Team-BHP - 2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP
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FIAT PUNTO EVO SPORT 90HP

Falling in love with this Italian beauty was really easy for me.
I firmly believe in the saying "You don't buy a Fiat it buys you".

To make my close one's understand that this is my only choice was a bit difficult but I have always been lucky to own my drive. This is the ownership report of my year old 2014 Punto Evo Sport 90HP.

I would like to start off with a complete Summary of being an owner of this product from Fiat India.

Short Summary:

:thumbs upPros of Owning a Punto Evo:

• Excellent car all round.
• Robust build quality.
• Great seats ( a bit more thigh support would have been good).
• Fantastic mile muncher
• Excellent efficiency - City : 15-16 kmpl , Highway : 20-21 kmpl.
• Low NVH levels.(Being an NVH engineer myself, I am very particular about this one).
• That stellar ride quality, over any kind of surface; can give a car of higher segments a run for their money.
• Accurate Steering and its great feedback.
• 16” wheels and that 185mm GC ( Better than the 2012 model sport or the absolute edition and even its competitors)
• 60:40 Split rear seats with metal backs are useful
• Excellent OEM Music system with 6 speakers
• Automatic climate control is a boon with under seat vents and rear vent. Helps in quick cooling.
• Blue and Me works fantastic.
• Brakes are fabulous in response and feedback together with ABS at any speeds
• High speed manners on highways are pretty stable.

:FrustratiCons of ownership in the past year:

• Rear wash pipe came off from its attachment inside the hood
• That non-ergonomically placed steering wheel, makes you change your driving position constantly, which is an irritant on long runs.
• No Camera, No parking sensors on such a wide car, with poor rear visibility is very cumbersome when parking in tight spaces.
• Huge turning circle for a hatch, spoilt by the huge blinding A pillar, you are never far from a biker at any U-turn.
• Centre console housing the AUX-IN and USB ports, screws became loose lately. Had to be tightened.
• No electrically fold-able ORVM’s.(The one feature, I so miss especially in chaotic Indian traffic).
• Hydraulic steering though a boon elsewhere is a pain to operate in city, negotiating traffic because of its heaviness.
• Electronics: Errors sometime keep coming up on the MID and disappear automatically.
• Squeaking noise from roof carpet lining comes up on broken surfaces and is an irritant for somebody from the domain of NVH like me.
• Absolute lack of bottle holders anywhere except one near rear AC vent, and one in front console, which is unusable due to hindrance in gear shifting.
• Lastly, The unending turbo lag, which I thought I could live with coming from owning petrol cars previously.


Background:

It all started with my first car, inherited from my Dad. It was a 2007 Firebrick Red M800 AC (Now Sold). It was a value for money car preciously close to my Dad's heart. After a major bike accident in chennai, I had to use car. So my red cherry was transferred to Chennai for serving me. After 7 years, 51000kms of serving, it was hard for me and my dad to let it go.

It gave me a fitting farewell, drove its final 1320kms from Chennai to Bhubaneswar, non-stop in 19.5 hours. Drove like a legend.

2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-m800_1.jpg2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-m800_2.jpg

In 2011 I owned my second car, gifting the same to my dad as a replacement for his beloved M800.

Its a 2011 Torque Blue MS Suzuki Swift Zxi (My RAPTOR – as I like to call it). It has been serving us for last 4 years. No regrets in ownership at all. Stellar service from Maruti Suzuki has been its biggest plus. Great car, Sporty handling and excellent all round efficiency( ~16kmpl with AC in combined running cycle of both city & highway), cheap to maintain and run.

NOTE: My Raptor being spotted by BHPian Unavowed_X9, driven by my Dad
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shifti...ml#post3780556

2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-swift_1.jpg2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-swift_2.jpg

Time called when I needed to venture out to greener pastures luckily got an offer from Pune to work in a famous car maker as an NVH engineer. Pune is a lovely place for motorheads like me to enjoy my passion.
My hunt for a car in Pune was giving me restless nights. I was very clear on owning a new car and not go the after-market way(this is a debatable but not here). The search for the ride, which was solely for my usage started in May 2014, when I relocated to Pune for my new job venture.

Never really was confused for the car I was looking for. It had to be a driver centric car with good highway performance and average city driving, a diesel, ride quality needed to be top notch, should be loaded with basic current generation features.

But somewhere back of my mind I always had a crush of owning a SUV ( pseudo ones would also have fit the bill).

