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-   -   Fiat Grande Punto : Test Drive & Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/60626-fiat-grande-punto-test-drive-review-244.html)

Do not get the wheel alignment at Malik Cars (or any other Tata Motors). I suggest you get it done at any Wheel tech or Xenex.

I think they change Coolant Oil, Gear Oil & Break Oil every 60,000 KM or 2 years. I got them changed because my car had clocked 44,000 KM.

I recommend against changing Brake Pads. Usually Punto's brake pads are good for atleast 25,000 - 30,000 KM. Tata Motors have now made it a habit to change brake pads every 15,000 KMs or every service. I would get it checked my a mechanic and then change it.

I have also heard that Tata Motors have stopped cashless facility for other insurance companies. I am gonna have to shift to Tata Insurance or Future General.

I got my vehicle(Punto MJD) back after second service ( 15k/ 1Yr) from Prerana, Hosur Road. The bill for service came to 6K approx. I think I should have asked for the break up prior to it. They had wheel balancing, wheel alignment which I would have done outside ( charged Rs 650 labour charge + tax for that).

I get a feeling that they are trying to make some money and being a member of TBHP I should have been more diligent. I am mad at myself more than anyone this time.

The things I noted are, the coolant is not topped up. They have charged for 1 litre of windscreen washer liquid but I couldn't see that when I opened that lid, so there is no way to verify it. I just hope they had changed the engine oil. Again they have not cleaned the exteriors properly and I had to tell them to get it cleaned again. Even some part of the interiors are left untouched with all the dirt.

The funniest part though is that, I got a call from them (prerana) yesterday for feedback. I gave a feedback of 7 (out of 10) which they said is very poor from their perspective and then I changed to 8. But she said even that is not very good. Then she said I would get a call from TML and requested me to give a good feedback. Now I know how they claim they have the highest "customer satisfaction". Even with the SA, the only time he was eager to help me was when I had to fill up the feedback.

Though I don't have any major negatives from the whole experience, it wasn't that I was delighted. But these prompts for better feedback left me irritated.

I agree - The SA hardly is a SA - We ought to tell them the problem rather than the other way around.

And this thing about customer feedback is useless and pointless.

why did you change your feedback if you were not happy with the experience.give them honest feedback and if your not satisfied with something ask them to do it again like in your case washing .Wheel balancing charges are included in the service coupon i believe please cross check with others .which service station did you go to kudlu gate?

Yes, it is the kudlu gate one. I know I shouldn't have changed it, but I didn't want to be so rigid ( yes, I am that type :Frustrati). But then when she pushed it too much I did get angry and told her I can't change it any further. It is not just washing, it's pretty much the SA attitude. As I had said earlier, though there wasn't something too negative, he wasn't too keen on giving me a good experience and there was these minor issues which was not my experience in previous visits.

Well so much for feedback. Tata Motors had called me a few days back regarding my service experience. It was the worst ever. My Punto had been at the service center six days for its first service and it came back with three dents on the vehicle. Six days to replace a sun visor and a simple belt issue. There was no response what so ever from Concorde Motors, ECR and there is no co-ordination between the reception and the SA's. The day after I had given my car for service I got a message saying that my car was ready to be delivered. It came only 5 days after I got that message. Tata Motors Customer Care called me the other day and asked me for their ratings and I gave nothing more than three for all the questions he asked me. My experience with Fiat and Tata has been nothing short of pathetic. Will never be recommending a FIAT/ Tata car to anybody in my life! Even a mail to Mangesh Kodalkar didn't do anything. Pathetic service! The guy who called me was shocked when I told him these ratings. Concorde Motors didn't even bother to follow up with me after my service. Dunno whats in store for me in the future. Hoping that nothing goes wrong with the vehicle and also hoping that I won't have to visit the service center in the near future.

I had mine changed around 38K. However, a couple of SAs and Supervisors I had talked to (of multiple dealerships), the brake pads get worn out very quickly due to its composition. They claim that FIAT has taken this feedback seriously, and have altered the composition now - which is reportedly giving better life.

Er! But why can newer pads have longer life than OE? Reportedly FIAt has changed the composition of the Brake pad, and the newer ones are longer lasting that the ones that FIAT was supplying earlier. I find that justification sensible.

FIAT recommeds changing the Gear Oil after 24 months from date of delivery without regards to the actual kilometre run.

FIAT recommeds changing the Gear Oil after 24 months from date of delivery without regards to the actual kilometre run.
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I am sorry , i missed that information ,and if that being the case one has to go for engine oil change regardless of km runstupid:

Well I gave them -3 for washing the car which they did against my request. They use a silly wax polish to give the shiny look and screw up the entire facia..which takes a week or 10 days of standing in the sun to dry up.. if you notice, it also screws up the plastic texture of the facia.

The bloody MORONS used the stuff on my steering wheel, door handles and gear lever too. so much for trained manpower in TATA dealerships.


Somehow I dont believe the SA and their stories for each issue. And when it comes to braking, material and compositions are not changed so fast as they involve safety and needs extensive R&D and testing which I doubt has happened.


In a different issue, I was told the clutch and brake pedal travel end stop levels in the car cannot be adjusted. it appears that the Clutch MC is made in plastic [fibre glass] and has no adjustment facility to control length.

I need some advice on buying a hatchback for my father. He is currently having a 1.6 Ford Ikon which he will sell. Wants a hatch now. Monthly 1K kms with 600 on the highway. He was settled with 1.6 Petrol Fabia Elegance but I am trying to convince him for a diesel. Deciding between Figo 1.4 Titanium with OTR Mumbai maximum 6.6Lacs and Grande Punto 1.3 Emotion or Emotion Pack.
How does it drive on the highway?
Can a 6feet 2" person drive it comfortably?
Price is higher than Figo with smaller engine, is it justified?

Specs Ford Figo Diesel Titanium 1.4 Fiat Grande Punto Emotion Pack 1.3
Overall Length (mm) 3795 3987
Overall Width (mm) 1680 1687
Overall Height (mm) 1427 1495

Power (PS@rpm) 69@4000 76@4000

Torque ( Nm@rpm) 160@2000 197@1750

These details might help you decide, don't look at 1.4/1.3 see how much it can generate.

If it involves considerable amount of highway run, then I would go for Punto definitely. Punto has a better build and ride quality IMO.

You can see related discussion here
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/hatchb...hatchback.html

Thanks for the replies and guiding me in the right direction. Punto looks exciting, though quite a bit more expensive.
Am arranging for TD's tomorrow and then we will take the final call. Hope the 1.3 Emotion or 1.3 Emotion pack is the one which is worth. Am bit concerned about engine noise level. Hopefully won't be too much of a worry.

Well at least they bothered to touch the interiors. My car wasn't washed outside as well as on the inside and it came back much dirtier than I sent it. Horrible experience :Frustrati

I was pretty much in the same situation, finally settled for 1.3 Emotion MJD and I think it worked out okay for me. I do hate the noise level, but learned to live with it.