[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by differential

Nice to know that atleast Fiat believes in catering to the niche market. Since the car is not a volume seller anyway, Fiat could have atleast upgraded the gearbox, taken off the cheesy decals and lowered the car with a subtle bodykit. And in the process replaced the excuse of the tailpipe with a decent one. With a better gearbox, i guess they might have moved a few more out of their showrooms. I for one testdrove the abarth a couple of times before finalising on the polo tsi GT.

Agree, since they would anyway manufacture the 6 speed box for the 1.4 Multiair Jeep Compass, they could have thought about this. Only limiting factor may be cost. But how much will the price go up in case a new GB is plonked in would be interesting to know. The price hike will surely be above 50K considering the primitive gearbox that is currently on the car.

[differential]

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

Agree, since they would anyway manufacture the 6 speed box for the 1.4 Multiair Jeep Compass, they could have thought about this. Only limiting factor may be cost. But how much will the price go up in case a new GB is plonked in would be interesting to know. The price hike will surely be above 50K considering the primitive gearbox that is currently on the car.

The Abarth punto with 1.4 multiair and AT would be a killer. I guess the engine puts out more than 150 horses. That with a sporty exhaust like the cooper S with better quality rubber and a lowered ride height would be a killer package. The single digit customers who buy this car every month will be happier and I guess the kind of person that chooses this car might be willing to shell out 3-4 L more for this. If wishes were horses!

Fiat could actually have a competition to the Vw gti. Because even with the clearance sale, the gti is going to be about 24-25 on road. So a 75% gti with about 80% power, costing about 60% of the discounted GTI will be one heck of an enthusiasts package.

Vw is adamant about not plonking in the 1.4 plus DSG in the polo. That would make a similar package. So I guess fiat should capitalise that and continue to offer performance oriented hatches at sane prices.

[cogWheel]

Looking for a second car that will be used for my daily solo commute (30 kms, 60% highways) and occasional longer drives with family (wife and kid on booster seat). For once, feel like throwing caution to the wind and buying a fun-to-drive hatch. Have the Abarth Punto in mind. Unfortunately no test drive car is available at my city Mangaluru. Nearest one is apparently in Mysore. I don't need to be convinced about the power or other aspects - only need to check if the (in)famous(?) ergonomics is a real deal breaker. Have driven a Linea for a short distance before. Is the driver seating very different from that or the other Puntos? The dealer here has an Urban Cross (Diesel) available for test drive - would driving that give an adequate idea of driver ergonomics?
The one other thing that I am concerned about is the ground clearance given the pot-holed roads in and around our city.
Any inputs from owners would be appreciated.

[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by cogWheel

Looking for a second car that will be used for my daily solo commute (30 kms, 60% highways) and occasional longer drives with family (wife and kid on booster seat). For once, feel like throwing caution to the wind and buying a fun-to-drive hatch. Have the Abarth Punto in mind. Unfortunately no test drive car is available at my city Mangaluru. Nearest one is apparently in Mysore. I don't need to be convinced about the power or other aspects - only need to check if the (in)famous(?) ergonomics is a real deal breaker. Have driven a Linea for a short distance before. Is the driver seating very different from that or the other Puntos? The dealer here has an Urban Cross (Diesel) available for test drive - would driving that give an adequate idea of driver ergonomics?
The one other thing that I am concerned about is the ground clearance given the pot-holed roads in and around our city.
Any inputs from owners would be appreciated.

The under thigh support is lesser compared to the Linea. The back to back drives makes this very evident. However, the Abarth Punto has slightly stiffer seats. A good bolstering with after market seat covers can solve the under thigh support issue. Apart from there, the other aspects are almost the same.

On the GC part, I tested it on some really bad roads, did not manage to scrape the underbelly. Stiffer suspension helps here. A little caution and I believe it should not be an issue.

[sai_ace]

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

Agree, since they would anyway manufacture the 6 speed box for the 1.4 Multiair Jeep Compass, they could have thought about this. Only limiting factor may be cost. But how much will the price go up in case a new GB is plonked in would be interesting to know. The price hike will surely be above 50K considering the primitive gearbox that is currently on the car.

Slightly OT. Does the Linea have a 6 speed gb anywhere else in the world? can a 6 spd Gb be swapped in place of the current 5 speeder in the tjet?

