[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by Klub Class

The first service for Fiat Grande Punto is at 3000 km whereas it is at 5000km for Fiat Linea T Jet.

Klub Class, Somewhere in 2011 they have changed the first service (its a mere checkup and wash but not a service IMO) to 5000kms.
When I bought my 1.2 Emotion in october 2010, it was at 3000kms but my friend bought a 1.2 Active in 2011 and for his car it was at 5000kms.

Originally Posted by sandeepmdas

If you don't mind may I ask the price of this item, incl fitment?

TIA

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

+1.

And is it in beige/ grey colour?

Have a look at my post in my car's ownership thread in the below link for the installation and price details.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post2440986
It was available only in beige matching linea interiors.
I don't know if there is any change after 2012 models are released.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

but does the mudflaps look any good on a Punto? I somehow dont remember seeing any! Anybody on the forum having mudflaps installed?

Mudflaps really doesn't look good on a Punto. After thinking over it a lot of times, I removed the rear mudflaps.
The front ones don't spoil the look and also the front doors are protected from dirt spray.
The rear ones spoil the look and without them the dirt spray is only on a small area of the rear bumper which is nothing IMO.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by autocrat

The long travel of the clutch pedal has its advantage. Due to longer length of the lever, clutching effort is reduced (light clutch).

Sorry to say, but your post couldn't be more off the mark. There is no such rule that long travel results in a lighter clutch. In fact, there are several cars in the market with a short + light clutch, and long + hard clutch. 99% of the people out there prefer the former.

[Klub Class]

Hemanth and StarrySky, I stand corrected.

Originally Posted by GTO

Sorry to say, but your post couldn't be more off the mark. There is no such rule that long travel results in a lighter clutch. In fact, there are several cars in the market with a short + light clutch, and long + hard clutch. 99% of the people out there prefer the former.

Agreed they there is no correlation between clutch travel and softness/hardness of the clutch.

But believe me when I say that Fiat Punto 2012 display car at Tata Fiat Dealer had very light clutch on comparison with our good old Fiat Punto 2009. No idea on how 2012 Fiat Punto's clutch fares with the Maruti Swift. Period

[autocrat]

Originally Posted by GTO

Sorry to say, but your post couldn't be more off the mark. There is no such rule that long travel results in a lighter clutch. In fact, there are several cars in the market with a short + light clutch, and long + hard clutch. 99% of the people out there prefer the former.

I stand corrected. The 'softness' also depends on other factors ina hydraulic clutch - the pressure plate, design of master n slave cylinder, etc. But does longer travel provide more gradual action than shorter travel, so there is more control?

[raj_5004]

Some pics from a recent FIAT meet -

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

The dark side of the force was too strong! After waiting patiently for 5 months for a Swift ZDi - I'm finally switching over to the dark side. Biggest dealmaker - The FANTASTIC suspension on the Punto 2012.

After all these years wondering why people still plonk their money on a FIAT - I have got my answer. If anyone comes to me and asks - Why FIAT? I'll just take them out for a drive. I'm sure they will get their answers too!

15 days (Hopefully) from now - My very own Bossa Nova White - FIAT Grande Punto - 90HP Emotion Pack will join the forum. Thanks to all the guys who have answered my queries and helped me with this decision!

Note - After seeing 90 HP in flesh -

1. 90HP is 'Emotion Pack' in dealer notes (Multiple dealers) while 75 HP is emotion.
2. 90 HP still has chrome door handles + red stitched seats with 3 'P' logos.
3. Raised ground clearance of 185mm.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Some pics from a recent FIAT meet -

Nice meet! Better pics would have added to the excitement. Is the red punto owner a bhpian? Is there a way we could see more of those pics?

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Nice meet! Better pics would have added to the excitement. Is the red punto owner a bhpian? Is there a way we could see more of those pics?

The red Punto owner is not a BHPian.

Sadly, by the time we realized we have to click pics, it was too late.

[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

The dark side of the force was too strong! After waiting patiently for 5 months for a Swift ZDi - I'm finally switching over to the dark side. Biggest dealmaker - The FANTASTIC suspension on the Punto 2012.

Congrats on the car! If you drive mostly on highways, you couldn't have picked a better car!

From the Swift-->Cruze-->Vento(?)-->Rapid to finally the Punto! I'm sure you must be feeling relieved the confusion and the wait is finally over.

That's 2 ZDI bookings on the forum which haven't translated into deliveries!

[sdp1975]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

The dark side of the force was too strong! After waiting patiently for 5 months for a Swift ZDi - I'm finally switching over to the dark side. Biggest dealmaker - The FANTASTIC suspension on the Punto 2012.

After all these years wondering why people still plonk their money on a FIAT - I have got my answer. If anyone comes to me and asks - Why FIAT? I'll just take them out for a drive. I'm sure they will get their answers too!

Well, sounds like my story. Had booked a Swift Vdi ( ABS) in 2009, changed it to a Punto BNW E+ 2 months down the line. Long waiting periods and an unresponsive dealer were some of the reasons for the switch. If the 90 HP had been around at that time, would have booked that instead of the 75HP.

2 + years later , and 33,000 kms on the odo - really satisfied with the car. Barring a few niggles, ownership has been pretty good ( touchwood).

And the best part, as you said, is the suspension - particularly the ride quality. Bangalore is replete with broken roads, humps and so forth - but the excellent suspension takes care of all that for me.

