[RedOne]

Originally Posted by Klub Class

We stopped at a small hotel after the covering the ghat section, and as a matter of fact, we were all really shocked to see an average mileage of 47.4 km/l. !!

If I am not mistaken, you were driving DOWN the ghat? That could be the reason for the phenominal mileage. Best I got was around 23 with AC, maintaining 80-100.

Gears,
Red-One.

[GTX007]

In my case it has been from Palio to Linea, and like clevermax, I've not sold my palio and will not be doing so in the near future. I have already compared my Linea and Palio and the main difference that I found was in the fit and finish department especially the interior. Palio do have some features like Reverse gear lock which the Linea lacks. May be we can start a thread on this. And seeing the superb mileage of Klub Class I don't think any one else will be able to beat that very soon!

[Klub Class]

Originally Posted by clevermax

@Klub: For a moment I thought it is instantaneous consumption that you're displaying! It's really surprising, since the average mileage is an average of the inst. consumption over time (when the car is running) from the moment you reset the trip meter, and the inst. mileage figure tops out at 50kmpl - it never goes beyond that!

The maximum I ever saw in my Punto's DIS is 24 kmpl (Avg consumption)

Yup, you're right. It's the average consumption not the instantaneous consumption. Many of my friends had also thought that it's the instantaneous mileage which is shown in the MID(Multi Information Display)

Originally Posted by neoonwheels

I consistently get 14kmpl with 100% AC in 100% city drive. While city and HW combines (30-70) I get in the range of 19-22kmpl. The max I got was on Mbai-Pune expway for 80 km stetch = 25.7 kmpl. Mine is 1800 km run 1.3 Emo Pk.

The mileage figures that you're getting is almost similar to mine.

Originally Posted by raamki

whoa!! please lend my your engine bro, 1200 KMs on, my punter has'nt crossed the 12 kmpl mark on the MID, although i feel it's close to that number per my calculations!!

maybe it's me, a heavy clutch person!! hopefully, it'll improve after the first service!!

Ha ha, don't worry brother. I don't find any use in lending my engine. The mileage will surely improve as you crunch more and more miles.

Originally Posted by gods-envy

raamki,
Since the GP MJD has a very good low end grunt, I don't think you need to use the accelerator all that much and in the end achieve good FE values.
My GP gives me 15kmpl in 100% city conditions and about 18-19kmpl in the city and highway cycle.

Originally Posted by neoonwheels

Exactly. The low end torque works here. I still feel I can improve the FE fig as I am still getting used to Diesel car.

+1 to you guys. The low end torque really helps us to extract the max of each droplet. I wish Punto had a 6th gear. (It would help us to get better figures while driving in speeds excess of 100km/hr)

Originally Posted by gods-envy

It's great to see the number of users who have stuck to Fiat. Right on this page I see, neoonwheels,clevermax, klub class and myself all of whom have graduated from a Palio to a Punto.

Originally Posted by NutsNBolts

^ Count me in too! From Uno to Linea. KC, great going. That is some good driving skills in extracting the value for every single drop of diesel. Keep it going.

Originally Posted by clevermax

Sorry for OT again



Yes, I also noticed this while reading few recent posts in here.
In my case, I've not sold Palio and no intention to do so.

I guess we can start a thread on this. I have few points to write after driving two of these cars, like what's missing in Punto and present in Palio etc

Count me on guys.

Well, I have a couple of friends who have migrated from Fiat Palio to Punto. Meanwhile in my case, I migrated from Fiat Uno to Fiat Palio and then to Fiat Punto. And yes, my next car will be a Fiat for sure.

Originally Posted by RedOne

If I am not mistaken, you were driving DOWN the ghat? That could be the reason for the phenominal mileage. Best I got was around 23 with AC, maintaining 80-100.

Gears,
Red-One.

Ya RedOne, I thought that i had mentioned the very fact that we were driving down the ghat section. My bad, I had somehow forgot to mention it. And yes, i do feel that anyone can achieve this figures easily in almost all the new generation cars with very very sane driving.

