If you can stretch your buget to 5.5L, I guess, you can get the Punto Active MJD. The MJD would make better sense for you as you drive 1100 km per month. The MJD would save you about Rs 2200 per month in fuel costs. Add that to your EMI and recalculate. Also you would get a better price than the petrol when you sell it.

Originally Posted by pineapple_ameet

Hi guys
Was eagerly waiting for the administrators to allow my membership… I’ve been a silent spectator since very long, but now have decided to change gears…starting with this thread itself!
I’m looking to buy my first car, and after a disappointing price tag of Jazz, news of GP was a breezer… I’ve almost freezed RED GP 1.4 Dynamic … still would like to know ( now that finally I’m able to air my concerns at this forum!) :
1. My average monthly commute would be approx 1100 kms.
2. I was almost sure about Swift VXI but then…something somehow made me always wait!
3. I’ll be travelling mostly in Mumbai with some occasional out of town trips…and hence primarily looking at a city hatch with good power but with a decent mileage of about 14-15kms/l ( is it too much to expect on the same platter?)
4. Ritz it out of consideration cus of the looks, hence I guess it boils down to swift vxi, indica vista (I dint like the feel of the drive, but still would like to consider because of the value preposition…) i10 (though it still does not excite us to say yes this is it!) and Grand Punto (boy, this one does excite us for sure!)
5. I’d love to go ahead and buy Punto 1.4, but then if that mean a mileage of 9kmpl and then as GTO said, if it aint be that much of fun driving in a cramped city like Mumbai…is it all worth?
6. I’m almost sure about not going for MJD firstly cus of the price tag ( my budget is approx. 5L), and also considering that I’ll not be driving that much to actually see value in diesel….though would love to have suggestions on that front…
Please help me decide my first car!!!
Cheers
Ameet.

[thiyags22]

Originally Posted by ashwinpak

I have a starnge feeling that FIAT missed the bus this time around too. Who FIAT is tring to attract this time around with the Linea and Punto is the VFM concious and mileage concious buyers. Typically, the Maruti and Hyundai customers. But unfortunately, this is not going to happen. They are people who play safe and would, any day, choose an Alto over a Punto, a Dzire or an accent over the Linea. At best, FIAT would be able to dent the sales of maruti and Hyundai a bit, but it is not going to become a volume player, how hard they try. An average car buyer will not buy a FIAT.

The only folks who would buy the FIAT are the enthusiasts. But then, they need power and better build quality. And both are in short supply here.

Look at what happened to Yamaha. The RX was a scorcher and sold in good numbers, but was not a volume player compared to Hero Honda. Yamaha did the mistake of trying to catch up with Hero Honda by launching crappy bikes such as the YBX, Libero and the Fazer. No ex Hero Honda owners bought a Yamaha however frugal it is. Yamaha realized their folly quite late, but they realized it really well that they trashed all mileage bikes and brought in the R15 and FZ15. Yamaha is back selling good bikes eventhough they will never surpass the sales of the Splendor or the likes.

So, I think that is what FIAT should do. Stop mollifying the mileage janata and bring in good cars albiet at a premium price. The higher premium would offset the profits lost by not being a volume seller.

Any thoughts?

After investing 100s of crores into new plant, FIAT cannot do this. They need to target the mileage junto to get returns on their investment.

[pineapple_ameet]

Originally Posted by manish7

@pineapple_ameet -Well, GP 1.4 petrol can't reach 14-15 kmpl for sure in city traffic. You can consider GP MJD Dynamic which should be around 6L, which may still be a bit higher than what you'd like to spend. Otherwise Vista MJD top-end at approx 5.25 L is an excellent choice.

hi manish7 thanks for the reply. isnt diesel a high maintenance engine after 3 year time frame. never owned a diesel before and despite good reviews, there's been an air of doubt felt always around the same. i'm seriously starting to think of i10 1.2 magna, which is costing 4.68 L (thane), with same configuration as that of swift ( plus peace of mind of *** from Hyundai) ? mind vs heart tussle for sure!

Originally Posted by ashwinpak

If you can stretch your buget to 5.5L, I guess, you can get the Punto Active MJD. The MJD would make better sense for you as you drive 1100 km per month. The MJD would save you about Rs 2200 per month in fuel costs. Add that to your EMI and recalculate. Also you would get a better price than the petrol when you sell it.

thanks ashwinpak. punto Active MJD is costing 5.64 in Thane, and then since its base model, throw in some accessories, and am sure it'd be touching 5.7. would it still make sense to go in for that?

frankly ideally would go with with punto 1.4basic / 1.3 mjd basic provided i get a peace of mind after that (with Fiat), a lil compromise, and i guess i see that coming from i10 magna at 4.68L with Hyundai service back up.
am i correct in my thinking?
so concerned since its my first car!
cheers and thanks!

[gautomobile]

Originally Posted by GTO

Within the city, expect complaints on the wide turning radius (5.4 meters). Most u-turns within Delhi were three point exercises.