All the best !

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

The dark side of the force was too strong! After waiting patiently for 5 months for a Swift ZDi - I'm finally switching over to the dark side. Biggest dealmaker - The FANTASTIC suspension on the Punto 2012.

After all these years wondering why people still plonk their money on a FIAT - I have got my answer. If anyone comes to me and asks - Why FIAT? I'll just take them out for a drive. I'm sure they will get their answers too!

15 days (Hopefully) from now - My very own Bossa Nova White - FIAT Grande Punto - 90HP Emotion Pack will join the forum. Thanks to all the guys who have answered my queries and helped me with this decision!

Note - After seeing 90 HP in flesh -

1. 90HP is 'Emotion Pack' in dealer notes (Multiple dealers) while 75 HP is emotion.
2. 90 HP still has chrome door handles + red stitched seats with 3 'P' logos.
3. Raised ground clearance of 185mm.

My my where the world coming to! Kidding aside, congrats on a well researched choice. I am sure Punto will keep you happy for years to come.

@All - Also wanted to ask you guys, has Fiat taken out the stabilizer bar from the rear suspension for the 2012 model or is it there. If not then it would take out some edge in handling.

[StarrySky]

Congrats CrAzY dRiVeR!

I checked out the 2012 Punto and Linea today at the Concorde Motors showroom in Cochin. To be frank, I can't find much improvement in the plastics - but then, I never had a problem with the plastics in the first place. I don't much like the new light grey interiors of the Punto either. If the intention was to make the cabin look brighter/roomier, I don't think it really works. On the downside, the dirt and stains on the seats will now show up more prominently. Did not take a TD, so I cannot say if it feels any different to drive. But I'm sure the clutch will be light, since it is much lighter than mine already in my friend's 90HP purchased last year.

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Some pics from a recent FIAT meet -

Nice meet. I'm planning to take a pic of all the Puntos in my office together. IIRC we currently have:

- 2 Exotica Reds (1 Emotion, 1 Emo.Pack)
- 2 Tuscan Wine (1 Emotion, 1 Emo.Pack)
- 1 Medium Grey (90HP)
- 4 BNW (1 Dynamic, 1 Emo.Pack, 2 90HP)

In the last year, we have lost 2 Red and 2 Black Puntos to attrition

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

From the Swift-->Cruze-->Vento(?)-->Rapid to finally the Punto! I'm sure you must be feeling relieved the confusion and the wait is finally over.

Thought about Alto K10, Swift Petrol, Swift diesel, Jazz, i20 CRDi, Figo TDCi, Fiesta diesel, Polo Diesel, Fabia Diesel, Rapid Diesel, Vento diesel, Optra Magnum diesel, Sunny diesel, Mahindra Verito, Mahindra Scorpio - and on top of it all - Cruze diesel. (Finally decided it had to be a hatch - so that we could park it inside the garage, not on the road). Please note that some of the above choices were because my would-be brought those in.

Drove K10 petrol, Swift Diesel, i20 CRDi, Figo TDCi, Fabia diesel & mahindra Scorpio (almost - since after Punto test drive - we dropped the idea), Cruze diesel etc.

Boy, am i relieved! Last one week in particular, has been real hectic!

Originally Posted by sdp1975

2 + years later , and 33,000 kms on the odo - really satisfied with the car. Barring a few niggles, ownership has been pretty good ( touchwood).

Thats what I'm hoping for!

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

My my where the world coming to!

True!

I would never have imagined myself committing this 'blunder' (That i used to think it was!).

Originally Posted by StarrySky

I checked out the 2012 Punto and Linea today at the Concorde Motors showroom in Cochin.

True. Interiors feel bad for the segment. What impressed us was the build quality and the way those plastics are put together. Everything feels solid, although feel is that of a car from a segment below. Not a dealbreaker as such.

[rider60]

Originally Posted by GTO

Sorry to say, but your post couldn't be more off the mark. There is no such rule that long travel results in a lighter clutch. In fact, there are several cars in the market with a short + light clutch, and long + hard clutch. 99% of the people out there prefer the former.

GTO one question to you, i read this in the review, you said you would buy a punto for the over all package it provides over the competition, now do you think you can live with this car with the problem i found?http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ost2685831(off (course i am talking with respect to the constant moving congested city traffic where one would constantly need to change gears and this translates in to having the left foot ready on the clutch pedal most of the time)

for me this is a deal maker or a breaker, unless i am able to do something about this issue. i really really dont want to discard this car for this issue and i want to still be able to do something about it i have asked for options in this post. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ml#post2685903

please pour in your thoughts.

[live2dream]

@ crazydriver..congrats... So finally where did you book it from and what is the on-road price.
My punto will also be delivered on the 1st week of March. Eagerly waiting for it. Decision to take punto was entirely by heart. Was sold out on the looks , ride and tank like build of the punto. I didnot even test drive any other car. Took 29 years of my life to buy my first car and I wanted it to be special.

Mods planned.

1.Sun film - not too dark
2.Upgrade the speakers. (the speakers in one of the car showroon sounded
nice and in the other sounded pathetic.). The sales guy also talked about Bose
Sound system installed in one of the customers punto for 50k. I am no
audiophille, but does anyone has this setup.

Thats about it, no other mods. I kind of like the clean and simple looks of the punto.