[bharat4ever]

Does anyone share my opinion on the cd player, air con console. I feel that it looks very bland and ugh grey. I feel this part is perfectly done in the new igen i20. I love the Punto, and apart from this quirky bland old age deisgn, everything else is perfect.

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by bharat4ever

Does anyone share my opinion on the cd player, air con console.

I do. While on the exterior, Punto has a timeless design, I think the interior design has timed out.

I hope the next refresh will happen once Fiat gets their exclusive dealerships in place and it will bring the Punto Evo interiors to India (not a big fan of Punto Evo exteriors).

[bharat4ever]

Also, there's a KHT motors in bangalore. Are they Fiat exclusive or are they also linked with TATA?

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by bharat4ever

Does anyone share my opinion on the cd player, air con console. I feel that it looks very bland and ugh grey. I feel this part is perfectly done in the new igen i20. I love the Punto, and apart from this quirky bland old age deisgn, everything else is perfect.

Well I actually like the simple, yet fully functional layout of the dashboard console and ACC/ICE controls. i20 with its blue-lit controls/interior somewhat screams for attention and in my opinion is somewhat gaudy and too in-your-face. Again, that's a subjective area so I wouldn't disagree with your views. But you have a point as far as dashboard color themes are concerned. The black and grey plastic dual tone looks really cheap. I would have preferred a full-black dashboard instead, from top to bottom. What say?

Originally Posted by bharat4ever

Also, there's a KHT motors in bangalore. Are they Fiat exclusive or are they also linked with TATA?

No one is an exclusive Fiat dealer as of now. KHT deals with Tata as well as Fiat, just like the others, but they aren't known for the best ethical practices. I would stay miles away from KHT if I were you. There are way too many horror stories about them.

The independent Fiat dealership network will kickoff operations sometime from beginning of next year. As of now, only Prerana motors has confirmed that they will be taking up exclusive dealership of Fiat. I'm not sure about who else has signed on the dotted line. Concorde, KHT and Aadya are the other players in Bangalore.

[bharat4ever]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

Well I actually like the simple, yet fully functional layout of the dashboard console and ACC/ICE controls. i20 with its blue-lit controls/interior somewhat screams for attention and in my opinion is somewhat gaudy and too in-your-face. Again, that's a subjective area so I wouldn't disagree with your views. But you have a point as far as dashboard color themes are concerned. The black and grey plastic dual tone looks really cheap. I would have preferred a full-black dashboard instead, from top to bottom. What say?


No one is an exclusive Fiat dealer as of now. KHT deals with Tata as well as Fiat, just like the others, but they aren't known for the best ethical practices. I would stay miles away from KHT if I were you. There are way too many horror stories about them.

The independent Fiat dealership network will kickoff operations sometime from beginning of next year. As of now, only Prerana motors has confirmed that they will be taking up exclusive dealership of Fiat. I'm not sure about who else has signed on the dotted line. Concorde, KHT and Aadya are the other players in Bangalore.

I would love a full black interiors... but alas.
Can Stanley do something about the dashboards? I love the punto, but i cant stand the interiors. we spend all the times staring at the interiors, so i want it to be pleasing, and not stick out like a sore thumb. at the moment I am leaning towards the i20 mainly because of this.

[prashant316]

guys, need some advice here.

I am looking for a Punto diesel in delhi which i am sure i will be able to get for less than 4 lacs.
while searching u also came across a few Palio 1.3 diesels atless than 2.6 lacs that are post 2008 models. Now while they use the same MJD motor, I want to know if it will be a wise decision to go for a palio instead of a punto. and what should be its correct price?

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by bharat4ever

I would love a full black interiors... but alas.
Can Stanley do something about the dashboards? I love the punto, but i cant stand the interiors. we spend all the times staring at the interiors, so i want it to be pleasing, and not stick out like a sore thumb. at the moment I am leaning towards the i20 mainly because of this.

If that's the only thing stopping you from buying it, its a rather simple fix.
I'm sure they would be able to do a leather wrap or dark dashboard vinyls or something similar. Of course it would cost some $$, but it is possible to mask the grey area if done well. I've never got it done, so I'm not sure about the costs.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by prashant316

Now while they use the same MJD motor, I want to know if it will be a wise decision to go for a palio instead of a punto. and what should be its correct price?

I am assuming this a Fiat Palio Stile and between the Stile and Punto, the Punto is in a different league. I suggest the Punto any day over the Stile.

The Stile is originally a 12 year old design and it is really old to consider it now.

I cannot comment on price.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

If that's the only thing stopping you from buying it, its a rather simple fix.
I'm sure they would be able to do a leather wrap or dark dashboard vinyls or something similar.