So the search began with the contenders Ford Ecosport, Renault Duster/Nissan Terrano, Volkswagen Polo and Fiat Punto Evo.

Ford Ecosport :
I had become a fan of it since I had test driven it long back when it was launched. And those positive reviews from the owners and the reviews from the Moderators, really inclined me in owning something from the Blue Oval. Moreover I was mighty impressed with my friend( WIP BHPian madmax_sanjog ) Ford Fiesta’s sheer driving pleasure, which though not entirely, was definitely present in the Ecosport.

Positives: Great driver’s car, Excellent highway manners, Efficient diesel engine & Fantastic NVH overall.

Negatives: 8 month waiting period for titanium variant, Ride though good was not in league of say Renault Duster, all those plastics, expensive Ford service (as heard from different Ford owners) and that OTR price of INR 11.5 lakhs for a sub-4meter Pseudo SUV.

Renault Duster/ Nissan Terrano:
Renault Duster has had great reviews all round, consideration was only because, it looked in my buying range with all those Festive discounts and my inclination towards Renault (my first job).

Positives: Great efficiency, nice engine (85PS), Commanding view upfront, Great ride and handling on any surface, that big room like boot space.

Negatives: Interiors felt dated, not exactly 100% ergonomic, lacked standard equipments

Volkswagen Polo:
Arguably the best hatch available in India. I had almost finalised until the last moment.

Positives: Everything starting from build quality, enthusiastic, that 6K revving TSI engine (though I was not planning to buy a petrol I was thoroughly impressed by that engine, so tried it out), 280 litre boot, and the best part has to be the timeless, non dating Design.

Negatives: Great for driver not for occupants at rear, didn’t have split rear seats, not as updated as the European model. All these could have been lived with, but that pathetic Customer Experience from Pune’s biggest dealership, and not able to provide me a car in time for test drive really upset me.

That brings us to my Stallion , Magnesio Grey Fiat Grande Punto Evo 90HP.
Ever since I had driven the Lamborghini Gallardo on Champs-Élysées, I had become a fan of all Italian makes. My affinity to Ferrari also did contribute in owning this car.

Booking Experience & Test Drive:

I already had driving impressions of the 90hp variant from my friend's(BHPian sumitjeet's) 2012 Punto Sport. With the increased GC, I wanted to confirm no change in the car's handling, so I reserved a test drive. The staff of Fiat Caffe arranged me a test drive but with a 75HP version, which was fine to understand the part i was looking for. I booked my car - A magnesio grey Punto Evo 90HP, immediately after the test drive. Though I didn’t like the policy of non –refundable booking amount of INR 25K - 50K.

Cost:
The vehicle cost me INR 8.36lakhs OTR, which seemed VFM for 90HP Sportz. The price included extended warranty for 2 more years and zero-depth insurance(which I was recommended by my friends considering Pune's chaotic traffic). No discounts were on offer as it was new car, even though it was festive season.

The staff of Fiat Caffe were very courteous and their customer service though not in the league of say Maruti Suzuki, was impressive.

Time till delivery:
The long process of loan approval,paper work, fund transfer etc. went for over a week and the waiting period of 20 days began. Every single day I was being updated with the status of my delivery and the remaining formalities. I was even asked to choose my specific accessories (if any), to be present in the car at the time of delivery.

NOTE: No free accessories were on offer. But I did manage to get the moulded mud flaps for free after some negotiations. I also later discovered, my friend who bought a 75 HP Emotion variant in Chennai was given lot of freebies like God idols, floor mats, neck cushions etc. Why does this vary from city to city and dealerships to dealerships?

I was also taken to the dealer yard to have a look at the vehicle once it arrived. But as darkness fell by the time I arrived I couldn't see the real color. Finally on Oct 3rd 2014 which happened to be Dussehera, auspicious in our terms I got the keys of my ride. I had never seen the Magnesio Grey colour, I booked on road for Punto Evo (as it was one of the new colors available for Evo).

But the moment I saw it in sunlight shining bright , I was sold over then and there.

I did have some issues at the dealership:
- Though I got a good service, at the end of the day,I was not able to see the color of my car till the delivery date, due to lack of booking of similar color by any other customer. As explained by the staff.
- Even though I was promised a registered car at the time of delivery, I was said I will get the number only after 10 days due to various national holidays falling in the same week, and RTO being closed.
2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-punto0.jpg

No looking back since this day. Almost a year of my ownership, no such grouse.
Kilometers covered till date : 10,980 kms
First Service due : Next Month (Oct 2015)

2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-img_20150730_161057_hdr.jpg

Close to 11K kms done. Efficiency in city hovers around 15-16kmpl and highways around 21kmpl.

