[samsan02]

Originally Posted by twinblades

You end up dowshifting to the 4th gear and then overtaking.

Infact Fiat recommends to downshift to a lower gear while overtaking, 5th gear is more of a cruising gear, to extract more FE I guess. You can check the website.

[aditya116]

Originally Posted by binaiks

I felt the opposite - just back from a Kodungallur (Thrissur) - Bangalore round trip, and the car performed just excellent on the highway. She returned me about 17.5kmpl each way, with an average speed around 75kmph. Maintained about 120~130 most of the time all the way from Perundurai to Bommanahalli

Dude constantly pushing 120 must have been a chore and not to mention the boomy nvh at that speed.dont you find tyre noise bit high?

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by aditya116

Dude constantly pushing 120 must have been a chore and not to mention the boomy nvh at that speed.dont you find tyre noise bit high?

Those stock 165s in my Punto has a lot of road noise whereas the Michelins in my Palio are very silent.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by clevermax

I could easily pass spirited drivers in Ford Ikon TCDi, Fiesta TCDi, Getz Crdi, Few VDis, and at the end, even a Nissan Xtrail.

My Jeep once passed a Ferrari. Obviously, neither this Ferrari nor the X-Trail from your post had the throttle buried into the floor. What's the point? The fact is, the Swift VDi / Getz CRDi / X-Trail are decidedly (the last two, SUBSTANTIALLY) faster than the Punto MJD.

Saying that you overtook cars that are so obviously faster, when they weren't being driven the same way that you were driving the Punto, is really a pointless exercise. All things equal (including driver + driving style), the Swift VDi / Getz CRDi / Xtrail that you overtook would leave the Punto for dead.

[ms001]

having driven both Punto and swift diesel extensively i can say that Punto is NOT a fast car, when compared to swift.
That said the swift feels very nervous at speed exceeding 100 +, while the Punto feels a lot more planted and the steering feel is excellent.

[better4worse]

While the government mandates a Euro 4 beyond April 2010, Euro 3's are still being sold. I have a query here, its more generic in nature and is vis-a-vis Diesel Euro 4 (mods feel free to place it under the right thread). Considering the GOI is looking to introduce ULSD in 13 cities only (as of now while ROI goes Euro 3). While ULSD when put in Euro 4 Di Engine prolongs engine life, I am concerned about the adverse effects on the engine when fed with a non ULSD or low grade Diesel.

My query stems from the fact that I am awaiting my Euro 4 MJD Punto which is still a week or two away at the least, and I am being offered a Euro 3 MJD same colour in the mean time. Is it a worth the wait? Experts please opine

- B4W

[tsk1979]

engine will have no problem with high sulfur. Infact, its a lubricant. Problem would be for emission systems which can get clogged.

[CliffHanger]

Originally Posted by GTO

My Jeep once passed a Ferrari. Obviously, neither this Ferrari nor the X-Trail from your post had the throttle buried into the floor. What's the point? The fact is, the Swift VDi / Getz CRDi / X-Trail are decidedly (the last two, SUBSTANTIALLY) faster than the Punto MJD.

Saying that you overtook cars that are so obviously faster, when they weren't being driven the same way that you were driving the Punto, is really a pointless exercise. All things equal (including driver + driving style), the Swift VDi / Getz CRDi / Xtrail that you overtook would leave the Punto for dead.

I think what he had intended to say was that he was able to maintain a constant speed through curves and zig-zags where other vehicles had to slow down due to their not-so-good handling which inturn allowed him to overtake them. And I do second that, in highways which has a lot of corners, Punto definitely holds an edge.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by CliffHanger

I think what he had intended to say was that he was able to maintain a constant speed through curves and zig-zags where other vehicles had to slow down due to their not-so-good handling which inturn allowed him to overtake them. And I do second that, in highways which has a lot of corners, Punto definitely holds an edge.

That ways, Swift is a great handler too, even if the Swift cannot maintain the same speed as a Punto in a corner but the better power to weight ratio is enough to compensate for that loss.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by CliffHanger

I think what he had intended to say was that he was able to maintain a constant speed through curves and zig-zags where other vehicles had to slow down due to their not-so-good handling which inturn allowed him to overtake them. And I do second that, in highways which has a lot of corners, Punto definitely holds an edge.

