[ms001]

guard damage on linea yes it sturdy but can be damaged on heavy impact

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post2530804

[ra'ul M]

Originally Posted by Arkin evoisrevo

We felt no such problem with either of the Punto 90s we drove.
Which dealership's car did you test drive?
BTW, I BOOKED ONE yesterday!!!!!!

Hi Arkin,
What are the discounts that were offered to you on the 90HP? Let me know by PM if you do not wish to share it here. I might book one since Maruti is no longer interested in selling cars

[Arkin evoisrevo]

Discount on the ninety is 10k cash + 15k Exchange + Free Ins. + Free RSA. Corp disc. of 3-10k depending on your employer and freebies depend on the dealer. You should get at least Mudflaps, Body cover and Mats.
My car.

[mo1]

Originally Posted by Arkin evoisrevo

Discount on the ninety is 10k cash + 15k Exchange + Free Ins. + Free RSA. Corp disc. of 3-10k depending on your employer and freebies depend on the dealer. You should get at least Mudflaps, Body cover and Mats.

Yes I got exactly the same offer here in Pune for Punto 1.3 Emotion.(75 hp)
For Active, the cash discount is 5K.
Also after a bit of bargaining, got the Mud flaps,mats and body coating for free.
I have booked Punto 1.3 Emotion. Should get delivery in 10-12 days.
I will create a separate ownership thread after getting the delivery.

[shashank.nk]

Can any of the existing owners put down their city driving experience of the Punto? Every ownership thread I've read praises the Puntos ability on the highways, not much about city driving is mentioned and hence this query.

Specifically the difficulties encountered (if any) due to the huge turning radius and also if Turbo lag is an issue. Size is no problem I drive around an Octavia and only in narrow lanes I find it a problem.

Inputs comparing Punto to competition in the same segment from a city driving perspective by someone whos driven both carswill be of great help.

I want to use the car as a city hatch so want to know if Punto makes a good choice.

Thanks in advance

[fiat_tarun]

^^ The Punto is a little tedious to drive in the city with its hard steering, long clutch and the big turning radius, but one does get used to it. Purely as a city hatch i feel the Swift, i20 are easier to drive.

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

Can any of the existing owners put down their city driving experience of the Punto? Every ownership thread I've read praises the Puntos ability on the highways, not much about city driving is mentioned and hence this query.

Specifically the difficulties encountered (if any) due to the huge turning radius and also if Turbo lag is an issue. Size is no problem I drive around an Octavia and only in narrow lanes I find it a problem.

Inputs comparing Punto to competition in the same segment from a city driving perspective by someone whos driven both carswill be of great help.

I want to use the car as a city hatch so want to know if Punto makes a good choice.

Thanks in advance

In the one year of owning my punto, I've driven her a lot in areas like KRmarket area, Srinagar,tyagarajanagar and uttarahalli in Bangalore.
People in Bangalore know how narrow the roads can get in these areas.

If its for purely city driving, you have to get used to a three things in punto.
This "getting used to" will take some time. If I put it in other words, "getting used to" is nothing but "being careful".

1. 5.5m turning radius compared to the competition's 4.8m will be evident in some of the malls where the parking is not very spacious.
2. The long clutch travel will irritate you at times when there is heavy traffic.
3. The last and the biggest one for me while driving my punto in the city is the A-pillar. Someone has aptly mentioned here earlier that the A-pillar can easily hide an autorickshaw...especially in V-junctions.

If you ask me, the steering is absolutely perfect. though it is heavier than say swift, I just love the way it handles.

[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

In the one year of owning my punto, I've driven her a lot in areas like KRmarket area, Srinagar,tyagarajanagar and uttarahalli in Bangalore.
People in Bangalore know how narrow the roads can get in these areas.

If its for purely city driving, you have to get used to a three things in punto.
This "getting used to" will take some time. If I put it in other words, "getting used to" is nothing but "being careful".

1. 5.5m turning radius compared to the competition's 4.8m will be evident in some of the malls where the parking is not very spacious.
2. The long clutch travel will irritate you at times when there is heavy traffic.
3. The last and the biggest one for me while driving my punto in the city is the A-pillar. Someone has aptly mentioned here earlier that the A-pillar can easily hide an autorickshaw...especially in V-junctions.

If you ask me, the steering is absolutely perfect. though it is heavier than say swift, I just love the way it handles.

I agree with you on the a-pillar bit, i noticed it during my TD and it will take time getting used to. But, how do you counter that ?

Does the turning radius cause a huge problem ? Say at a U-turn a Swift does it in one go, will you have to do a 3-point turn and hold up the traffic for a min or so ?

Thanks for your mentioning the areas even i end up driving in similar roads so was of great help

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

I agree with you on the a-pillar bit, i noticed it during my TD and it will take time getting used to. But, how do you counter that ?

Does the turning radius cause a huge problem ? Say at a U-turn a Swift does it in one go, will you have to do a 3-point turn and hold up the traffic for a min or so ?

Thanks for your mentioning the areas even i end up driving in similar roads so was of great help

A-pillar: be completely sure that there is nothing hidden in that area.
See through the driver's window or move your head leftwards towards the centre of the car and then complete the turn.
I say "complete the turn" because the A-pillar obstructs mostly while making a a right turn

Turning radius: in a 2-lane road, you might have to make a 3-point turn.
In a 4 lane road, you'll never make out the large turning radius.
My home is located at a place where everytime I take my car out, I have to make a U-turn on a 4-lane road(2-lanes for each way).
This, I do in one go. But the same thing on a 2-lane road (less than 40ft) I have to make a 3-point turn.