All those myths about owning a brand that’s not selling, a car that’s not efficient and questions from near one’s have disappeared like anything. Recommended many, got thanked from many after their ownership and that moment when bikers, fellow car owners, drivers turn their heads for a second glance of my ride, just brings out a very big grin on my face.

I must confess even in a city as crowded as Pune, people did stop me and ask me about my ownership. Sad that I don’t see many on roads still, nevertheless I am a happy owner and thank you Fiat India, for selling a piece of art.
2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-punto2.jpg2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-punto3.jpg

Now a question which everyone around you asks "WHY A CAR FROM FIAT? WHY NOT SWIFT?"

Well i have various reasons for that:
- No car is as goodlooking as a Punto Evo atleast amongst hatchbacks currently being sold in India
- I didnt want to buy a car which masses in India drive, where is the exclusivity?
- No car has better ride and handling dynamics than the Punto, VW Polo yes, but same variant of Polo , the Polo GT TDI was INR 9.8 lakhs OTR.
- I dont take away anything from the swift, the only issue is, i already owned one, so no point owning it again.

Driving Experience:

This is the most stellar part of the Punto Evo. It is the most dynamically sorted vehicle in its class. And when I say dynamically sorted,I mean the every single parameter about driving that brings out the enthusiast in you. As a normal human bring you can feel the feedback from the steering, the accurate input required to manoeuvre the vehicle, even in ghat sections.

Three long drives done in my ride till date. Pune - Goa, Pune - Baramati - Mahabaleshwar and Pune - Dapoli. I have also driven Pune - Mahabaleshwar many a times, and some other getaways to Mumbai on Expressway and to Lonavala also.

Every-time during these rides, I did encounter ghat section roads, which were extremely easy to navigate. With a vehicle this good in ride, handling and stability(mentioned in detail later) You as a driver, can always feel like a pro for driving on these roads.

Tire pressure is one important point to be noted when the highway runs are done. Even though Punto Evo comes with OEM fitted Apollo Alnac 4G tires(which are highly acclaimed worldwide but also being reputed as noisy), if over presurred relates to a bouncy ride and feels on the edge at very high speeds, especially on roads like Mumbai-Pune Express-way.

This vehicle very less suits to city driving. Mainly because of the heavy hydraulic steering, the huge turning radius working against it.

Daily Commuting:

My commuting is limited to office drives in weekdays and weekend getaways. It round to 40kms in a daily drive to office.

Efficiency

This has good all round as far as MID is concerned. I have completely relied on the MID calculations on this, might have an error of +/- 1.5kmpl. AC is always on during my drive.

Overall efficiency in city driving : 14-15kmpl with AC
Overall highway efficiency : 18 - 21kmpl with AC

Exteriors:

This car is a looker from whichever angle you look at it.
Even the alloys throw the design elements gone into making them.

Up front I love the new design nose, though I would have preferred the European one. Too much chrome.
But the headlamps look classy in its new avatar.
The headlight and foglamps seem adequate at night.

2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-punto5.jpg

Ground clearance being on the higher side, makes it a boon to drive on broken patches, but leaves a huge gap between the wheel and wheelarch.
At rear, the rear spoiler does enhance the look of the car.

2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-punto13.jpg

Lot of chrome again at the rear, just one reversing lamp and one Fog lamp.
But the best part at the rear and the most standout element on the car has to be the sexy tail lamps, day or night it attracts a lot of attention and does its function just that well.

2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-punto8.jpg2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-puntorear.jpg

16" alloys design are different to those of Emotion variant, but misses out on the gunmetal brushed finish. Still look good.
But the spare wheel is of a different size altogether and a non alloy.

ORVM's are good in looks, have indicators integrated to them. View backward is good. But lack auto-fold option( missed this in my swift also) which is a pain in city traffic, avoiding all those gap -filling bikers.