Originally Posted by GTX007

In my case it has been from Palio to Linea, and like clevermax, I've not sold my palio and will not be doing so in the near future. I have already compared my Linea and Palio and the main difference that I found was in the fit and finish department especially the interior. Palio do have some features like Reverse gear lock which the Linea lacks. May be we can start a thread on this. And seeing the superb mileage of Klub Class I don't think any one else will be able to beat that very soon!

I wish we had not sold off our Fiat Palio. I miss my Palio very badly whenever i spot a retro Fiat Palio on my way .

Ha Ha, don't think that none can beat this mileage. In fact, as i have mentioned earlier everyone with very very sane driving can attain these figures in similar driving conditions.

Currently, i have crunched 18.5 k + kms in My SouLMatE. Most probably, i will be updating my thread with my driving experience and detailed report on the 2nd free service.

Stay Tuned

Regards
Amith

[Klub Class]

Atlast, amidst the busy and hefty schedules i managed to set aside my time to take some snaps of my car and to write a detailed report my experience of owning Fiat Punto for 10 + months. I'm currently nearing 19k kms in the odo.

So, What do I feel after crunching nearly 18k+ km?

It's almost 10 months since i have got Fiat Punto 1.3+ in my hands. I do enjoy every fraction of second that i spent with My SouLMatE,(read, Fiat Punto).

So, here goes my experience :

1)Things I like !

• Blue & Me : Needless to say, i helps me to save a lot of time and it makes my life more easier. It's just addictive!

• Steering mounted controls : No need to take off my hands from the steering to adjust the audio controls. But, on the contrary, my father changes the songs pretty fast when i play 'rock songs'! Damn.

• Mileage : The mileage figures are impressive. Helps me to save a good of money.

• Styling and Design: Even after 1 year of launch, it still attracts people on the way.

• Ride and Handling: I'm so sure that Fiat Punto puts all other hatchbacks and some sedans into shame when the 'Ride and Handling' is taken into consideration.

• Stereo can be operated even without inserting the key : I find it very useful.

• The intensity of the illumination of the dashboard can be changed.: It's pretty useful at nights when i go for long drives. i usually decreases the intensity of the illumination. So, less distractions while driving.

• MID - Multi Information Display :It's really a boon for me. I don't have to do mathematical calculations and all to calculate the average mileage.

2)Things I dislike!

• Tyre Noise: It's on a higher side when cruising in speeds excess of 100 km/hr

• The long gear throw : I hate the long gear throw, I would prefer the small gear throw similar to Swift.

• The light control stalks on the LHS. : I don't have any problems with the same. But, I gets irritated when my friends splashes the water to the windscreen instead of flashing lights at the oncoming vehicles!

• The interior fitments could have been better.: Like the other Punto owners, I too feel that the interior quality could have been much better.

• Fuel lid is very flimsy: I doubt whether the boys at the petrol pump would break the fuel lid.

• Only one remote control!: At times, I have wondered what one can do if they place the remote inside the car and it gets locked. Keeping my fingers crossed!

• There is no provision for opening the left door with the key. ie, no hole to insert the key! : A part of cost cutting?!

• The audio controls on the Head-Unit won't work when the music is played from USB: I wish, we could use the controls on the head-unit too

3)It feels great when :

• Small kids on the way points their hands to my car and say -"Woww"

• My friends envy me when i attend the calls while i crunch miles in the car. Thanks to Microsoft and Blue & Me

• The bike riders drools over my car in the traffic jams

• I spot my classmates taking the snaps of my car from all possible angles!

PS : I've not yet faced much problems with the A.S.S. But i do feel that Fiat has to improve a lot and yes, it seems that they are in the right path

Italians know how to make men drool over their cars with perfect lines and curves.And yes, Fiat Punto is no expection. It's absolutely a drool material. I do feel that it will be pretty hard to spot an odd line in the Punto's design.

