[Newpunter]

On decent roads, the turning radius isn't much of a problem. Being a newbie, I'm just a bit scared that i might not make the turn. But it isn't much of a problem actually. The only problem is when i reach home and the street where i stay is too narrow and there are vehicles parked on either side of the road. I always have to reverse and then take the turn near my home .

I have one question to other Punto owners here. Has anyone ever managed to buy the Tyvek Car cover for the Punto from FIAT ? I had ordered the cover nearly 1 month back and the dealer says he still hasn't got it from them. Should i wait or should i buy it from some accessory shop? And I should try other shop, any suggestions in Bangalore ? I don't have any covered parking and it has been raining almost daily here since i bought my car :( .

[sidindica]

Just configured this. Enjoy.

[download2live]

Originally Posted by Newpunter

I have one question to other Punto owners here. Has anyone ever managed to buy the Tyvek Car cover for the Punto from FIAT ? I had ordered the cover nearly 1 month back and the dealer says he still hasn't got it from them. Should i wait or should i buy it from some accessory shop? And I should try other shop, any suggestions in Bangalore ? I don't have any covered parking and it has been raining almost daily here since i bought my car :( .

I got one from Concorde. Just that I went to get a regular cover but that was also available. So I went for it.
See I have one cover already from JC street. But the car was getting wet in rains. So I thought that getting FIAT one will save. But salesguy said that its only dust cover. And that he thought that Tyvek will be waterproof. So i bought it. But surprise!!! Tyvek is also not waterproof.

The car will get WET even when you cover it with Tyvek cover. Period.

There was no real difference between my 800 buck and some 2400 buck car cover. But yes Tyvek is softer in hands.

[better4worse]

Originally Posted by Amartya

I will agree with that. However, if the patches are visible, raise the issue at the service station. Also drop Fiat an e-mail if the service station doesn't take care of this. By and large, Fiat has been very responsive to consumer demands with these two cars (Linea and Punto). Bnzjon's Linea's headlamp is due to be changed because it got blackened by the heat generated by the bulb, something that is not
expressly stated in the warranty.

Amartya, its the overall quality of plastic used in Punto, (the under wiper swooping plastic item, the door handles) that what I am talking about, the fact that it turns a bit greyish once the polish TASS put on it is gone, owing to extreme delhi sun and daily car wash. My grouse is that, the last time I noticed such pathetic quality is when I had a second generation M800 (1991 model) where the bumpers used to turn grey in a couple of years and looked more weather beaten than they should have. Writing a mail to FIAT wont help the cause, in my book the replacements end up the way as the one I have right now. Lot of people on the forum have already done that and reported re-occurrence of the problems. I think their entire lot reeks of this quality. Its a case of someone approving shoddy quality plastics right at the top or someone at the QC is not watching whats getting delivered in batches to them against what was approved by the management. Frankly logic tells me that if all Punto's have same shoddy plastic and its been that way since 2009, then it means that its an acceptable product quality approved by the company(FIAT). Thats my problem, it is NOT acceptable in a product (read premium hatch) thats upwards of INR 5 Lac+

Thanks for the email ID's I have other issues that I want to take up with them, the fact that they don't provide stock central locking kits for PUNTO 'Active' i.e which can be bought from the company, considering they tell you up front that any after market central / remote locking will most certainly result in warranty getting void. I am told that the FIAT accessory shop isn't coming any time soon (oct launch has been suggested by the dealership). Funnily, TASS in somes cities was themselves doing after market installs or some other branded remote locking items i.e. till sometime back. Now there has been a strict 'danda' to all dealers and they wouldn't do it now ... atleast in delhi thats the case. I have even spoken to a senior FIAT pro from North on the subject but he acknowledged the problem and said the company is working on it but couldn't out put a date to things getting rectified.

Originally Posted by greatpower

I have a question to the Punto owners. I have a Palio and looking to move on to Punto (hopefully 90 BHP). One concern which I have is the turning radius. At 5.4m, its larger than many sedans. How do you find the parking and maneuverability within the city? Palio itself has a large turning radius at 5.1m, which can be a pain sometimes, especially while taking U turns.

The car (Punto) has a 'bigger than what you'd like on a small car' kinda turning radius add to that a BIG BUTT which stands out even when parked at an angle making it vulnerable to scratches put by passerby's. Talking relative here, I have a Wagon R and the i10 within the household and both are a joy to park around the place. Yes, as amartya says...one does get used to it...even forgets all about it when on the highway, but every once in a while there are those U turns that remind you that its so much easier on some of the other cars. Frankly, I drive my Punto thinking that its a big sedan, I keep that in mind when I overtake, do a U turn or try and look for parking spaces, its a mindset thing based on the proportions of the car. Having said whenever I get back into a Wagon R after driving a Punto, I tend to appreciate the fact thats its so easy to do the U turn with the EPS but on the flip side the petrol car is starting to feel a bit little flimsy.

