[arun687]

Originally Posted by Newpunter

Looks like we bought the same car around the same time .

Yes

Originally Posted by Newpunter

I feel that I can continue with my Punto for another 2 years maybe. I just recently changed my clutch plate and the car feels like a new car now . But I miss many of the features that newer cars have. There is no way to connect my phone to the ICE and play songs from my mobile. I have a Play music subscription, but I cannot use it in my car because of this. I have to either listen to the FM radio, or play songs on ancient CDs. I wish there was some way to get the newer Touchscreen device from the Punto Evo onto the older one.

Yes, mine has run just 35k kms. I think it can well go on for another 2 years with no issues. This is the reason why I'm in no hurry to upgrade until I find a car that has everything I 'want' in my budget (an auto box is a no brainer considering today's traffic conditions)

I bought a Bluetooth FM transmitter (linked below) to stream audio to my car's FM system. It's not the most elegant setup but does the job for music, podcasts and calls. You can try something similar in the interim.

https://www.amazon.in/VeeDee-Bluetoo...fm+transmitter

Originally Posted by Newpunter

Also, I have to switch off the A/C everytime I want to overtake someone. I had even considered replacing my current Punto with the Abarth Punto or the Urban Cross powered by Abarth. I checked these cars out when I took my car for servicing and I found the interiors to be very good and modern. But I can't justify spending another 10-12 lakhs on exchanging an old Punto for a new one.

The power is definitely lacking even when we bought it, but it is more pronounced now considering we've so many options with good power to weight ratio these days. It still is great fun to drive, take fast corners, the amazing steering feedback and solid road manners still impress me every single time.

All things said, Fiat is not doing much to stay relevant, be it new products or improving their service network / dealerships. As you said, an Abart Punto with a DSG like gearbox would throw out all other considerations out of the window.

[SmartCat]

Going by the likes and tastes of Fiat owners in general and Punto/ Linea owners in particular, I think you should test drive Renault Duster/ Nissan Terrano AMT, XUV 500 AT and Hexa AT.

[Auto freak]

I was in the same boat last month! My Punto 90 was 5 years and 110k km old. But still felt and drove like she was brand new.

It was only the need for more space after we were blessed with a baby and an itch to get a new car that made me look for an upgrade. After being used to the Punto, almost every car I test drove felt lightly built.

Test drove Honda WR-V and City. The build quality in both felt light, a notch or two below the Punto. The 1.5 Honda diesel engine didn't impress me either. It felt more crude compared to my 110k km run Fiat engine. May be I expected too much from it given the Honda's brand connect with smooth engine. Above all, the City was way over my budget of 11-12L. So that eliminated the Hondas.

We also test drove the Ecosport. It felt solid but I somehow didn't like the high seating position and wanted something low slung.

I always had a soft corner for VW and Skoda for the build quality they offered. And we had bought a Polo GT TSI for my dad in August. So then we went to the Skoda dealership to check out the Rapid. I wasn't expecting much in terms of sales experience given the stories we hear about Skoda all the time. But it was quite the opposite. Had a good experience. Loved the looks of the facelifted Rapid and took a relatively long test drive. I felt at home after being briefly used to the Polo. Same sturdy build quality, thick sheet metal, better legroom at the rear and it had rear AC vents. The engine though was considerably louder than the Fiat. Still it was a hoot to drive. I felt more confident pushing the car than I did while driving the City or the Ecosport.

There were good discounts on offer. Ambition 1.5 TDI MT came to 11.6 OTR after discounts and it was in our budget!
Didn't check out the Vento since I preferred the front end of the Rapid more. Vento Comfortline was more expensive than Rapid Ambition and it also missed out on the alloys. Booked it and took delivery by the end of last month!

Initial driving experience has been quite enjoyable. Did a highway trip and the car returned 20 kmpl as per the MID in spite of congested roads with no room for cruising and long waits at toll booths.

The features I wish it had are cruise control and auto dimming IRVM which our Polo GT has. Compared to the Punto, I miss the light clutch in dense city traffic but I'm very happy with the Rapid as it was just the upgrade I wanted, with the convenience and space of the boot and no compromise on build quality.

[Sheel]

With a slight stretch, you can get a Creta D in AT. Hyundai's website shows the price at 13.66 ex-showroom for the variant S+

Pre-owned? You just might get better deals.

[Newpunter]

Originally Posted by smartcat

Going by the likes and tastes of Fiat owners in general and Punto/ Linea owners in particular, I think you should test drive Renault Duster/ Nissan Terrano AMT, XUV 500 AT and Hexa AT.

I like the Renault Duster and want to check it out, although the car is a bit long in the tooth. However, my experiences with AMT (on the TUV and Dzire) are making me a bit skeptical. I will probably take a test drive. The Terrano and XUV automatic are out of my budget. And the Hexa is huge and will probably not fit in my parking lot .

Originally Posted by Auto freak

I was in the same boat last month! My Punto 90 was 5 years and 110k km old. But still felt and drove like she was brand new.
I always had a soft corner for VW and Skoda for the build quality they offered. And we had bought a Polo GT TSI for my dad in August. So then we went to the Skoda dealership to check out the Rapid.

