[Kaustav]

Hello everyone!!!

I am starting a new thread on Team-BHP after quite some time. The last time I wrote was after I had completed a 5400 kms drive from Bangalore > Rourkela > Kolkata & back. Now, after having completed 28,000+ kms on the "Silver Surf" (my Grande Punto Mjet Active) within a span of 1 year 2 months, I feel that its not only the desire within me to share my experience with you all, but also that the car deserves a writeup. So, here I am jotting down my experience as the "Silver Surfer".
My wife & I sat on the "Silver Surf" for the first time on 16th Sep 2009. That was the day it got delivered to us. I had to ask the Dealer to send a driver along with us so that he could drive the car till our house. This was because till that time, I had taken only 9 hours of training behind a steering wheel. Well, pretty soon, I was taking self training sessions on the car and then started to go to office in it. The Odometer slowly moved from 3 digits to 4 digits and I was becoming a more confident driver as each day passed.
I, my wife, my elder brother & my brother in law went to Nandi Hills and to Mysore during the next few weekends. Later on me & my wife went on a trip to Kodaikanal. All this happened within a short span of 3 months. I was now a much better driver and ready for more. The car had also covered around 5000 kms and was ready for a longish drive. This is when we decided to go on a long drive from Bangalore > Rourkela > Kolkata & then back to Bangalore. This road trip was one such trip that me & my wife shall never forget for our entire lives. It took us over good roads, bad roads, no roads, ghats and various other terrains and added another 5400 kms to our car's domain experience (roads & no roads). You can read more about this trip at the following Team-BHP link - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...bangalore.html
This was one mega trip for us and also a very memorable one. After returning to Bangalore, we were back to our usual life. However, me & my wife soon made plans & left for Ooty during a weekend. The return journey from Ooty over the ghat section that has 36 hairpin curves is the most winding and steep ghat section that I have covered till date. Next, my parents came to visit us and soon enough I had convinced them for a drive till Madurai & then onwards till Kanyakumari. There were 5 of us during this trip & it was again an excellent trip. Total distance covered was around 1400 kms (onwards & back). NH7 was as smooth as ever which made the drive a very memorable one.
During Diwali 2010, we had plans to visit my parents near Kolkata & my in-laws @ Rourkela, Orissa. We had all the train tickets ready except for the first leg of the journey from Bangalore to Kolkata. After attempts to secure tatkal tickets failed, me & wife were forced upon deciding to take Silver Surf on the highways again. It was like, either drive till Kolkata to spend the Diwali at my parents home and then have a small vacation @ Gangtok or drop all plans & spend Diwali here in Bangalore . This time, it was more of a need than desire. We packed our bags once again & started for Kolkata. Once we reached my parents house, we dropped the car there & moved onwards to Gangtok on train. We stayed in Gangtok for around 3 days & then returned back to Kolkata. During our onward journey till Kolkata, Silver Surf met with bad luck when the front bumper of a truck brushed its rear right door and scratched & deformed the door. This was the only damage during the trip. Once I returned back, the door was replaced under insurance & the Silver Surf was back to its beautiful self.
This thread would be more of a picture story and am adding pictures from my various trips

Trips at a glance -
* Car has also been used to commute to office daily since it was bought.
1> Bangalore <> Nandi Hills
2> Bangalore <> Mysore
3> Bangalore <> Kodaikanal
4> Bangalore <> Rourkela, Kolkata, Puri
5> Bangalore <> Ooty
6> Bangalore <> Madurai, Kanyakumari
7> Bangalore <> Madikeri
8> Bangalore <> Kolkata

Breakages so far -

1> Front right wheel arch cover replaced (got broken after an accident with a dog while returning from Kodaikanal - 3rd Trip)
2> Right ORVM replaced (was broken near Sukma by a negligent & rash truck driver - 4th trip)
3> One tyre - the tyre got a cut on its sidewall due to some sharp stone/object (This happened at my office location where a lot of construction work is going on)
4> Rear right door replaced (during the recent trip to Kolkata)


Relationship Experience (many refer to this as Ownership Experience) -

I love this car. It has grown into me. "You don't buy a Fiat, you own one" - I couldn't agree more to this statement. It has brought a lot of happiness in our lives and is an integral part of our family. Well, I would try to elaborate on the different aspects that might be helpful to others who are contemplating to add this beauty to their life.