[gongura]

Originally Posted by cogWheel

Looking for a second car that will be used for my daily solo commute (30 kms, 60% highways) and occasional longer drives with family (wife and kid on booster seat). For once, feel like throwing caution to the wind and buying a fun-to-drive hatch. Have the Abarth Punto in mind. Unfortunately no test drive car is available at my city Mangaluru. Nearest one is apparently in Mysore. I don't need to be convinced about the power or other aspects - only need to check if the (in)famous(?) ergonomics is a real deal breaker. Have driven a Linea for a short distance before. Is the driver seating very different from that or the other Puntos? The dealer here has an Urban Cross (Diesel) available for test drive - would driving that give an adequate idea of driver ergonomics?
The one other thing that I am concerned about is the ground clearance given the pot-holed roads in and around our city.
Any inputs from owners would be appreciated.

I'm not an owner, but I've test-driven all the cars in the Fiat stable -- Linea, Punto Evo, Old Punto, Avventura, as well as the Abarth Punto. I even had a friends 2014 Punto 90 HP for a whole day around town. I can confidently state that the ergonomics are the same on all of them. The Avventura sits a bit higher on the road, but the inside cabin is the same. The Linea is more plush with leather seats etc.

Hope this helps.

[cogWheel]

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

The under thigh support is lesser compared to the Linea. The back to back drives makes this very evident. However, the Abarth Punto has slightly stiffer seats. A good bolstering with after market seat covers can solve the under thigh support issue. Apart from there, the other aspects are almost the same.

On the GC part, I tested it on some really bad roads, did not manage to scrape the underbelly. Stiffer suspension helps here. A little caution and I believe it should not be an issue.

Originally Posted by gongura

I'm not an owner, but I've test-driven all the cars in the Fiat stable -- Linea, Punto Evo, Old Punto, Avventura, as well as the Abarth Punto. I even had a friends 2014 Punto 90 HP for a whole day around town. I can confidently state that the ergonomics are the same on all of them. The Avventura sits a bit higher on the road, but the inside cabin is the same. The Linea is more plush with leather seats etc.

Hope this helps.

@nkrishnap and @gongura, thanks for the feedback. I did test-drive the Urban Cross (1.3MJD 90HP) today. If the Abarth Punto driver seating is similar to that, I think I will have no major issue with it. I needed to try a couple of times to find a comfortable position. I think raising the seat up and pushing it back an extra bit worked for me (I am 5'11"). Better thigh support / steering reach adjustment would have helped.

[sourav21]

I had a turbocharged petrol on my mind for a while now. I was looking at GT TSI and the Abarth Punto. If I go with the GT TSI, I need not worry about GST revision, but I am looking for a remap, so with the DSG, I think remap would be too risky. BTW I saw one timeline of FIAT showing new Abarth Punto for India in 2018. Is there any information whether the multiair turbocharged petrol will be plonked into the Punto (the one in Compass) ? Is it worth the wait?

Wolf Moto seems to have remapped the Abarth Punto to 170 hp and 240 Nm

https://www.facebook.com/Wolfmotoper...188079538810:0

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Apart from a slight bump in torque, there will be limited scope to further tune this engine. At the tops, you maybe able to get to 160 horses or so.

Besides bump in power and torque figures, with a remap, we can manipulate the EGR valve plus better burning of fuel to make the engine run smoother. Cars in India are made to be very tolerant of fuel quality. It has to run from Kanyakumari to Ladakh.

[theredliner]

Originally Posted by sourav21

I am looking for a remap, so with the DSG, I think remap would be too risky. BTW I saw one timeline of FIAT showing new Abarth Punto for India in 2018. Is there any information whether the multiair turbocharged petrol will be plonked into the Punto (the one in Compass) ? Is it worth the wait?

Looking at the miserable sales figures of the Abarth, I highly doubt if FIAT would do anything more for it. In fact, we should be lucky that FIAT hasn't pulled the plug on it. Get it while you still can. Looking at the response for Jeep Compass, I don't think one should be worried much about service and spares now. This is the best time for buying an Abarth (than back when it was launched) as the price is at its lowest and the brand's future seems to have got a big boost thanks to the Compass.

Regarding the mod-ability, the Abarth is great in stock. It doesn't have a weak top-end like the 113HP T-JET previously used in Linea. Get it remapped a couple of years down the line after you get bored of stock. The stock internals of T-JET engine are rock solid. Even the age old gearbox is.
5 or so years down the line when you are bored of it, go for a big turbo upgrade (for ~2-3L instead of selling the car for peanuts) like Garrett from Abarth SS or a TD04 if you want to go all out and start smoking the entry level germans . Only downside, you'll probably have to use octane boosters. The car is reliable even after 50000+ km as per the feedback of people who have gone for big turbo upgrades.