The features I wish it had are cruise control and auto dimming IRVM which our Polo GT has. Compared to the Punto, I miss the light clutch in dense city traffic but I'm very happy with the Rapid as it was just the upgrade I wanted, with the convenience and space of the boot and no compromise on build quality.

Thank You. I think your experience is similar to mine and I felt the Skoda build quality to be as good as the Fiats. I think the Style variant has the cruise control and auto dimming IRVM features that you are missing currently.

Originally Posted by Sheel

With a slight stretch, you can get a Creta D in AT. Hyundai's website shows the price at 13.66 ex-showroom for the variant S+

Pre-owned? You just might get better deals.

I will try to check out the Creta D Automatic, but if it is missing features compared to the Petrol Automatic, then that will be a no-no for me again .

[Nonstop-driver]

Originally Posted by Newpunter

I will try to check out the Creta D Automatic, but if it is missing features compared to the Petrol Automatic, then that will be a no-no for me again .

It doesn't. Rather diesel gets the SX(O) in manual while the petrol doesn't. SX(O) has 4 airbags more than the auto.

[Newpunter]

So I finally bit the bullet and booked the Skoda Rapid Style Plus TDI AT in Blue Colour. The dealer offered me 2 lakhs for my Punto, so went ahead and booked the car. The loan has also been approved with SBI (although I'm torn between HDFC, which offers a lesser interest rate and SBI which doesn't have any foreclosure or part payment penalties). Now waiting for the delivery :-)

[Shabzhere]

Originally Posted by Newpunter

So I finally bit the bullet and booked the Skoda Rapid Style Plus TDI AT in Blue Colour. The dealer offered me 2 lakhs for my Punto, so went ahead and booked the car. The loan has also been approved with SBI (although I'm torn between HDFC, which offers a lesser interest rate and SBI which doesn't have any foreclosure or part payment penalties). Now waiting for the delivery :-)

Hi

Can you please share the last deal which you got ? I am as well looking at picking up the Rapid AT in Bangalore.

Regards,
Shabarinath

[Newpunter]

Originally Posted by Shabzhere

Hi

Can you please share the last deal which you got ? I am as well looking at picking up the Rapid AT in Bangalore.

Regards,
Shabarinath

Hi,
I didn't bargain too much. I think Skoda has a promotion running now, where the ex-showroom price for the Diesel top-end is around 1299000. They offered 2 lakhs for my current Punto (including the exchange bonus). The On-road came to around 16 lakhs with 4 year extended warranty and drive assure economy. Plus, the Skoda Maintenance package is available now for 9999, instead of 29999.

[Newpunter]

I took delivery of my Rapid yesterday. The experience with Tafe was very good and I was able to do the PDI in the stock yard before registration and also before delivery. The car was manufactured in August, but delivered to the stock yard last week. It had 13 kms when I checked in the yard and 17 kms when I took the delivery. The current mileage is around 50 kms.

I'm still getting used to the car. Looks like I haven't been able to find a comfortable driving position yet. I feel like the under thigh support is lacking compared to my Punto. Also, the lumbar support is lacking, so I will try using the pillow that was given as part of the accessories package.

The DSG gearbox seems to be waiting too long in the 2nd and 3rd gears, while in traffic. The RPM reaches almost 2000 before it upshifts. I will have to see if this is normal behavior or if it improves after some miles. Other than these, the car is absolutely fantastic and everyone has commented on how great it looks in Blue .

[nidhinsarath]

I’m confused between Rapid Monte carlo TDI DSG and vento highline TDI DSG? Which one to go for? I’m planning to exchange with my Polo. Is there any facelifts coming up for rapid and vento in 2019?

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by nidhinsarath

I’m confused between Rapid Monte carlo TDI DSG and vento highline TDI DSG? Which one to go for? I’m planning to exchange with my Polo. Is there any facelifts coming up for rapid and vento in 2019?

Since the mechanicals are same, I think it boils down to the looks and features between the two. Personally I think the Rapid makes more sense as it looks newer and fresher and is better kitted. In addition you already have a Polo and the Vento may end up being too similar.

[anb]

Originally Posted by nidhinsarath

I’m confused between Rapid Monte carlo TDI DSG and vento highline TDI DSG? Which one to go for? I’m planning to exchange with my Polo. Is there any facelifts coming up for rapid and vento in 2019?

Rapid looks sporty while Vento is classy. I prefer sporty looks of the Rapid over Vento. I think there won't b a facelift as 1.5 TDI will be discontinued in 2020.

[pavi]

Originally Posted by nidhinsarath

I’m confused between Rapid Monte carlo TDI DSG and vento highline TDI DSG? Which one to go for? I’m planning to exchange with my Polo. Is there any facelifts coming up for rapid and vento in 2019?

Go for Rapid, the black bits have made it really sporty. As you already have a Polo, Vento does not seem much of a difference except the number of slats in the grille and a 3rd box at the rear.