1> Engine response -
The Multijet engine churns out 76 bhp and is enough to comfortably move you around in the city traffic & on the highways. This is a heavy car & hence many may also feel that the engine is underpowered. However, at the price of this car, it would be wrong to expect a V8 or a V10. If you are someone who wants a car for leisure drives & long highway runs, it has sufficient oomph to bring a smile to your face. However, if you want zippy response & fast acceleration to zip past city traffic, this should not be your choice. Think of it as a graceful car, it’s not meant for speed races but for comfortable drives. Lighter competitors like Maruti & Hyundai hatchbacks would feel more zippy & responsive upon comparison.

2> Speed -
I am no racer and don't believe in reaching from point A to point B in the shortest possible time. I love comfortable & relaxed drives, hence have never felt that this car has any issues with speed. On the highways, I usually cruise between 85 - 100 kms/hr and city drives are at lesser speeds. However, I have touched 155 km/hr during test runs on this car. One such test was accomplished at full load (5 adults and luggage) on the toll flyover near Electronic city, Bangalore at around 11:45 PM in the night. The car was planted on the roads & didn't show any signs of instability. I believe I could have stretched her till her claimed max speed of 160 km/hr but was asked to slow down. I always plan my overtakes, hence overtaking does not pose much issues. However, for unplanned overtaking maneuvers, downshifting might be required.

3> Fuel Economy -
My Punto gives an average of around 15.5 - 16.5 km/ltr in city drives, mostly without AC. On Highways I usually get an economy of 23+ with around 40% usage of AC. My cruising speeds on the highways is around 90 km/hr. In case of higher speeds, one may expect lesser mileage. This is as per the car's trip computer. During my recent drive to Kolkata & back, the overall average was 23.3 km/ltr as per the trip computer.

4> Ground Clearance -
The ground clearance is not much at 160mm. At full load one needs to be careful on bumps & potholes, otherwise the underbody might get scraped. However, a careful driver should be able to take care of the ground clearance by careful driving. Know your car’s limitations & then only throw challenges at it. A higher GC would definitely affect the car's stability, hence this is more of a compromise. This car is super stable at high speeds and even while tackling bad roads at good speeds.

5> Boot Space -
The boot space is pretty decent compared to other competitors from Maruti & Hyundai. I feel that it is sufficient for weekend trips as well as for long drives. However, if you have a subwoofer installed in the boot, you might have to remove it to accommodate more luggage.

6> Suspension -
This car has a stiff suspension, maybe to support the heavy load of the car. When lightly loaded, it is advised to go slow over bumps otherwise the car might bounce. At full load, the suspension provides sufficient support over all types of terrain.

7> Nose & Headlights -
The headlights and the nose resemble that of a Maserati. The nose is long & one should be careful over potholes or slopes on the roads. For instance while moving into a basement car park we often encounter steep slopes. In case the end of the slope is not gradual & the car is not moving slow, you might end up scraping the nose. The headlights are not very powerful & I would recommend that the lights should be changed to better ones.

8> Structural strength & Interiors
All Fiats are built strong & heavy to last many years without any structural issues. The body is built very strong and you get a protective feeling once you sit inside this car. The interior plastics could have been better and I believe the newer Puntos have that corrected. Among the hatchbacks that we see now-a-days I am yet to see any other hatchback that has a stronger body.


The final verdict is - If you love a Fiat and want a hatchback, go for a Punto. However, be prepared to keep this car for quite a few years as it would definitely grow upon you and anyways you won't get a good resale value if you sell it off. Hence, it makes more sense to keep this car for more number of years. I am sure the build quality of the body and the tried and tested Multijet engine would last many years if you care for the car. Love her . . . & this beauty shall definitely love you back in return.

[prince_pervez]

Good report. Good points. Wish you many more miles ahead in your FIAT. Do post some more pictures for this thread.

[Soccerfan]

Good writeup there. Please post some pics also. Mine is at 21k kms now

[camchennai]

Kaustav - That was a excellent relationship experience (in your terms), you have narrated each section very well. I love Punto very much and getting a MJD is also on the cards in near future, but my only concern was the TASS. Can you also explain about the service/dealership experience?