2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-punto17.jpg

Interiors

A cars Interiors are the place where you spend most of your time in relation to your car. Nothing to complain and lot of things to boast about.
Interior design of Punto is a huge move over the old one.
Feels upmarket right from wherever you look.
The grey stitching with Black fabric seats look contrasting. ( The 'P' letter should have been carried over by Fiat, to give a feel of cult status)

Love the all black theme of the 90HP Sportz variant.
That soft touch plastics on the dashboard just attracts everyone's attention seated on the co-driver's seat.

The seats up front are adequately bolstered. I felt the lumbar support to be intrusive, lack of thigh support may be at front (at least for my spec legs).
Seat back pockets are usable (no contoured seats as Swift to increase leg room), but eat up the leg room.

Rear seats are set properly, two head restraints are adjustable, and have proper thigh support (absent in my Swift)

2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-punto4.jpg

Plastics overall are good, luckily didn't find any misfit part, as done by a lot of owners/reviewers.

Doors get fabric inserts, also in black, so not easy to differentiate, but get dirty too.

2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-punto12.jpg

Seat fabrics are good. Leathers were expected at-least in this variant.

Bottle holders are missing everywhere in the car, not a single door can hold a 1 litre bottle of any-shape.

The rear AC vent bottle holder has become loose, doesn't slot into its place after just a year's of moderate usage.

All windows have auto down feature, but the rear windows go down by 60% only, which sometimes make it claustrophobic for rear passengers on long runs, especially with a black interior themed car.

Glove box space is scanty, it seems filled just with manuals and First aid kit.

2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-punto10.jpg

Storage space are available but more or less unusable.

Two Cabin lamps feel insufficient at night.

Engine:

The 1.3 Litre MJD (1298cc to be specific) is a very well known engine, dubbed the National engine.?
I have got it in my car in the 90HP avatar, with Variable Geometry Turbocharger

Engine is very rev-happy, though noisy, feels refined.
The diesel engine clatter, with a clear injector/common-rail noise is very evident when you are in an underground parking with the car in idle state.
During spirited highway runs, the engine tends to become noisy and the diesel engine revs does penetrate into the cabin.

Engine tuning needs some inputs as the turbo lag is a clear irritant.

City driving in higher gears is a pain.
First gear is conspicuous with little usage.
Its only 3rd and 4th gear where you have good roll-ons.

Overall Engine performance :

Even with 90HP on tap, this engine doesn't feel outright powerful.
Tough to live with in city, but on highways it works just fine.

For someone like me transitioning from a petrol to diesel for first time, it really is a pain to change gears many a times in regular driving conditions.
I wish Fiat works on the gearing and tuning the engine to remove the turbo lag and make the tag SPORT note worthy.

Gearshift & clutch:

Gearshift quality is just fine. Its not in the league of say Polo or Swift in terms of shift quality.

Engaging reverse always feels notchy and requires one or two slots to make it working fine

Rubbery effect is also evident
First gear seems a bit tall and has a lot of travel to engage.

Clutch is averagely weighted I would say.

I have experienced heavy clutches for Diesel cars.
Its fine when the car is on the move. In bumper to bumper traffic, clutch operation can lead to pain in your legs.

NVH levels: - My Department

All those noises from the engine gets filtered out once you are inside the cabin. Quite a work has been put in by Fiat boffin's to keep that diesel noise away from occupants in the car.

Very quite cabin, with AC blower noise when at top levels gets audible. Need to cancel it out with the great music system (about this later).

I am glad to report, the interior's NVH are one of the best in class, even the noise from the doors when closing are a thud of assurance.

FIAT have a done a good job adding beading on both doors as well as body.

Tire noise is the most irritant noise on highway drives, that constant boom noise from Apollo's acclaimed Alnac 4G's is sometimes irritating.

People suggested me for considering upgrade to Michelins, but the sheer grip offered by the Alnac 4G's in dry and wet surfaced goes unmatched.

AC and Infotainment:

- Climate control equipped AC is just fine. Rear AC vent and under seat vents help in even cooling.

- The re-circulation button has to be switched on every-time the AC is put in auto mode, which I am not used to. (in MS Swift it was always in recirculation mode, irrespective of Auto / Manual mode).

- Music system is a huge improvement from the earlier Blaupunkt system. Now its Alpine but retains the 6 speaker system.

- Excellent Bass and Treble from the speakers which are supposedly JBL, as told by the dealership.

- Levels of 10-11 seem extremely loud in a closed cabin, and auto volume with speed feature works superbly, quite evident in change.