Moreover, I can always spot a small crowd near my car when i comes back after a small shopping. But, that simple fact doesn't explain the full extent of the attention grabbing power of Fiat Punto

4)The 2nd Free Service - 15000km

I got my Fiat Punto serviced from Hyson Motors Thrissur on 5th May 2010 (2nd Free Service).

-Things which i got sorted out by them :

1. The A/C vents which direct the air towards the feet were not working properly.
2. The rear-headrest used to fall down.ie, it did not stay in position.
3. The black colored film on the B-Pillar seemed to be damaged.

-The 2nd Service Bill!

1. A/C Pollen Filter (Rs 225.53)
2. Air Filter Element DSL (Rs 224.64)
3. Engine Oil 4l (Rs 2061.71)
4. Oil FIlter (Rs 301.89)
5. Emery Paper 80 Rs 4.44 ( I didn't expect that they will charge me for this! Beware, next time they might charge you for the same)

PS: The Fuel filter was not changed since the part was not available with them. We later got it changed it from Marina Motors, Calicut.
_________________________________________

@ 12.5% VAT on parts : 352.28
@ 1 & Social Security Cess on Parts : 3.52
_________________________________________
Grand Total : 3,174.00
_________________________________________

Overall Service Experience : 7/10

5)Mileage

I get and average mileage of :

• 14-16 km/l in mixed driving conditions(City + Highway) - With AC ON

• 17-19 km/l in highways with somewhat spirited driving. - With AC ON

• 20 + km/l when driven sedately - With AC ON

6)Bad experiences :

• Some copule of weeks back We had parked our car outside an auditorium. After 3-4 hours when we returned to be car, we were all shocked to see that someone had used a screwdriver or something of that sort and flicked the Fiat Logo.Damn
  
  I've read about the car logo theft in incidents happening in metros like Mumbai, Delhi etc. Seriously I had never thought that someone would steal a Fiat Logo that too in a small town like mine. Does this mean that Fiat has successfully captured the minds of Indians?!.Period

• When we had clocked nearly 17k+ kms, the car used to steer sharply to left side when the steering is left un-attented for a couple of seconds(Say,2-5 seconds).Actually the problem appeared out of nowhere when i was cruising through highway of Kerala. So, I took my car within a couple of days to the authorized service centre(Marina Motors, Calicut) to get the problem sorted out. They managed to fix the issue temporarily.Let me wait and see if the problem persists or not!
  
  Will surely write a detailed report about it later.

7)Some pics of My SouLMatE. Enjoy!

Camera Used : Sony DSC W35
Software Used : Picasa 3.0

























I'll keep you updated. Happy and safe motoring guys!

Regards
Amith

[vinaydas]

One small question.
Is the punto's turning radius bad? I heard it is more than that of the Already truck like radius of the palio.

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by vinaydas

One small question.
Is the punto's turning radius bad? I heard it is more than that of the Already truck like radius of the palio.

The Punto's turning radius is 5.4m. As you can see, it's not "truck" like.

[vinaydas]

Originally Posted by Amartya

The Punto's turning radius is 5.4m. As you can see, it's not "truck" like.

on paper the palio has a smaller turning radius than the innova . But in real life U turns in an innova is much easier than the palio.

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by vinaydas

on paper the palio has a smaller turning radius than the innova . But in real life U turns in an innova is much easier than the palio.

Well, you might be right, however I think it's just the way the power steering is setup that makes the feel different. Of course-in the same breath-I might be wrong.

[sdp1975]

Lovely pics there KC.

Agree with you on the longish gear throw. I wish the punto gearbox was like the swift.

You can always use the spare key if to unlock if you have used your remote to lock.

[arun687]

Excellent detailed report and lovely pics. BTW, regarding the logo, did you buy another one and fix it? I see the logo in the pics.

One of my biggest concern these days while parking is if the Fiat logo would be there after I come back.