But man 28k KM withing 14 months is too much

[COUNSEL]

Very well written. Good to know the reliability of MJD engines. 100% positive feedback and no failures at all, at least in Team-Bhp.

Hope you keep updating this thread.

[Kaustav]

I am attaching a few of the "Silver Surf" taken during my various trips. Shall be posting few more later on.

[Fordmanchau]

A very well written report Kaustav, you have truly made good use of the MJD engine in your car.
Punto is a serious consideration for anyone who wants a hatch and would keep it for long and yes, it's look are to kill for
Would love to see some snaps of your warhorse. Do post it soon.

[CliffHanger]

Of all the hatchbacks I have owned, the Punto is the most closest to my heart. Yesterday, she crossed 31000km and she has been super reliable so far.

As you said, the sense of safety you get when you are inside Punto is unmatched and no other car in its competition can offer such experience. Leaving the plastic fitments aside, this car is build to last. A car built with a lot of passion from Fiat, I could feel it in every km of my 31000km journey so far. Sad that it is not able to win many hearts of we Indians. My respect for Fiat has gotten bigger day by day!

[PPS]

How is the ride quality of the Punto? Is there too much of a difference in ride quality compared to Emotion pack which runs on 15inch tyres ?

[Kaustav]

Well, I have never driven any other car other than my own Punto. Hence, It would be very difficult for me to compare between the Emotion & the Active versions.

However, what I can assure you is that even the Active is planted on the roads & you can throw at it any of the sane maneuvers that you might desire. The Punto is a very balanced and tame car, with an excellent ride quality. Its weight adds a sense of grip & stability. The Wider tyres on the Emotion would definitely add to the handling without doubt.

If you want to push the car to its limits & are an aggressive driver, definitely better/wider tyres from a reputed make would make a lot of difference. For everyday use for everyday drivers, the stock tyres are just fine. My stock tyres are running fine & I guess they would last me another 10 K or more.

[ajay_satpute]

Superb report Kaustav.

You have written the report in a very unbaised manner, which is what impresses me most.

You have really justified the great engine this car has.

Just one query, how is the back support in this car? Since, you have travelled thousands of Kms on all sorts of terrains, you are probably the best judge of this.

Please do post more photos of the Silver Surf.

[Kaustav]

Hi Ajay,

Thanks for your words of encouragement.
Well, I have never felt any issues with the back support in the seats of my Punto. On good roads or bad, I have always felt comfortable. I have even done marathon runs in my car, covering around 850 kms in a day(driving only during the day with few breaks for food, diesel & Bio breaks). This car being a heavy car with an excellent suspension is a queen of the highways. It churns miles without any signs of fatigue. Anyone who loves long drives on highways can practically travel any distance on this car.

However, a word of advice - for long distance travel by car, the most important factor is that the car should not be stretched to its limits & neither should the driver get fatigued. A sleepy driver can be a serious danger to himself, other occupants in the car & to others traveling on the road. A fatigued car stands a chance of failure due to various mechanical factors. Thus, I follow a rule of maintaining cruising speeds of 85 - 100 Kms/hr on the highway. Sometimes, when an Audi, BMW or a Mercedes overtakes me, I do get carried away & indulge myself in some spirited driving but come back to sane speeds after a few minutes. I must mention here that though the Punto is considered to be sluggish by many, it can pose a serious challenge to any car in its category and even to bigger cars. Speed is not the only factor that makes a car great. The car should also be capable enough to reach those speeds with grace & be safe/stable at those high speeds. When I ask "Silver Surf" for more and try to follow bigger cars on the highways, it remains rock solid and fully planted on the roads. Its as if "Silver Surf" is trying to say - "Come on, I can do better than that, you are safe with me. Lets Speak to the Wind".

Adding a few more pics of the Silver Surf. She is a beauty !!!

[Kaustav]

Attaching a few more pics of the "Silver Surf". The misty ones were taken @ Nandi Hills, Bangalore, when my parents had come to visit us. The last pic is at Kanyakumari with the Vivekananda Rock Memorial & Saint Thiruvalluvar's statue in the background.

[NutsNBolts]

An honest and unbiased review Kaustav. Any prospective buyer will be easily able to look at pros and cons. Wish you many more happy miles with the multijet.