May not be that easy, considering the safety aids like airbags. But is the dashboard colour a deal breaker? I thought its pretty decent

[prashant316]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

I am assuming this a Fiat Palio Stile and between the Stile and Punto, the Punto is in a different league. I suggest the Punto any day over the Stile.

The Stile is originally a 12 year old design and it is really old to consider it now.

I cannot comment on price.

Yes it is a Palio stile that I was referring to. I do agree with you that the design dynamics will be absolutely different. But here in Delhi, finding a Punto has been a task for me.

My search has been on for the past 2 months now and its still continuing

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by vb-san

May not be that easy, considering the safety aids like airbags. But is the dashboard colour a deal breaker? I thought its pretty decent

though I would have preferred all black, its not a deal breaker for me . I will let the grey and black theme stay, like you said it does look quite decent to me. But bharat4ever might want to change it to all black if its a deal breaker for him.

vb-san, I don't think this should affect airbags. The dashboard actually has grey color only in the lower part. Attaching a picture for reference.



The airbag is located in the top left portion and it is already in the black dashboard area. Perhaps if the black masking is going to be done, it can be done only for the grey area (lower part), affecting door trims, dashboard storage area and bottom parts.

[avisidhu]

Originally Posted by prashant316

Yes it is a Palio stile that I was referring to. I do agree with you that the design dynamics will be absolutely different. But here in Delhi, finding a Punto has been a task for me.

My search has been on for the past 2 months now and its still continuing

I personally feel the looks of Stile are quite decent, but the issue is that spare parts availability was such a pain when it was in production, so you can well imagine the situation now!

You should be able to find a decent Punto in the NCR region sooner or later. I know because I tried for a few months and did manage to get hold of 1-2 decent vehicles, but then ditched the idea of pre owned all together so didn't go ahead with the purchase.

Although considering that I'm still smitten by the Punto, might take the plunge and start looking for a pre owned again sometime in future

[bharat4ever]

I am very confused at the moment. I am hoping the grey dash isn't a dealbreaker for me, but I can't stand the look of it everytime i see it. I am currently getting a 1.3 Emotion at 6.94 ex showroom at bangalore. Is that alright, or should i haggle more? The main reason I am considering the Punto over the i20 is superior high speed dynamics, attributed to the 195/R15 tyres with the 15" wheels.

How is the a.s.s here in bangalore? I've not strayed away from maruti and hyundai in the past, and that makes me a bit apprehensive.

And as far the stock ICE is concerned, it does have USB support? And how is the sound quality? Are the speakers' bass punchy enough?

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by bharat4ever

I am very confused at the moment. I am hoping the grey dash isn't a dealbreaker for me, but I can't stand the look of it everytime i see it. I am currently getting a 1.3 Emotion at 6.94 ex showroom at bangalore. Is that alright, or should i haggle more? The main reason I am considering the Punto over the i20 is superior high speed dynamics, attributed to the 195/R15 tyres with the 15" wheels.

I am in the queue for a Punto sport, so I had looked at the Diesel Emotion 75HP too. It is quite VFM for that price. After discounts and all the misc. taxes, final OTR comes to somewhere around 8.1L, which is 30k cheaper than the Swift ZDi. It is quite a good deal and in case you have decided, suggest you to wrap up the purchase before the discount offers are removed/changed. Other big-hatches are all closer to 9L in price.

The tyres are hardly the reason why the Punto drives better. It has a stiffer suspension, rock solid handling, tank-like build quality, precise steering feedback and brilliant brakes to complement. As an enthusiast car, the i20 is mechanically no match, in my opinion.

How is the a.s.s here in bangalore? I've not strayed away from maruti and hyundai in the past, and that makes me a bit apprehensive.

Prerana motors has been amazing for me, and for lots of other FIAT owners here in Bangalore. They will be taking up the exclusive dealership too, so their service team will continue their brilliant service in future too. In my experience with Maruti, Hyundai and Fiat, Fiat service experience is miles ahead with Prerana motors.

And as far the stock ICE is concerned, it does have USB support? And how is the sound quality? Are the speakers' bass punchy enough?

It has USB support. The USB slot is tucked away inside the dashboard compartment, so you may not have seen it during the test drive. Sound quality is okay for regular users. At high volume, it does tend to crackle a bit and the bass gets jittery high up. If you are an audiophile who wants better sound quality, you can always upgrade the speakers.

[bharat4ever]

Nice man, thanks for the feedback. On last thing, the punto is 75 bhp, and the i20 is 90 bhp. Will that make a big difference?