5.5m radius translates to approx. 33ft diameter which is the minimum road width you need to make a u-turn in one go.
while a swift needs 29ft to make a u-turn.
So you can see, it is hardly any difference except in tight parking slots.

as mentioned in my previous post, the 3rd point takes your more time to get used to.
Or I can say, it needs your attention more than your time.
the first two points in my earlier post will take very less time to get used to.

[muni]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

I agree with you on the a-pillar bit, i noticed it during my TD and it will take time getting used to. But, how do you counter that ?

Does the turning radius cause a huge problem ? Say at a U-turn a Swift does it in one go, will you have to do a 3-point turn and hold up the traffic for a min or so ?

Thanks for your mentioning the areas even i end up driving in similar roads so was of great help

shashank ... looks like you are sitting on the fence having a hard time deciding between the Punto and the Swift. Your head says Swift but the heart says Punto

Luckily for me the heart was sold out on the Punto and the mind did not see the value in the Swift anymore at the price it sells. I had in mind the big plus of the after sales service going in its favour too.

As for me, I took another test drive of the swift and did not come out impressed. The first gear is weak and 2nd gear cannot pull at very slow speeds and takes time to respond. Handling and ride has improved. The plastic quality I repeat hasnt improved much and only looks good.

They said I will have to wait for another 2 months atleast to get my car though I booked in July. I canceled my booking and they will take 1K off my 15K booking amount.

Waiting for further discounts for the Punto..fingers crossed

[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

A-pillar: be completely sure that there is nothing hidden in that area.
See through the driver's window or move your head leftwards towards the centre of the car and then complete the turn.
I say "complete the turn" because the A-pillar obstructs mostly while making a a right turn

Turning radius: in a 2-lane road, you might have to make a 3-point turn.
In a 4 lane road, you'll never make out the large turning radius.

5.5m radius translates to approx. 33ft diameter which is the minimum road width you need to make a u-turn in one go.
while a swift needs 29ft to make a u-turn.

When you put it down in terms of numbers it all makes sense! I mean just 3 or 4 feet cant be so much of a bother after all.
But the A-pillar is something I always have to keep in mind while in the city.
Thanks again for your input man! Was of great help

@muni
True man! Its epic confusion. The swift makes sense logically but one just cant ignore the Punto! The crazy waiting period along with the uncertainty in delivery due to the strike makes matters even bad. Though its expensive the high resale value makes up for it

My heart says Punto no doubt! Offlate everytime I look at a Punto on road (which appears to be quite common all of a sudden) its like the car is saying "ditcher "to me. Lol

OT :Any concrete source claiming higher discounts? I can wait 2 more weeks if its around 20k or more. You see the speakers in the pinto are bad so it needs a good set of components,amp sub etc.

[theexperthand]

@shashank.nk:

As @hemanth.anand have pointed out, turning radius is not that big issue, unless you have to take U turns in tight spots. I do drive around in bangalore city often, and many a times, i travel through narrow by-lanes of bommanahalli and other places, but the turning radius have not been a major hindrance, unless I am taking U turns.

The A pillar can hide traffic, but luckily I have not caught surprised till now.

The steering is not that heavy - I love the feel of it in traffic also.

[headers]

Fiat punto rocks man, GO FOR IT.

Unless you are a newbie driver, you won't have issues with the punto..rear visibility without aids is not too great..else the car Rocks

[muni]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

My heart says Punto no doubt! Offlate everytime I look at a Punto on road (which appears to be quite common all of a sudden) its like the car is saying "ditcher "to me. Lol

OT :Any concrete source claiming higher discounts? I can wait 2 more weeks if its around 20k or more. You see the speakers in the pinto are bad so it needs a good set of components,amp sub etc.

Dont be so hard on yourself man. Your avatar pic has the Punto and why are you allowing so much of confusion.

You are right, I am doing some research on what kind of setup I should have for the ICE once i get the Punto. I had posted on the Punto Emotion Thread but looks like nobody is in a mood to respond.


I am posting it again here. Can any of the Punto owners share their setup and recomendations in bangalore.


"
One of the weak points of the Punto is its crappy audio. I hope the company supplied Car stereo is of decent quality and the problem can be sorted out with amplifiers and good speakers.

I have decided to buy the 90 Bhp Punto but waiting for better discounts this month. I want be ready with the audio setup changes before i get the car.

I intend to have good bass coming from the front doors itself and already have a 2 channel Clarion amp + JBL bass tube at my disposal. Willing to use a sub in a enclosure if the Basstube sounds boomy.


I Can spend 20 to 25 K more on 2 Ch Amplifier + front components+rear co axials + damping+ wiring.

Can anyone guide me on this and if someone has done it in Bangalore would be a good reference point for me.


Read that the Blaupunkt amps have a plug and play compatibility with the company fitted head units. Are they of good quality and has anyone got them onto their Puntos.

"

[ra'ul M]

Precisely the discussion I was looking for .
I have never been so confused in life before! I have booked a test drive of the 90HP this Sunday. Will be taking a call after that to decide whether to wait for the Swift or buy the Punto. It's not a head vs heart case as I find both equally good overall. It's more like present irritation vs potential irritation.

P.S.- Has anyone got a Pete's box in a 90HP? Could be a killer!