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

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravenblood (Post 2632289)

Thanks For the input guys..

This is the Final Offer that they are offering..

1. 2 Lac Cash Discount
2. Free Insurance, RSA & Extended Warrenty.
3. Anti rust, Telfon, Tinting by 3M.

Over and above what amit mentioned a full service change of fluids/filters , Plus change of battery, Wiper Blades, & Tires.

they will get back to be on the statement on the letterhead. after consulting their higher ups.

Quote:

Originally Posted by figo_mba (Post 2632458)

I think you should stay from it even though it is a great and simply awesome deal since there are a lot of issues that fiat has fixed in the last 2 Model years.
The 2011 model has better plastics and the ac that than the previous years. They also tend to have lower problems with the clutch master cylinder etc. Some of the tweaks that Fiat might have initiated as part of the productions process might not come up in an ad but will improve the reliability of the car.

More still 2012 model cars are out and they are better than any punto till date. 2L extra would mean on 4500 or so extra bucks extra in terms of EMI.
In the end it is a calculated risk. All the best.

Completely agree with figo_mba.

There has been a lot of visible improvements done over the last two years and I am sure there would have been a lot of things that went unpublished and unnoticed.

If you are still inclined to go through this, you will have to tell yourself that you are buying something which is a second-hand car and be prepared for the issues associated with such cars, though it might not be technically considered as one.

I purchased Punto MJD emotion pack in October(4500kms on ODO, so yet to get first service done) and have taken it on many highway drives recently. Below are some of my observations and would appreciate your opinions on them.

1. Have been getting about 17kmpl with 100% AC. IMHO, its a bit low for highway drives. I do not exceed 2500 rpm and max speed was 100km.
2. Engine noise (boom) above 2200 rpm is very noticable. Hope it reduces after first service.
3. I found the ground clearence to be an issue. I was constantly scrapping even when taking bumps and speed-breakers at crawling speeds. I observed the underbody engine guard is what is scrapping and has scratches. Have any of you faced it? Could it be that the engine guard is not properly mounted. Planning to get it checked in first service.

Finally, any word on porting the 2012 model's improved ground clearence to older models?

Quote:

Originally Posted by blinder (Post 2641188)

Hello!
I bought my GP Emotion in Oct-11 too and done 3300 so far.
Below is my experience with regards to your points:
1. @100kmph + full AC - I am getting 19. When I cruised @ 70-80 on a highway, I got 24!. Also when I pressed it till 120-130 on Mumbai-Pune expressway, it gave me 16-17.
2. Yes, engine noise is noticeable above 2200 but also, there is a wind noise due to the side mirrors. have you noticed that?
3. So far, my GP touched the ground only once that too the underbody of the nose. It was when I tried to get on the highway from a village road which virtually had a step. But otherwise, I just slowdown at speed-breakers and that seems to work well.May be the Pune speed-breakers are not that high.

Test Driven Punto 2012 1.3 Emotion today & Came back Impressed.

Hi5's (Positives noticed):

At Standstill
With Increased Ground Clearance, car feels much taller & looks good now with its Maserati-Nose standing much higher now, previously which was prone to Scrape.
-Test Drive car was mere 624kms driven.
-NVH greatly reduced at both Standstill & while moving.
-'Much criticized' Plastic panel finish around keyhole is Improved now.
-Don't FIAT have Improved it or not but Its Gearshift is much better, Smoother & Precise now. You just need to 'Direct-to-the-Gate & Gently Push' now than previous forceful Shift now.
-Interior finishing is same but Panels are better fitted now.
-New lighter Grey shade works well & really lends some Coziness to the Interiors but as I'm biased towards the Beige-Black combo of Linea & also have loved to see them in it also.
-Best Working part in Interiors was its Handbrake lever, it needed just a Gentle Pull to engage.

While On the move
-Again, Better NVH than before. A very 90 HP-ish now.
-Acceleration is much better than previous versions & Punto feels eager to move now.
-1st & 2nd Gears are Short(as usual) for City Driving & 3rd onwards better suited for Highways.
-For the 1st time I felt the Swift-like 'Turbo-kick' in FIAT Punto Diesel & really Induced the :) factor on the Driver's face.
-Engine gets a bit less Refined beyond 3000Rpm but never turns Coarse.
Gruff-ness is completely missing in this Diesel engine.
-Cruising Speed in this car was around 100kmph with very light Right foot.
-Gear-Shift remains Smoother in each gear & as explained above.

As the TD car was having mere 624kms on its ODO-meter & was in Run-In-Period, So I'd expect the Performance & NVH figures to Improve further after this Run-In-period.