Had a TD of 1.3 emotion pack. The fiat guys told that the turning radius is 4.9m. I didnt believe them. I tried to verify their claims by taking tight u-turns. I was pleasantly surprised at the way the GP turned. It really DID feel like it was a 4.9m turning radius. I cross checked it with my Opel Corsa which also has turning radis of 4.9m and seemed so much similar.

Can we get a confirm opinion on this?

[finneyp]

i-10 is no way comparable to G Punto!
For your monthly running of 1100 kms, petrol is good enough!

Punto 1.4 would give you a FE of 11 - 12 kpl, maybe more after the running-in.

Test drive it and then take the final call.

[tortoiseNhare]

@pineapple_ameet

Get a Palio 1.1 SLX for 3.xx lakhs. That's petrol, gives good enough mileage and has nice ride quality.

[subbarao]

To have long ownership, between Swift Vdi+ABS & GP Emotion Rs.5.19 &Rs.5.59 [Ex showroom-Bangalore] respectively, which one i have to consider, by paying extra 40k to GP what will be ++ benefits i get compare to Vdi?
I have listed some item's which will be in GP

• Rear wiper with defroger[will hardly use it]
• 60:40 split rear seats
• Remote Locking[must to have]
• Tilt stearing
• Ht. adjustable seat's

By excluding the above said item's, other benefit's/item's are available with Punto emotion..

[CliffHanger]

Since GP was launched, I have been following this thread and the other GP threads as well, never could I get a feel of how GP would be for tall drivers(people who are above 6'2",btw,I'm 6'3).So today I went ahead to the showroom and checked it myself.Following few points are strictly for tall people (6'2" n above) who have a tight budget and cannot afford a SUV.
I don't want to delve into performance and handling as they have already been discussed to a great extent here. I would just let you know the comfy levels you would enjoy with GP.

1. The driver's seat travels way back inside,first time I'm seeing this in any car,Man!what a boost this is for very tall drivers - I absolutely love it,Fiat - Please don't remove this feature,Pls!!, for the first time my knee didn't hit the steering wheel or the gear knob.The seats are broader and I'm broad too,the seats are spacious and I felt the best in this car( never felt the same in C segment cars too,maybe linea would be an exception).I want to draw a comparison between the swift(which is considered good for tall ppl) and the GP here - the seats and the driving position in the swift is comfortable too,but since you are tall,you tend to sit a bit far away from the wind shield, which allows the thick indented A-pillar to obstruct your road view.I never like it when my visibility hinders to an extent of such big blind spots...GP scores the maximum here..

2. The build is rock solid(miles ahead than any car in this segment),you will get the 'build for last feel'.The interiors are nothing to rave about but I like them when compared to the toy car interiors in i10 or beige interiors in any other car(NOM to anyone). I look for things that are macho and not feminish..

3. Like any other tall driver, even you would find zero leg space behind when you sit in the driver's seat, but then,that's the price we pay for being tall.So when you have to accommodate someone in the rear,you would have to adjust a lot.


Verdict - If you are too tall (read - from 6'2" to 6'4'),then go ahead with this car,the fact is - you have no other choice at all(in this segment).Have your girl friend by your side, push your seats to the farthest,recline your seat and set yourselves in a highway with the MLTRs or the Ronan Kaetings playing behind,Man,isn't that heaven??

I love the GP for the sheer comfy level it offers to the tall drivers, I have booked a black MJD active and expecting it to get delivered in 2weeks.
Btw, my dealer has agreed to replace my tyres and rims with that of emotion pk tyres and alloys,I don't know how he said that, but he was very sure that he could do that for me.

Have a great day guys!!

My Best wishes!!!

[amit]

Originally Posted by subbarao

To have long ownership, between Swift Vdi+ABS & GP Emotion Rs.5.19 &Rs.5.59 [Ex showroom-Bangalore] respectively, which one i have to consider, by paying extra 40k to GP what will be ++ benefits i get compare to Vdi?

Better looks. Best looking hatch in India in fact.

Best in class ride and handling.

Rear wiper with defroger[will hardly use it]

No hatch should be launched without rear wiper and defogger IMO.

[Punzabi]

Originally Posted by ~~VinZ~~

Airbag? and why is the airbag placed towards left side and not well aligned to center?

Is this gap only on left side or on all sides? I haven't seen the car in flesh.In my car there is the same gap on steering wheel due to airbag (for horn in mine, soft rubber buttons are used and just the rubber part need to be pushed to sound it). On Punto it could be for horn .

[neotraveller]

Can you explain further?
I agree about the defogger ... useful in cold climates.

I always had this doubt regarding the rear-wipers on hatchbacks and not sedans.
But a hatchback has an almost vertical rear windshield, so the water drains off pretty fast. So whats the need for it?
Sedans hardly have it. Whats the logic?

Originally Posted by amit

No hatch should be launched without rear wiper and defogger IMO.

