[theMAG]

Neat review there Rush. This car's really redefined the Indian car industry - like the Palio Swift did when they were launched. Fiat have an undoubted winner on their hands - the pricing is brilliant.

FIAT - Really, dont mess it up this time

[prashanthyr]

Great report GTO! The Punto looks smashing. Just hope Tata Fiat fix the interior build issues and service. This will surely steal sales from the i20 and the Swift.

I noticed just one picture of the rear seat. Can someone post a picture of the rear seat with a passenger in it? That way it helps understand how spacious or cramped the seat is in relative terms.

OT:I cant wait to get back to good old Bangalore. Sitting in Central London with no hope of a car makes me jealous!

[khan_sultan]

Originally Posted by GTO

... The 1.4 liter DOHC 89 horsepower petrol needs to be worked to perform (115 nm @ 4,500 rpms), and it's a heck of a lot of fun to. The petrol is smooth and revvs freely all the way to its 6,600 rpm redline (ain't no Palio 1.6 100 BHP machine though). ...

Agree and the sound of the 1.4 engine is very nice (music) to the ears of an enthusiast. Add an K&N/Green and you will have an even more nicer sounding intake growl.

Even I was surprised by the rev happy nature of the 1.4 engine. It was like before you notice, the rev counter is > 5K and still more & more room to rev more.

Don’t expect the 1.4 to be fuel efficient either. A 330 km highway run got the 45 liter tank well below the reserve marking while ARAI fuel efficiency rating is only 13.8 kpl

Being a S10 owner, i knew right away, after seeing the rev happy nature of the Punto, that it will NOT be Fuel efficient.

My S10 in full spirited highway driving goes WAY more than 330 kms on a comparable full tank.

To really enjoy the Punto, you have to experience her brilliant dynamics. Of all the new hatchbacks launched this year, my money would be on a "Red, MJD, Emotion Pack". This hatch pulls the strings to your heart like no other.

That's a GREAT compliment to this very good hatch from FIAT.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by hemanthisgreat

Gto, you say the most stylish hatch on Indian roads today, so you have switched your vote from i20 to punto, since till the punto was launched that vote went to the i20.

Absolutely. The i20 is a looker, but the Punto is a stunner!

Originally Posted by anandkumargb

1) Does it have the turbo kick that Swift has? or is it linear (read boring) as in Linea?

Linear.

2) Is the braking adequate without the ABS and EBD?

Dunno, I didn't drive a car without ABS + EBD.

Originally Posted by pedrolourenco

-Rear bench space - I found is OK. Can seat 3 comfortably.

Pedro, while I understand your love for all things Fiat, let's keep the review objective. Thanks

The rear bench is not a match for the competing Indica Vista, the Getz (maybe even the Palio), nor is it what you'd expect from a car of this size. Clearly, Fiat maximised the boot space at the expense of the rear bench. Also consider the long front.

-Interior fit, finish and quality are strictly average - Which car have you used as a benchmark here to arrive at this conclusion?

By itself, the fit & finish are average. I'll upload some more pics of ill fitted parts in a while. Competing cars? The Ritz, i10 etc. etc. interiors are far better screwed together.

- Low FE of the petrol - How much did you get?

Please go through the entire review again. I went through almost an entire tank of fuel in 330 odd kms (not entire, but got it well within reserve). There's also the onboard fuel efficiency number. In the same distance, the diesel consumed barely a half tank. The ARAI number is also low.

- Lack of outright performance (diesel). - But it's the same engine which people call mind blowing in the Swift.

Well, people also need to understand that the Swift is lighter. Plus, the Ritz & Punto seem to have tuned the engine for Euro IV norms. A Fiat engineer himself told me that, to cater to the taste of the masses, they focused on "linear" instead of the "surge".

-Engine noise at speed (petrol and diesel both) - Which car have you used as a benchmark here to arrive at this conclusion?

I've driven the Ritz with the same engine only a month back.

But with the standards of other manufacturers service going down day by day, Fiat may be on par with Maruti, Hyundai and the rest without actually doing anything.

This statement of yours actually has zero value.

Please accept the Punto for what it's good at, along with what it's not good at.

[swift8847]

This was one eagerly awaited review. The car looks brilliant in Black and Blue IMHO.

The 18th picture in the 3rd post. Which says "Menu, esc", what are the other controls? One being for the headlamp.

The controls on the dash look really good. They could have worked upon the gear knob area.

The Punto symbol in the driver's seat is something different from the other cars and looks great.

I don't know if I missed it, but any 0-100 timings???

@GTO: Great review. Good to know that the companies are inviting TBHP to test drive the new cars.

[raj.barcode]

Superb Review, GTO but i was expecting Punto and swift diesel to have similar acceleration capabilities but some how Punto seems little more lethargic

PS: weight of Punto = 1190,Weight of Swift = 1075

[SkyWalker]

great TD report GTO.

