the ribbons after the delivery euphoria dies down.

I will let the pics do the talking, although the pics might seem a bit faded. Blame it on the gloomy weather.

[ghodlur]

Special Thanks to Powertrain (Varun) for his good advice, Thanks to Karthik,Hemanth.Anand, CrazyDriver for their well thought suggestions and answers to my queries.

Some more pics

[ghodlur]

Some more pics. Sorry if the pics look pale and gloomy.

[ghodlur]

After getting the registration number, few more pics.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[mango_pal]

That's a great ride! Congrats

From one great handler to another better handler. Just how it should be, eh?

On the diesel front, buying a new car does seem like better value.
Have fun and drive safe!

[hector]

Awesome Looking car !! Congrats :-)
Happy motoring !

[julupani]

Congratulations on owning what in my view is the best hatchback on the Indian market. Hope you and your car have lots and lots of happy miles ahead of you.

Originally Posted by ghodlur

• Stock Apollo tyres, could have been Goodyear

I think the Apollo Acceleres are better than the Goodyear GT3s that come with some Puntos. The GT3s though pretty decent stock tyres, are extremely noisy, especially after about 20000kms or so.

[SDP]

Congratulations Girish for the new car! Punto is one of those cars which are not very popular among mango-people. But people who know their cars and own one would never let it go for anything.

Congratulations once again! Wish you many happy miles with the Punto.

[engrohit]

Hey Girish, congratulations for the new drive. So I am hitching a ride with you for the next meet!

[johy]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

[*]The IVRM is fit for purpose, could have been big bigger[/list]

Ghodlur, congrats on getting the best looking and best handling hatch in this price range. And with the best ride quality as well!

Wish you many happy kms of happy motoring.

The inside mirror. Have you thought about going for a reverse parking sensor? If you do that, you can go with one that comes with a larger mirror (with in-built screen). I did that for my T-Jet. Or you can simply get one of the larger after market mirrors. A large mirror is always useful.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by mango_pal

From one great handler to another better handler. Just how it should be, eh?

Thanks and you bet. One handler to a another. Still getting a feel of the handling and IMO monsoon is the not the best time to put the car to some hard tests

Originally Posted by hector

Awesome Looking car !! Congrats :-)
Happy motoring !

Thanks a ton for the wishes.

Originally Posted by julupani

Congratulations on owning what in my view is the best hatchback on the Indian market.I think the Apollo Acceleres are better than the Goodyear GT3s that come with some Puntos. The GT3s though pretty decent stock tyres, are extremely noisy, especially after about 20000kms or so.

Thanks mate. Well it was more of a mindset when it came to Apollo, never used them before hence was a bit doubtful. Infact I was to drive straight after delivery to change the tyres, but wifey suggested to have a feel of them before the changes.

Originally Posted by SDP

Congratulations Girish for the new car! Punto is one of those cars which are not very popular among mango-people. But people who know their cars and own one would never let it go for anything.

Thanks Sanjay, Mithais sure in the next meet.

Originally Posted by engrohit

Hey Girish, congratulations for the new drive. So I am hitching a ride with you for the next meet!

Thanks Rohit, So am I, itching to give you a ride.

Originally Posted by johy

Ghodlur, congrats on getting the best looking and best handling hatch in this price range. And with the best ride quality as well!
The inside mirror. Have you thought about going for a reverse parking sensor? If you do that, you can go with one that comes with a larger mirror (with in-built screen). I did that for my T-Jet. Or you can simply get one of the larger after market mirrors. A large mirror is always useful.

Thanks Johy. The IVRM does the job as of now, will be thinking about the bigger one in a few days time. The rear parking sensor was thought of, even few Puntoites suggested it and will be in the mods phase a few weeks from now.

[stringbh]

Congrats on your new car and white is indeed the best color (or because my better half says as well ). Enjoy the ride and happy mile munching!