- Rear doors does have empty slots for twitters.(plan to put them soon)

- Blue and Me by Microsoft, needs a mention here. Its a great system once you get used to. I had to resort to the manual( A separate one being offered only for the Music System) to completely get a hang of it.

- No Bluetooth audio streaming is a disappointment

- Changing folders, looping files are difficult initially but Voice command comes to your aid.

- Voice command recognises your words in one go. Especially complicated Indian names. I have seen systems go haywire, but this works absolutely fine.


Ride, Handling, Suspension and Steering:

This set-up is master-class by Fiat. Its a benchmark in this segment.

- Ride is well sorted over all kinds of surfaces. It is sublime when on highway.
It glides over bumps, potholes, speed-breakers and any surface the world throws at it.

- Suspension set up is on the stiff side, which actually helps is the sublime ride quality overall.
Its only at low speeds when the stiff ride becomes evident, but never unsettles you.

- Steering is Hydraulic, and is perfectly weighted. Its nicely contoured shape is also good to hold, grippy all the time, but leather quality not as good as Polo or Swift.
A lot of city driving in traffic, as well as tight lanes does make it slightly pain to operate when compared to super-light EPS( aka MS Swift)

- Some credit of ride also goes to the 16" 195/60 section tires. Widest in class and offer ample grip.

All these parameters combined make it the best in class and a benchmark of the segment and which was one of my top priorities in choosing this car over any other.

Fiat Punto evo has a very capable chassis ( though old), which handles more than 120+ bhp in European models. Shame it misses out with more powerful engine options in India which could bring the true potential of the chassis to play.

BOOT:

- Accessing the boot from outside is a pain.

- No reception button like MS Swift, you always need to pull out your keys to open the boot.

- Boot is also openable from pull type handle next to the driver's seat. But is old school.

- The boot also lacks proper holding area to raise it.

2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-punto16.jpg

- Boot itself is pretty big, 280 liters and also has Velcro to hold the tool-kit.
It also gets a important Bootlamp.

2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-punto18.jpg

Safety Equipements:

Being a premium hatch Punto Evo is loaded with all basic safety amenities
- ABS , EBD is standard for 90HP (Sport) variant

- 2 Front Airbags ( Co-passenger airbag can be switched off when not required)
- 5 star Euro NCAP rating, a few amongst cars available in India

Likeable Equipments:

- Those flexi all weather rubber wipers, feel upmarket and work wonders in Monsoon.

- The rear glass gets wash wipe and a demister. The water jet is hidden amongst the high mounted stop lamp

- Floor matting is also black which is easy to maintain and don't get dirty easily.

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- Homecoming headlamps with choice of 30,60,90 and 120 seconds illumination after locking the car.

- Boot can be accessed from inside the car with the help of 60:40 split rear seats

- Leather wrapped steering and gear-knob.

- That small little cubby space next to steering wheel is really useful, same for the one above the AC vents at front

- Dead pedal is really useful on highways

- When wipers are on, the rear wiper comes up automatically once reverse is engaged

- You can always wind up the windows after removing the key while still being in the car

- 185mm GC spoils you to take it off the roads and sometimes scrape the underbody

- That road presence , turning head where-ever it goes

- Auto locking doors once above 20kmph

No car is perfect ("as said by Jeremy Clarkson"). Gremlins mentioned which I faced in the ownership, mentioned in my summary at the start of this post, can be lived with, but shouldn't make it to premium cars like this.

Incidents during my ownership :

- Lack of rear sensors and camera hurts, I hit a mile marker post at Baramati while reversing, got my first dent. Repairs though completely paid by insurance costed INR 6500.

- Second came in the form of a biker, in a hurry of his own at a red light signal hitting my car on rear left wheel arch.

2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-punto14.jpg

- Overconfident over the GC of 185mm, I hit a boulder while going through a muddy patch in hurry to office. Lucky to note that Fiat gives a metal engine guard which took the impact and rest is history.

- Faulty number plate lamp, caused due to someone hitting my bumper in parking lot. Replacement of lamp cost me INR 140 including cost of labour which was INR 100, bulb INR 40. Labour costs on the higher side I see.

That's all in my first year ownership, but will soon post more interior images and also First major servicing ( which is scheduled next month).

Thanks for reading my first year ownership report of my ride.

Last not the least thank you to all the moderators who helped me posting this report, by constantly sparing their precious time and helping me editing the same.
Being my first thread in Team-BHP , kindly excuse me for my amateurish words.