Lemme put it this way, if you live in a tight colony or apartment, where the roads are cramped for space because of the cars parked on either side, this should be a key consideration. Everyday parking and turning your car around is going to be challenge even for the smartest of the drivers i.e. unless you like to solving early morning or late evening 'car parking' puzzles.
Personally speaking, I would hate having to figure out a proper safe parking slot for my car every-time I come back from office. I think this is where one would need to put things into perspective/context and then buy a car, cause certain aspects of any car would be annoying in different situations.

In this case the realization that I had once I got into the ownership phase was:

a. Okay the forum and the world around me tells me I have bought a premium hatch, but the plastics and the fit & finish on my hatch don't quite match that view, there are other aspects that help support that view but definitely not the plastics/fit&finish. Case in point, the VW Polo...now thats how you do a good job in the said department

b. Okay I bought a premium hatch, somewhere in your head it still plays that its still a small car right ? NOoooooo.. its not ! It doesnt behave that way...thats what the cutting radius and the parking related aspects tell you (cons really ). Like I said there are related positives aspects of the car too which in my book nearly drown these bad ones when it comes it came to buying the hatch.

While I was aware of the above and took them into cognizance when I bought a Punto, I have come to fully understood them only after driving it over some time (read initial ownership phase).

Originally Posted by AvonA7

Am more or less a newbie in driving and was planning to buy Punto as I liked the car most, but going through different threads of Team-BHP there are couple of things which stopped me and this is one of them as mentioned by you.

Buying a car, much like a lot of other things in life, is a very personal decision at the end of the day (could be collective as well.. read as family decision). One has to contextualize things, bear in mind various factors so it can never be fully objective and adding to the complexity is the fact that isn't a perfect hatch out there that has it all. So do share your perspective and reasons for not considering the Punto, it should make for an interesting read on this thread.

- B4W

[BMW-X5]

Originally Posted by trrk

That's a good mileage for such usage. Punto / Linea MID figures are quite accurate. But please update with actual figures.



You are praying for something to fall off?

How can someone on earth pray for it?

Filled 2nd tank today, overall FE figures are very impressive. Inclusive of 100 Kmts Nandi hills round trip as well as a couple of early morning 30kmts round trips to Mysore road bustand

15.135

PS: Never crossed 90 and 2800 rpm. and strictly no spirited driving (except 10-12 kmts by the prerana service guys to sort out the wheel balancing issue).

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by download2live

Saw Linea and Punto displayed for publicity in Forum Mall, Whitefield. Thats good.

Whats Bad then?
1. Punto emotion model kept. What the ****? Every company keeps the highest available model. Where was emotion Pack?

2. No one was around to attend to curious people who went to have a look. I mean NO ONE.

3. The doors were locked!!! I wanted to go in an check out the interiors of new Punto. No one to help me out!!! How can people go in an check out the car from inside out?

FIAT....whats going on? Not serious about India???

Just wanted to share a link of a post on the Micra thread: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post1966302

As can be seen from the post, the Micra was on display under the exact same circumstances.

[blueblooded]

Originally Posted by Thar

I love the looks, ride quality, handling and features of the Punto and Linea and would be very happy to own either the upcoming 90bhp VGT Punto or the T-Jet Linea, but I'm very scared of the flimsy fit/ parts falling off and rusting issues. Could anyone who has bought a 2010 Punto or Linea please clarify the following doubts I have?

1. Have the fit/ parts falling off and rusting issues been sorted out?
2. Now that we have experienced a very hot summer, how good is the AC? Do backseat passengers complain about the AC?
3. What are the niggles if any in the 2010 Punto/ Linea?

Honest feedback from 2010 Punto or Linea owners will be highly appreciated.

PS: I have no problem with the finish as for the features offered and the price at which the above cars are offered at, it seems tolerable.

I own a april 2010 punto ,now fit/parts ,especially rubber bedding of the rear door lock are loosely fitted and they need to be properly fixed ,secondly a.c. is very good ,I have driven it under blistering sun of north india , and trust me its more than adequate even at the fan speed set at speed level 2,
Thirdly , I have come across minor thud from rear wheels ,that too when rear passengers seats are unoccupied ,rest is simply superb,namely the highway manners can even put to same the sedans like ford fiesta ,verna ,accent and even ANHC,
SO if you are planning to buy it ,dont have second thoughts as you would simply fall in love with it.
Lastly but of great importance is A.S.S.,fiat is really taking pains to alleviate customer woes and they are quite receptive to customer complains

[better4worse]

Originally Posted by Amartya

Just wanted to share a link of a post on the Micra thread: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post1966302

As can be seen from the post, the Micra was on display under the exact same circumstances.