[sumobom4]

Originally Posted by Klub Class

5)Mileage

I get and average mileage of :

• 14-16 km/l in mixed driving conditions(City + Highway) - With AC ON

• 17-19 km/l in highways with somewhat spirited driving. - With AC ON

• 20 + km/l when driven sedately - With AC ON

I know this post is like , but I am currently getting a mileage of around 8-10 kmpl in pure city driving conditions, 13-14 kmpl in mixed conditions (60% highway) and 17-18 kmpl in pure highway conditions, all with 100% AC. I have a 1.3 MJD Punto that I got last week itself and running so far is 800 km. A lot of people have been telling me that it will improve after first service, but what I don't understand is how will it suddenly change if the oil isn't to be changed before the second service (acc. to the manual). Can you throw some light on this? Mods, apologies if this has been discussed earlier.
Also, I saw a post by neoonwheels earlier in this thread that he got a FE of 14 in the city with only 1800 km running, which meant it is before 1st service!

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by sumobom4

I know this post is like , but I am currently getting a mileage of around 8-10 kmpl in pure city driving conditions, 13-14 kmpl in mixed conditions (60% highway) and 17-18 kmpl in pure highway conditions, all with 100% AC. I have a 1.3 MJD Punto that I got last week itself and running so far is 800 km. A lot of people have been telling me that it will improve after first service, but what I don't understand is how will it suddenly change if the oil isn't to be changed before the second service (acc. to the manual). Can you throw some light on this? Mods, apologies if this has been discussed earlier.
Also, I saw a post by neoonwheels earlier in this thread that he got a FE of 14 in the city with only 1800 km running, which meant it is before 1st service!

As you might already know there are many factors that effect fuel efficiency. The highway mileage you are getting is very good for a car having run only 800kms. To answer your question, although no oil is changed, the engine gets run-in, e.g. the piston rings get seated nicely on the cylinder etc, after around 1500k kms. For the Punto, there is a significant difference in smoothness and noise after around 3 - 3.5K kms.

For now, keep a close eye on how you are diving in the city, make sure you are not riding the clutch, the air pressure is fine in all tires etc. Then do a tank-full to tank-full method of calculating the FE after around 1200km.

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by vinaydas

on paper the palio has a smaller turning radius than the innova . But in real life U turns in an innova is much easier than the palio.

Eh! Care to explain how is it what it is?

[sumobom4]

Originally Posted by Amartya

As you might already know there are many factors that effect fuel efficiency. The highway mileage you are getting is very good for a car having run only 800kms. To answer your question, although no oil is changed, the engine gets run-in, e.g. the piston rings get seated nicely on the cylinder etc, after around 1500k kms. For the Punto, there is a significant difference in smoothness and noise after around 3 - 3.5K kms.

For now, keep a close eye on how you are diving in the city, make sure you are not riding the clutch, the air pressure is fine in all tires etc. Then do a tank-full to tank-full method of calculating the FE after around 1200km.

Thanks for clarifying that Amartya. That certainly makes things clearer. And yes, I am paying extra attention to my driving style. But no clutch riding for me! Dad weeded that out of me by giving me a nice smack to the back of the head if I even showed a hint of riding the clutch on our old 1981 model FIAT, whilst learning to drive! What confused me earlier was the fact that everyone said that the engine would become smoother post service, as if it was the result of that particular event. I guess it is more like a gradual process which becomes noticeable around the 3-3.5 K km mark.

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Eh! Care to explain how is it what it is?

I guess it is more to do with the ease that the steering can be taken to full lock. If I am not mistaken, the Innova has an EPS which means that it is a lot easier to turn than an HPS which the Palio and the Punto have.

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by sumobom4

I guess it is more like a gradual process which becomes noticeable around the 3-3.5 K km mark.

Absolutely correct.

Originally Posted by sumobom4

I guess it is more to do with the ease that the steering can be taken to full lock. If I am not mistaken, the Innova has an EPS which means that it is a lot easier to turn than an HPS which the Palio and the Punto have.

Right on this account as well.