Some more snaps to wrap it up.

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

Hi Sudeep Kimster,

Congrats on your Italian Stallion clap:. She looks stunning. The ownership report was a great read. Thanks for the same. Wish you lakhs of happy and safe miles and smiles with her.

I whole heartedly agree with you on the Punto's styling part. She is undoubtedly the best looker in the hatchback segment. Your signature says it all Sir! :D
With the Punto Abarth coming up, how does it feel? If you were in the market today, would you pick the Abarth over the 90BHP diesel Punto, in spite of it being a petrol?

Cheers,
Neel

Congrats on your 90HP Punto Sudeep, Punto looks much better after facelift compared to Linea. I have always adored its tank like build, stellar ride/handling package and that lovely hydraulic steering bristling with feel.

Drive safe buddy and have loads of fun with this beauty.

Straight from the heart, Sudeep! Congrats!

Oh, magnesio grey Evo is a stunner. I had some apprehensions about grey about it being dull since they had no display models. Finally, ended up with Peal White.

You have brilliantly highlighted all the pluses and minuses of the car. Can't fault it on handling dynamics and the ride. Ergonomics, though, is a different story. After fiddling with the seat position and the recliner, I have finally managed to find that position where my ankles don't hurt.

About the turbo lag- yes, it takes a little getting used to. I had stalled it umpteen number of times in the beginning. Now that two weeks have passed, I'm used to it power delivery and know when to shift down. Like you said, no car is perfect, and I can certainly live with this.

Is the music system different on 90 HP from 75? I don't like the music system at all. Only suitable for playing songs with low volume.

Everything else is perfect. Doesn't fail to put a smile on my face after a tiresome day on office. That's all that matters :)

Happy driving!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryuu (Post 3795447)
Straight from the heart, Sudeep! Congrats!


Is the music system different on 90 HP from 75? I don't like the music system at all. Only suitable for playing songs with low volume.

Everything else is perfect. Doesn't fail to put a smile on my face after a tiresome day on office. That's all that matters :)

Happy driving!!

Thanks for having a read.:)

I don't think its different in both the cars and the speakers don't vibrate when played loud.

I will confirm with the dealership manager about the music system.

I have also found a sweet position for city driving, but on highways, I feel the door pad is a bit too far than where it should have been.

Quote:

Originally Posted by petrolhead_neel (Post 3795381)
Hi Sudeep Kimster,

Congrats on your Italian Stallion clap:. She looks stunning. The ownership report was a great read. Thanks for the same. Wish you lakhs of happy and safe miles and smiles with her.

I whole heartedly agree with you on the Punto's styling part. She is undoubtedly the best looker in the hatchback segment. Your signature says it all Sir! :D
With the Punto Abarth coming up, how does it feel? If you were in the market today, would you pick the Abarth over the 90BHP diesel Punto, in spite of it being a petrol?

Cheers,
Neel

Thank you

Coming to Abarth, no doubt. After all its a cult car.

Infact i have already asked my service manager to order , Abarth logos and Vinyl's for my ride. ( He says it will take time though).

Hi sudeep_kimster, wonderful review and true to the words of a fiat owner. Unmatched styling and ride quality. Having been a Fiathead ever since I opened my eyes to the glories of god, I know what it is like to join the exclusive group of Fiatheads. Coming to the mileage, somehow the 90 bhp manages a better overall mileage as compared to the 75. The 75 has the low end grunt for city traffic wading but it's not that quick(akin the 90) on highways. Excellent review by a true motorhead, I believe. Enjoy the Italian beauty and drive safe. Lungo Dal vivo Fiat

Congrats Sudeep_Kinster. Punto surely is a brilliant car to drive. :) Wishing you kilometers of happy ownership.
Just a few quetions:
1. How does the back seat space compare to the Polo? I've just sat once and thought it was cramped. (I'm 6' BTW, but fit in my Getz easily)
2. Was i20 not considered due to dull dynamics? (Even though much improved, it'll fall short compared to Punto)
3. How many highway trips have you done?


Quote:

Originally Posted by Sudeep_Kimster (Post 3792990)

The 1.3 Litre MJD (1298cc to be specific) is a very well known engine, dubbed the National engine.?
I have got it in my car in the 90HP avatar, with Variable Geometry Turbocharger


The 1.3 MJD is 1248 cc not 1298 cc. They market it as a 1.3 in India.