Well that doesn't really justify a poor attempt at a promotional campaign execution, be it FIAT or NISSAN... does it ? If the idea was to just grab the eyeballs and just arouse curiosity ... then its okay, but if the idea is to generate visibility... create awareness , interest in the product, promote active participation in experiencing the product, garner consumer feedback and information ....a.la lead generation. This is not going to help much !

Let me give you another example, very similar to the above mentioned scenario. Anyone who has traveled to Mumbai using the airport would have noticed the chevy car (earlier BEAT now Cruze) standing near the baggage collection area. At times I have seen a sales rep standing near the car and on other occasions there wasn't anybody to attend to a prospective customer trying hard to get a look inside the BEAT which was completely locked.

On the other side, one poorly executed campaign is some corner of a city or mall in a city doesn't really tell you much about company's seriousness and efforts in trying to garner market share.

- B4W

[aarenes]

Originally Posted by sidindica

Just configured this. Enjoy.

Sid - Looks cool. where did you configure this?

[arunkk]

I went to the Concorde motors (Bangalore) yesterday and they told me that the prices of Punto/Linea are going to be revised and they will get the new price list in a day or two. He is not sure whether the new price is going to be in the higher side or not.. Anyway I am keeping my fingers crossed to see some minimum 10K discount

[samsan02]

Originally Posted by download2live

Saw Linea and Punto displayed for publicity in Forum Mall, Whitefield. Thats good.

2. No one was around to attend to curious people who went to have a look. I mean NO ONE.

3. The doors were locked!!! I wanted to go in an check out the interiors of new Punto. No one to help me out!!! How can people go in an check out the car from inside out?

I dont think they must be displaying it there exclusively from Fiat, If i recall Forum Value mall was celebrating 365 days anniversary and they were giving free Punto to a lucky winner, so like wise they might have asked a dealer to keep a display car, thats it.

[arishi1]

Originally Posted by blueblooded

Thirdly , I have come across minor thud from rear wheels ,that too when rear passengers seats are unoccupied.

This is typical of FIAT. It used to happen in my dad's UNO and now in my Punto. Nothing to worry about

Originally Posted by blueblooded

Lastly but of great importance is A.S.S.,fiat is really taking pains to alleviate customer woes and they are quite receptive to customer complains

+1 to that, and its very evident from the fact FIAT responds to you if at all anything goes wrong and you put up an email. I feel the A.S.S. experience depends a lot on the service center you use.

[arishi1]

Originally Posted by better4worse

the fact that they don't provide stock central locking kits for PUNTO 'Active' i.e which can be bought from the company, considering they tell you up front that any after market central / remote locking will most certainly result in warranty getting void. I am told that the FIAT accessory shop isn't coming any time soon (oct launch has been suggested by the dealership). Funnily, TASS in somes cities was themselves doing after market installs or some other branded remote locking items i.e. till sometime back. Now there has been a strict 'danda' to all dealers and they wouldn't do it now ... atleast in delhi thats the case.

Just read on another forum.

Dear Sir,
We have launched the product under following details

59116853
CENTRE LOCKING PUNTO ACTIVE KIT
MRP =9985/-
Will be available at our dealerships by 15th July, 2010

With regards

Pawan Yadav

Mr. Pawan Yadav is the person looking after the accessories for FIAT India. So hopefully the central locking is being provided and being FIAT stamped accessory I am not surprised by the cost

[better4worse]

Originally Posted by arishi1

Just read on another forum.

59116853
CENTRE LOCKING PUNTO ACTIVE KIT
MRP =9985/-
Will be available at our dealerships by 15th July, 2010

Mr. Pawan Yadav is the person looking after the accessories for FIAT India. So hopefully the central locking is being provided and being FIAT stamped accessory I am not surprised by the cost

Sooper stuff ! .. you just saved FIAT from a stinker of a mail ! kidding really.... But thanks Arishi1, this is bluddy good news for Active owners, you've no idea how much of pain it is to individually close each door, double check each one of them at night or anytime you park the car anywhere.

But that price ...~10 K for central locking is atrocious !! Are they importing it from FIAT Italy ?

- B4W

[arishi1]

Originally Posted by better4worse

But that price ...~10 K for central locking is atrocious !! Are they importing it from FIAT Italy ?

Not sure if they gonna import it, but its the basic principle of Business these days, you know when people are in trouble squeeze them for more money. And this being branded as FIAT I think will raise the price.

PS: My hunch though is this should be Autocop rebadged as FIAT as are the reverse sensors and central locking for dynamic.