Team-BHP - Fiat Grande Punto : Test Drive & Review

Quote:

Originally Posted by samsan02 (Post 1981426)

The arm rest looks good, but I am Just curious! are you able to change gears without any obstruction to your elbow. Particularly when you do a 3rd to 4th your elbow should keep touching the arm rest right ! Or do you use just the wrist to change gears. At times when I move the front passenger seat way forward, my left elbow brushes the seat itself.
Can you post one more picture with gear knob and arm rest when clicked from right below the steering, that should be more clear i guess.

I don't have much of an issue when I change the gear. Or, maybe I have got used to it :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zenster (Post 1982775)

Hey gods-envy, Is this Armster Arm-rest from UK (available on ebay too). Could you please share the pricing and issues with ixing it in the Punto, if any?

Zenster, No, its not by Armster, I bought this at a shop called India Automotive from J.C Road.
I think I paid 2.5k for it.
The only issue with it is, you cannot lift off the hand rest if you do not wish to use it, similar to how it is on the Linea.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zenster (Post 1983237)

Thanks samsan02. I tried googling but couldn't find the 3M Jayanagar address. Could you please post it here or PM me with the same?

Zenster, Try going to Junction at Jayanagar.
To get there, take a left after the Jayanagar 4th block bus stand and proceed towards Jayanagar 4th-T Block.
The shop is just 200 mts from that junction.
I got my 3M from them itself.
They have done a good job. I paid 2k for it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gods-envy (Post 1988610)

I don't have much of an issue when I change the gear. Or, maybe I have got used to it :D

Zenster, No, its not by Armster, I bought this at a shop called India Automotive from J.C Road.
I think I paid 2.5k for it.
The only issue with it is, you cannot lift off the hand rest if you do not wish to use it, similar to how it is on the Linea.

Zenster, Try going to Junction at Jayanagar.
To get there, take a left after the Jayanagar 4th block bus stand and proceed towards Jayanagar 4th-T Block.
The shop is just 200 mts from that junction.
I got my 3M from them itself.
They have done a good job. I paid 2k for it.

Gods-Envy, thanks for the details. I thought you had this armster punto items - Get great deals on Vehicle Parts Accessories, Interior items on eBay UK! from the description, may bad. I wanted something like it because i dont know if I'll get used to maneuvering my hand around it as you have one. So I wanted a more flexible design as shown on the ebay pics.

About the 3M Bit, I stay on bnrghatta road and work at Kalyani magnum (jp ngt 7th phase, Dollars Layout). And i'm not too familiar with the 4th T block area. I tried google maps but its too confusing stupid:. Are there any phone-numbers for them that you can gimme or any other landmarks around it.

Thanks a lot for the info though, my hunting start now!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zenster (Post 1988649)

Are there any phone-numbers for them that you can gimme or any other landmarks around it.

Thanks a lot for the info though, my hunting start now!

This is the address that I got off google, which I think is right.

Junction, FOR Car Atttchmnets., 1/21, 9th Main, 32nd Cross, Jayanagar, 4yth Block, Opposite To RV COLLEGE Of PHYSIOTHERAPY, Bangalore-11
Banglaore, Karnataka 560011
080 41462027

Try calling him. His name is Dinesh. In the meanwhile, I shall check the same from my bills and confirm tomorrow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gods-envy (Post 1988676)

Hey, thanks again brother. I looked this up on maps and it looks close to TMC Electronics. Am i correct. I wanted to go to TMC to get Aux cable anyway :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by samsan02 (Post 1989011)

Off topic, but dont want to start another thread here.
Q&A: Rajeev Kapoor, President & CEO, Fiat India

Expect a mini avtaar of Punto soon :D

Another interesting read from today's TOI, refers to the very issues we have been discussing at length on this thread.

Tata power fails to push Fiat sales - India Business - Business - The Times of India

As of now it is TATA who are getting the better out of the TATA-FIAT agreement, I really think they should also start thinking about standalone FIAT COCO Sales and Service centers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by better4worse (Post 1990694)

Voila, spot on guys, it works and works pretty well ! Pic for the guys who asked for it, the rear AC vent is the one at the bottom.

EDIT: I think we should take this discussion to the regular FIAT PUNTO Test Drive and Review thread.

Wow! More than a year after its launch we discover the rear vents on the Punto, thats cool.:)
Guess none of us really bother to use it specifically so it was never discovered, just like when buying a car and we do compare features on the nearest competion but hardly bother to really ponder about them later.

Yesterday after coming to know about its co-ordinates, I was too lazy to look under the seats, thought someone will post a pic anyway

Quote:

Originally Posted by samsan02 (Post 1990772)

It's especially strange since Hyundai advertises their rear AC vents in the I20 in a big way and no one really knows that the same exist in the Punto. Infact Advaith Hyundai's sales manager tried to convince me to buy the I20 saying that the AC in the Punto is weak and that the I20 had rear vents :D . It was only till i bought the car and read the manual that i found out these vents existed in the Punto.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newpunter (Post 1990830)

Infact Advaith Hyundai's sales manager tried to convince me to buy the I20 saying that the AC in the Punto is weak and that the I20 had rear vents :D . It was only till i bought the car and read the manual that i found out these vents existed in the Punto.

Newpunter, do you have any idea if these rear AC vents are present on the 1.4FIRE Punto as well or is this a new feature on the recently launched 90bhp 1.3MJD Punto? I've noticed that 90bhp version has acquired many things from Linea 1.3MJD (VGT, white colored speedo/odometers). These rear AC vents were seen only in Linea until now as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by better4worse (Post 1990479)

Hey, thanks for these article guys! I wanted to check with all Fiat-ians in bangalore that which service center in bangalore has a dedicated service staff for Fiat. My car has been with the Concorde Motors service team for 3 days (the third time) and they are still working on the belt noise issue. I checked with the service mech and he agreed that he is trained and handles both Fiat and Tata cars daily. Hence the question!
May be a Fiat exclusive service team in atleast one big dealership will give us a lot of assurance!
FIAT please:.....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zenster (Post 1990978)

Hi Even I had the issue with the belt noise, which was corrected in my first service. But the same noise developed later with a leaking HPS fluid and so under warranty they replaced the entire steering assembly at concorde Dairy Circle. So maybe ask them to check that too.

But i am not sure my original problem was due to belt noise or HPS fluid leaking, as they both were emitting the same sound. Maybe there was never that belt noise, There were a few other Puntos where HPS assembly was replaced under warranty.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zenster (Post 1988904)

Hey, thanks again brother. I looked this up on maps and it looks close to TMC Electronics. Am i correct. I wanted to go to TMC to get Aux cable anyway :)

Hang on here! Are you referring to getting a cable to create an AUX port on your music system? Please do let me know if you are able to do that!

I have an iPod which I am not able to use in the Punto, thanks to the built-in Balupunkt not having an AUX port. :Frustrati

I tried with an iTrip from Ebay, but it's not all that hot. Keeps making a burring sound.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaddleShifter (Post 1990977)

The rear vents have been there since the beginning. Although I can only speak of the Emotion Pack (Aug '09 model).