Quote:

Originally Posted by landcruiser123 (Post 3795724)
Congrats Sudeep_Kinster. Punto surely is a brilliant car to drive. :)
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The 1.3 MJD is 1248 cc not 1298 cc. They market it as a 1.3 in India.

Hi, thanks for having a read.

1. Back is almost similar for both cars but I think Polo lacks thigh supports in seats, doesn't have Split option, but more or less similar leg room. Leg room is practically not existing for somebody of your size in Punto, so you can prefer driving , rather than being driven.

2. Was never a fan of Hyundai's( no offence), they are not driver's cars. And so didn't consider, even though there is marginal improvement over older ones in the Elite i20. Its pretty expensive too.

3. I have been to Goa twice, Mumbai once and almost 6-7 times to Mahabaleswar, so its like almost one trip every month. November i am driving to Bangalore.

And you are right its 1248cc not 1298cc. Excuse me for the typo error.

Hi Sudeep,

Congrats on your amazing ride and welcome to the club. Fiat's are indeed built like a tank :)

When in nov are you planing to drive to Bangalore? Maybe it could be 2 Punto's going together as I am planing to drive in Nov as well.

-Sajan

Quote:

Originally Posted by sajands (Post 3801947)
Hi Sudeep,

Congrats on your amazing ride and welcome to the club. Fiat's are indeed built like a tank :)

When in nov are you planing to drive to Bangalore? Maybe it could be 2 Punto's going together as I am planing to drive in Nov as well.

-Sajan

Thank you.

If plan will be in place then, it should the diwali week. I was in fact waiting for company for the trip as I was planning solo.
Will keep you posted.

Sudeep,

Heartiest congratulations on bringing home the easily most stylish hatch in the segment:thumbs up. Magnesio grey rocks on the car, I bet it will be hell of a task to maintain the gloss. Great ownership writeup, could easily identify most of it as I own a 75 HP Punto:thumbs up.

I think you should have opted for the rubber mudflaps instead of the molded ones as these tend to make the car even more dirty esp during the rains. Regarding the seating position, yes its a pain but I guess you will get used to it. I am surprised to know that you can use the dead pedal. In my two yrs of ownership not once I could use the dead pedal because of the uneven levels the dead pedal and the clutch pedal are at. It fouled with my footwear always.

Would request to post more pics of the beauty. Happy mile crunching and drive safely.

Congrats Sudeep for the new ride.

Evo is a great car. I was impressed by the looks, interior, seat and what not.
Everything in the car is just perfect. I am comparing EVO with my Ertiga. :)

The interior is a segment ahead of the competition.
No cost cutting visible anywhere in the car. All the lamps detailed very well.

Never driven a punto till date, but i believe the 90 BHP diesel should be a driver's car.

2 years / 20,000 km with my Italian Stallion : The Fiat Punto Evo 90HP-img_20150905_171345.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghodlur (Post 3802248)
Sudeep,

Heartiest congratulations on bringing home the easily most stylish hatch in the segment:thumbs up. Magnesio grey rocks on the car, I bet it will be hell of a task to maintain the gloss. Great ownership writeup, could easily identify most of it as I own a 75 HP Punto:thumbs up.

I think you should have opted for the rubber mudflaps instead of the molded ones as these tend to make the car even more dirty esp during the rains. Regarding the seating position, yes its a pain but I guess you will get used to it. I am surprised to know that you can use the dead pedal. In my two yrs of ownership not once I could use the dead pedal because of the uneven levels the dead pedal and the clutch pedal are at. It fouled with my footwear always.

Would request to post more pics of the beauty. Happy mile crunching and drive safely.

Thank you Sir,

I use driving shoes, especially from Puma which are not that wide as regular shoes and footwear's. Even my foot got caught quite often initially and I did panic as the vehicle got stalled couple of times. But now I know how to avoid it.
For the regular mudflaps, the service guy said to drill OEM bumpers, so I didn't go them and they didn't look good either.:Frustrati

And yes its a pain to maintain the gloss, but with the help of Bhpian @KALINGA's suggestion, I will be going for full wax polish at 3M.:)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sudeep_Kimster (Post 3802411)
I will be going for full wax polish at 3M.:)

I would suggest go through these threads if you want to continue the glossy look.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ing-guide.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...-sealants.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ean-shiny.html

No intention of confusing you but read these thread which are kind of bible for keeping the gloss on your car.


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