[DieselFan]

Some of my friends who are looking to purchase a new car are not looking at GP because of the FASS or TASS (Which at best today is mediocre). So folks look at long term ownership standpoint in deciding on GP. Follow your head rather than your heart.

[opendro]

Originally Posted by neotraveller

Can you explain further?
I agree about the defogger ... useful in cold climates.

I always had this doubt regarding the rear-wipers on hatchbacks and not sedans.
But a hatchback has an almost vertical rear windshield, so the water drains off pretty fast. So whats the need for it?
Sedans hardly have it. Whats the logic?

In hatch back, kind of wind swirls behind and around the rear windshield. Not in case of sedans with boot and slanting glasses.

Originally Posted by DieselFan

Some of my friends who are looking to purchase a new car are not looking at GP because of the FASS or TASS (Which at best today is mediocre). So folks look at long term ownership standpoint in deciding on GP. Follow your head rather than your heart.

Have you ever owned a Tata car or Fiat car? For most people, it works well enough. General Motors too have improved in my experience. I have not owned Hyundai or Maruti or Toyota to know the difference. But I know people who own them. In fact two of my friends who own santro are bugged with the kind of service. I advised them to stop visiting them every six months. So, they are now bugged only once a year. Other than Toyota, all are more or less the same. Follow your head than the herd.

[JayD]

This was one of the cars i've been waiting for since quite some time now. Rushed to the showroom, the day on which TD's started.

Looks: I really fell in love with the car at first sight. The fit and finish seemed very good, and the paint quality was awesome too. The alloys looked okay. Nothing great, but once you change to better tires, the looks may be enhanced too. The tail lamps can be hard to find in the red version, as they blend together!

Interiors/Build: The moment i opened the door, the build quality of the car was obvious. The doors had a tank like feel to them, and closed with a thud.

The interiors seemed well designed to me, and the plastics are better than what it is made out to be. It looks shiny, making people think it is cheap. But except some bits like the seat adjuster etc, the rest of the car seemed pretty well screwed together.

The front seats were wery good, and the fabric seemed to be of good quality.

I checked out the E+ variant,and it was very well loaded. The music system sounded decent too, but needs better speakers.

Blue and me was instantly paired to my N-82 and using it was a breeze. The sound is a little muddled and diffficult to understand, but again, that can be solved with better speakers.

Engine+GB: Till now, everything was looking good, and I was really impressed with the car. But once i started driving it, words cannot express the sheer disappointment i felt. The car just would not move, and no matter how hard I pressed the throttle, the drive by wire took its own sweet time to respond, and slowly chugged along. The turbo 'kick' like the swift is absent too, which makes it feel slower. Due to the lack of poke, one tends to floor the car, the engine revs easily, but creates a hell of a racket, but no power again. I felt an indica to be faster. Another problem is the lack of space in the footwell, one will have some problem with the dead pedal, while trying to use the clutch.


Ride&Handling: Another strong point of this car. The ride was just amazing, and the occupants could not feel any of the bumps on the road, everything was filtered out with ease.

And this ride has not come at the expense of handling. I did some decent speeds, and tried a few antics with this car, but it merely obeyed what i told, and stayed in contol all the time. All this running on goodyear tires too.


Overall, i was impressed with the car, but the engine is a dampner for me. It does not seem like a proper upgrade for me, since, it barely feels faster than my current ride. If only fiat could provide the same state of tune as the swift, im sure this could be one of the most popular hatches in the country.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by pineapple_ameet

isnt diesel a high maintenance engine after 3 year time frame.

Not at all. Search through the forum (and this thread itself) for the pros & cons of owning a diesel. Below 1.0 lakh kms, you'd only require more frequent oil changes. But compared to a petrol, no change of spark plugs, timing belt (some diesels) etc. required.

Originally Posted by gautomobile

The fiat guys told that the turning radius is 4.9m.

Can we get a confirm opinion on this?

Confirmed. It's 5.3 meters turning radius (5.25 to be precise).

Originally Posted by finneyp

i-10 is no way comparable to G Punto!

Finneyp, let's not make sweeping statements here. The i10 is very much comparable to the Punto and, in fact, better for in city driving:

1. Taller stance = easier ingress + egress
2. Lighter steering. Far lighter.
3. Superior gearshift quality.
4. Way better interior quality.
5. Smaller turning radius.
6. A lot more chuckable (size, light controls, turning radius).
7. Superior after sales.
8. Better FE (petrol).

The Punto also has its advantages in terms of ride, handling, looks, diesel option etc. But the i10 is certainly comparable to the Punto, especially as a city car (which most hatchbacks end up doing 90% of the time).

Originally Posted by opendro

Have you ever owned a Tata car or Fiat car?

I do (Tata Indigo), and we have thousands of ownership reviews that prove Maruti & Hyundai offer better service. Of course, no one can please a 100% of its customer base. What we have to look for is the number of complaints relative to market share, and overall ranking of service (averaged).