Which "not so good" handling cars? Not the X-Trail I know with its car-like behaviour, AWD system, all wheel discs and punchy diesel (twice the torque & BHP more than compensate for how much ever it would have to slow down in a corner...remember, the CRV can beat a Civic on a race track). Or the Swift, which is a better handler than the Punto? The Punto has excellent high speed stability, but the Swift remains a superior corner carver. It is simply more agile & has way lesser body roll.

Either ways, I doubt any of us are able to exploit even 80% of a car's grip levels on public roads. You need a controlled environment for that (read = race track).

[CliffHanger]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

That ways, Swift is a great handler too, even if the Swift cannot maintain the same speed as a Punto in a corner but the better power to weight ratio is enough to compensate for that loss.

Comparing Punto and Swift at high speeds and in roads with a fair number of corners, Punto will still have an edge. Punto is sluggish in the first two gears, may be in 3rd gear too, but in 4th and 5th gears Punto does have a better pull, it may not be as that of the Swift's but enough to keep it ahead between the two. Remember, Punto is a even better handler than Swift.

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by CliffHanger

Comparing Punto and Swift at high speeds and in roads with a fair number of corners, Punto will still have an edge. Punto is sluggish in the first two gears, may be in 3rd gear too, but in 4th and 5th gears Punto does have a better pull, it may not be as that of the Swift's but enough to keep it ahead between the two. Remember, Punto is a even better handler than Swift.

Do we drive on race tracks?
I drive a Hyundai Accent and it is known for its bad handling.
and I have smoked many punto's in real world conditions.
and all of these punto's had Nice drivers.
A swift be it petrol or Diesel can anyday give a punto a run for its money.
this post is not to boast as to i am faster and you are slower.
Handling is important and so is the engine

Taking example of bikes
R15 is one of the finest handling machines in India right now,a potent track tool,and it is let down by a wheezy engine.
a friend said,that chasis is more powerful than its engine

[MCR]

Swift is defenitely faster. But with its lifeless Powersteering and average suspension, its very scary. Punto may be a bit slower, but its suspension and handling setup is just amazing. On most of the indian roads, suspension and handling matter more than raw speed. I will be more happy to reach a place 2 minutes late with good rear legroom and decent luggage space, good ride quality rather than arrive a few minutes earlier but scared and tired because of a bumpy ride.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by CliffHanger

Remember, Punto is a even better handler than Swift.

Both the cars are very good handlers. They will have to be compared back to back on a track to say which will be faster in the bends. Lets not Forget the Swift's Performance advantage.

The Swift has the agility and flow in the corner but grip levels are lower, driving the Swift at the limit can be a very scary but entertaining experience. I've read somewhere that Maruti has made changes to the suspension recently to make the ride better, i am sure they might have messed us the handling.

The Punto has better grip levels and better steering but lacks the flick ability of the Swift and behaves like a bigger car.

[kuttapan]

Originally Posted by CliffHanger

Comparing Punto and Swift at high speeds and in roads with a fair number of corners, Punto will still have an edge. Punto is sluggish in the first two gears, may be in 3rd gear too, but in 4th and 5th gears Punto does have a better pull, it may not be as that of the Swift's but enough to keep it ahead between the two. Remember, Punto is a even better handler than Swift.

I beg to disagree. Drivers and footwear being equal, Swift will have the edge, especially if you throw in corners. It would only lose the edge if you throw in broken roads into the equation.

If you compare stock Punto to stock swift, this might be true, but that's because Stock Swift D comes with no-good JK tyres. Put some stickier rubber on, and the Punto will stand no chance, even with the same rubber. Swift simply eats up corners, while the body roll in Punto is more pronouced and kills the fun. Has nothing to do with gears or in gear acceleration - Swift will leave Punto behind, if footwear is taken out of the equation.

I have driven the Punto extensively on various type of terrain and while she is fast on highways, there is no chance against a Swift DdiS in a drag race.
I also feel that Swift steering is more precise than Punto. Note that I mentioned precision only.

That said, Punto is extremely comfortable over long journeys and I have done multiple Bangalore Pune runs without sweat. For those who say Punto is slow, on highways, over long distances, it's not. Take this - On one Bangalore Pune run, I covered the last 500kms in 5 hours(Had to reach office at 9.30 am no matter what ). That's an average speed of 100kph.

My qualifications for making above comments ->
Kms driven - Swift 23k
Punto 13k