BLUES(Negatives):
-New TD car was Pulling to the LEFT side, while in motion & I seriously request FIAT Punto owners to come forward & Reply as much on this aspect now, as it the problem with All Made-In-India Puntos or In few cars only !!
My Purchase decision is seriously dependent on this issue alone.
-Front Seat Recline Adjustment & Height adjustment levers are really Flimsy.
Even with Gentle Pull their Plastic bends lending a very Fragile feel(as stated above).

My Verdict: Now Even a Die-hard Swift fan/seeker can't Ignore this car.
She's really More Cozier from Inside, Swifter on Driving & Desirable to own now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRtorquefan (Post 2643016)

BLUES(Negatives):
-New TD car was Pulling to the LEFT side, while in motion & I seriously request FIAT Punto owners to come forward & Reply as much on this aspect now, as it the problem with All Made-In-India Puntos or In few cars only !!
My Purchase decision is seriously dependent on this issue alone.
-Front Seat Recline Adjustment & Height adjustment levers are really Flimsy.
Even with Gentle Pull their Plastic bends lending a very Fragile feel(as stated above).

I do NOT experience this pulling to left in both the Punto Emotion Packs that we have - FYI

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRtorquefan (Post 2643016)

-New TD car was Pulling to the LEFT side, while in motion & I seriously request FIAT Punto owners to come forward & Reply as much on this aspect now, as it the problem with All Made-In-India Puntos or In few cars only !!
My Purchase decision is seriously dependent on this issue alone.
-Front Seat Recline Adjustment & Height adjustment levers are really Flimsy.
Even with Gentle Pull their Plastic bends lending a very Fragile feel(as stated above).

My Verdict: Now Even a Die-hard Swift fan/seeker can't Ignore this car.
She's really More Cozier from Inside, Swifter on Driving & Desirable to own now.

Left pulling is because of improper wheel alignment .If regular wheel balancing and alignment is done there will be no problem.My car has done around 30k kms got wheels aligned thrice , there is no issue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by raj_5004 (Post 2643407)

Guys, I have one doubt. Many of us have bought the Punto with 4 years warranty (2 years standard, 2 years additional) & road side assiatance as free. Now, this additional warranty being offered for free... is this from FIAT or from the dealer?

Most importantly, did you guys get any addtional warranty booklet apart from the standard warranty booklet?

AFAIK, this is from FIAT.
I have the additional warranty booklet and the conditions for the same.
I can post a photo of the booklet cover today evening if you want.

EDIT: BTW total warranty is 50 months to be exact

OT while I was still typing the last sentence my browser posted automatically!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by raj_5004 (Post 2643407)

FYI, the FIAT roadside assistance is NOT available for cars manufactured prior to 2009 October 1 (or November 1). You have to enroll seperately for this program if you car falls under this criteria, which will cost you 1450/- for 24 months and 3000 for 50 months.

So if you are unaware of this and call up the roadside service after your breakdown (even if its late night) they will tell you "Your car is not covered under roadside assistance, we are unable to assist. We can only provide you number for nearest local workshop" :deadhorse. I am a victim!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand (Post 2643488)

Thank you brother. I contacted the SA who sold me the car. He checked & told me the booklet is ready.

I got the booklet today, after 1 year of ownership! :D

There was a system problem due to which many extended warranty bookelts were pending.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~~VinZ~~ (Post 2643535)

Thank you. My car was manufactured in Jan '11.

Hi All,
I have a Aug - 2010 manufactured Punto 1.3MJD Emotion. My car has done 24K Kms. From last couple days there is a grinding noise when I am braking. I am suspecting the brake pads to have worn out. I had faced a similar issue just before my previous service @ around 12K kms. At that time the mechanic at Concorde motors, Mysore road had done some adjustments to the brake pads and I later got them replaced during the next service @ 14600 KM. Now what worries me is that the new set of brake pads also seems to have gone bad and that too within 10K KM of running. Is this normal? I understand the brake pad life is hugely dependent on one's driving style. But isn't 10K KMs too less? Can other Punto owners comment regarding the life of their brake pads?

Quote:

Originally Posted by flycatcher (Post 2645033)

My 2009 MJD Emotion has done 53K kms (52998 kms to be exact). In this period, I had to change the brake pads twice - the first was around 25K and the second around 50K. Expect about 25000 kms life for the brake pads. Please get your brakes checked - perhaps, the application is uneven, or there is some other problem with the brakes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by flycatcher (Post 2645033)

The mechanics tried to convince me to get them changed at 15k. They'll say silly things like "itna hi hai punto brake pads ka life" (this is how long brake pads last in a punto). I finally got them changed at 34k so there's something definitely wrong in your case.
Do you drive another car? How often do your brake pads wear out in a different vehicle?
If the answer is around the 15k mark then it's got to do with your driving style. If it isn't then it's time to pay FIAT a visit and get a thorough check up done.

Raj(and others), I believe extended warranty is covered neither by the dealership nor by FIAT. It's infact covered by an insurance company- United India unless i'm mistaken.