Here is an example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Aq0JFBEEWs

PS I don't think GST revision will hurt Abarth as it applies only to vehicles which are >4m and/or have engine bigger than 1.5l. So, if I'm not wrong it applies only to Linea.

[sourav21]

Originally Posted by theredliner

5 or so years down the line when you are bored of it, go for a big turbo upgrade (for ~2-3L instead of selling the car for peanuts) like Garrett from Abarth SS or a TD04

That would be a complete overhaul. I think we can manage to extract some performance boost even without this kind of an involved surgery. I forgot to add in the previous post that we can also remove the rev limiter and flat spots with a remap.

Besides with a bigger turbo, I think we are looking at a bigger turbo lag and then we have to think about a twin turbo set up ....

PS I don't think GST revision will hurt Abarth as it applies only to vehicles which are >4m and/or have engine bigger than 1.5l. So, if I'm not wrong it applies only to Linea.

I think for petrol engines, the GST revision will affect engine capacity > 1.2 Liters

[theredliner]

Originally Posted by sourav21

That would be a complete overhaul. I think we can manage to extract some performance boost even without this kind of an involved surgery. I forgot to add in the previous post that we can also remove the rev limiter and flat spots with a remap.

Besides with a bigger turbo, I think we are looking at a bigger turbo lag and then we have to think about a twin turbo set up ....

Definitely. I mentioned about the big turbo upgrade only when you would be thinking of selling it. I had read about a report where a T-JET (European 155 PS version) with VL 36/38 turbo was made to hold power till 6000 RPM with just a remap, intake and exhaust mods. Something similar can be achieved with Indian version with slight modifications to run on 91 RON fuel.

I personally did not experience any flat spots in my drives of Abarth Punto. The motor pulled clean all the way till about 5300 - 5500 RPM. Don't know if it was running high octane fuel, which is highly possible as the 99 RON fuel station is very close to the dealership. Damn thing had torque steer in third gear which you see only in remapped Linea T-JET.

I think for petrol engines, the GST revision will affect engine capacity > 1.2 Liters

AFAIK, the revision is considered only for 'luxury vehicles' which are bigger than 4m and/or have engines bigger than 1.5l irrespective of fuel type.

[sourav21]

Another thing, I found the lower end grunt ( <2000 rpm) of the Abarth still lacking. There is some lag. And I have seen remaps masking that to a good extent.

Originally Posted by theredliner

AFAIK, the revision is considered only for 'luxury vehicles' which are bigger than 4m and/or have engines bigger than 1.5l irrespective of fuel type.

I sure hope so. Nothing like saving some cash !!

[deathwalkr]

How valid are the power/torque figures quoted by the tuners? My friend who got an abarth last month is breaking his head visiting multiple places to understand the best mods for the car. From air intakes to short shift gears and everything in between.

Common feedback was that just a remap would not really make much of a difference. It needs to be coupled with a free flow exhaust and a panel replacement filter at the least.

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

How valid are the power/torque figures quoted by the tuners?

Do not blindly believe the figures quoted by tuners. Even dyno graphs can be "manipulated". I believe in timing the car : Stock vs Remap to appreciate the gains

Common feedback was that just a remap would not really make much of a difference. It needs to be coupled with a free flow exhaust and a panel replacement filter at the least.

A remap with downpipe and performance air filter should be perfect

[sourav21]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

Common feedback was that just a remap would not really make much of a difference.

Oh definitely it does. It is not just about 0 to 100. Masking turbo lag, lower NVH and fuel efficiency are some of the benefits among other things. I am running a remapped Punto 90HP and I can vouch for it although I cannot say how much difference it would make for the Punto Abarth. The thing is, manufacturers will surely de-tune the engine for a wide margin of safety, if for nothing else, then for warranty purpose at least. The easiest thing that can be done is to change the engine map. Cold air intake and FFE can added later. As theredliner pointed out, a bigger turbo can be plonked in, then a larger intercooler, a supercharger, may be the engine block can be chiseled for increasing the displacement, lower tighter springs and what not. But a remap is the easiest, non intrusive first attempt.

Besides Wolf Moto has switchable maps with the first one being stock. So the car can run on stock too. Have your cake and eat it too.

So I don't think if I were to put down twelve big ones on a car which is rather low on equipment otherwise, I would keep it stock for very long.