I dropped to the Concorde to see the car today, but wasn't that very keen on a TD. The car looks great. Best looker in the segment. Colors look awesome.

1.3MJD would have been great to have in this car. Would have given it an edge among other diesel hatches.

Sad to know poor interiors and plastics continue from the Linea

TR of 5.4m! This car wont be popular in cities for sure.

[extreme_torque]

Nice... europeans always find it hard to make a fuel efficient petrol engine.

[khan_sultan]

Originally Posted by beejay

One straight answer GTO- Does it pack the punch of the 1.6 GTX in terms of ride.

Originally Posted by GTO

... The 1.4 liter DOHC 89 horsepower petrol needs to be worked to perform (115 nm @ 4,500 rpms), and it's a heck of a lot of fun to. The petrol is smooth and revvs freely all the way to its 6,600 rpm redline (ain't no Palio 1.6 100 BHP machine though)..

Beejay, NO mate. not a patch on the 1.6 GTX -- though on it's own the 1.4 is a very nice engine. Also, now I think that it would be unfair to expect that the 1.4 would be have the same FTD as the 1.6 GTX.

For that FTD factor and even surpass GTX we have to wait for the 1.4T or the 1.6MJD -- whenever they are launched and IF they are launched.

Originally Posted by SkyWalker

... 1.3MJD would have been great to have in this car. Would have given it an edge among other diesel hatches.

Good morning sir. Weekend blues or what?

[GTO]

Originally Posted by prashanthyr

I noticed just one picture of the rear seat. Can someone post a picture of the rear seat with a passenger in it? That way it helps understand how spacious or cramped the seat is in relative terms.

Will try to source this. @ Vivekji05 : Got any?

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

Agree and the sound of the 1.4 engine is very nice (music) to the ears of an enthusiast.

You can say that again.

My S10 in full spirited highway driving goes WAY more than 330 kms on a comparable full tank.

To the Punto's credit, it would probably do more.

1. I drove her in such a manner that the revv limiter was hit more than it would in its lifetime.

2. The needle came to reserve, but exactly how much was left is a guess.

Still, I don't expect more than 9 kpl in the city.

That's a GREAT compliment to this very good hatch from FIAT.

The two other gentleman (reviewers with other publications) gave the same answer, when asked which newly launched hatch they'd put their money on.

Originally Posted by swift8847

The 18th picture in the 3rd post. Which says "Menu, esc", what are the other controls? One being for the headlamp.

Multi-info display, headlamp up / down and front / rear fogs.

[sushanthr77]

GTO Sir, That was one great test drive and review! Hats off to you.

Hats off to FIAT as well for inviting Team-BHP!

It is great to know that manufacturers are now understanding the significance of Team-BHP.

Note: The 1.8L, 240bhp, Alfa Mito is based on a modified variant of the same platform as the Punto. So the chassis has tremendous potential.

Awesome car!

1.6 Multijet and 1.4 T-Jet is all it needs!

[extreme_torque]

@GTO... I have a Palio and can say that rear seat of the Punto is definitely more comfortable or commodious owing to wider seat base and backrest angle which is more inclined than the comparable hatches in its segment. That said rear legroom is average because of all the above factors and the need for a big boot.
And Isnt 9 kmpl too low considering we have Linea Petrol owners who are getting more than 10 kmpl with A/C in city?
Forgot to say it in my previous post but very nice review... thanks for the effort.

@vivekji... Is Punto also a back bencher? Waiting for your review as well.

[beejay]

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

Beejay, NO mate. not a patch on the 1.6 GTX -- though on it's own the 1.4 is a very nice engine. Also, now I think that it would be unfair to expect that the 1.4 would be have the same FTD as the 1.6 GTX.

For that FTD factor and even surpass GTX we have to wait for the 1.4T or the 1.6MJD -- whenever they are launched and IF they are launched.




Good morning sir. Weekend blues or what?

Considering what GTO has reviewed I wonder if Fiat would take the risk again to bring out the 1.6 as it will project the Punto to be a guzzler.

[anilkalvani]

Kudos to you GTO for the most honest & unbiased review i have seen till now on the Grand Punto. Ditto with your Jazz review too. You pointed out all the good & bad points, unlike the paid reviews you see in Mags & Television (I saw the most disgusting sugar coated review of the Jazz on C&B). I have a feeling Fiat don't want to mess up this time as you said that their production capacity is 200,000 units at their Ranjangaon plant. They want volumes & i hope they match the sales & service coverage of Hyundai if not Maruti. Also i want to see competition so that car manufacturers are alert & take notice of the requirements of the Indian consumer & no longer dump under equipped cars.

Jai Ho t-bhp!

[khan_sultan]

Originally Posted by prashanthyr

...Can someone post a picture of the rear seat with a passenger in it? That way it helps understand how spacious or cramped the seat is in relative terms.

Here is one picture.





Also, I have sat down in the rear seat with 2 other folks (3 in total) and NO way there is enough space for 3 folks to sit comfortably for any amount of time.