[vivekshukla]

Originally Posted by DRIV3R

Pyrotek, Congrats again. Awesome car that!

BTW, that is not a niggle. Atleast that is what I have observed in many cars, the instrument console lights dim to give lesser strain to your eyes in the dark. Other Punto owners can confirm.

Even in my Linea it happens and I found it quite useful otherwise the display is so bright that it often distracts. I normally reduce the brightness of the instrument console lights; especially when on highways. But, yet to find just the right amount of illumination. Just wish it was orange on black lights instead of black on orange.

[jacksons]

Congratulation Pyrotec, car is beautyfull so are your words to discribe it.

I am planning to buy a Punto next week. Tuscon Wine Emotion Pack Diesel 75hp. But you are right, the turbo lag is a concern, so I might switch to the 90hp. But again I have a mind to change the speakers and fit an amp, so I can use the extra 40k to do it in the 75hp. uggggggghhhhhh, confused

Mads you can put music system any time after you buy 90Hp but you can't put 90HP once you by 75HP and will regret forever.

[Pyrotek]

@Pri2,fiat_tarun,Soccerfan,e-katz,SankalpDesai,Vik0728,mads2849,
neoonwheels,akhilesh,Daewood,gopikb,sbkumar,viveks hukla,jacksons

Thanks guys for your heartfelt good wishes. It feels great to be the owner of a Punto after dreaming for so long about it (an entire year and a half, to be precise).

While my thread in the whatcar section would suggest that I was torn between this car and the VW Polo 1.6, there were a plethora of contenders that finally whittled down to a choice between these 2 hatches.

Full story behind the selection process (and some additional pics) coming soon!

[lloydofcochin]

Pyrotek,

Congratulations on your Punto FTA. Welcome to the FIAT family

It is a great Car, enjoy your drive.

And regarding service you can visit Prerana Motors, Kudlu Gate. I've dealt with them thrice for my Palio's service in the last 6 months and they have been excellent.

[rameshnanda]

Pyrotek, My heartiest Congratulations on your new buy and Welcome to the club . I have completed 7500 Kms in less than 4 months. I just can't resist driving.

Originally Posted by Pyrotek

4. Electrical niggles: I have found that my central odo light intensity, and climate control display light intensity drop down on switching on the headlights. This strikes me as odd! The dealer has promised to correct the same when I go to fit my accessories and the number plate this week.

I wonder if this is an issue. The same happens in my car too and I believe it depends on the intensity setting provided once you switch on the headlights. Did you try to increase the intensity and get the same result again?

[shk 8896]

Congrats on the punto.The Fox Trot Azure looks elegent and suits the car really well.I always look at a punto mouth watered.That's because I am a Fiat fanDrive her safe
Sreehari.

[Pyrotek]

THE SELECTION PROCESS

CHAPTER 1: Pun(e)to

To know where this arduous journey started, we need to go back to 2009. I was living in Pune, working for an IT major. Taken away from the comfort of my hometown (and my Swift), I was beginning to feel jittery without a car to go and explore. While Pune has excellent places in and around to see, the transport system is the worst I have seen in any modern city yet. PMPML buses are pathetic! Absolutely no match for the BMTC services here in Bangalore.

Anyway, I digress. So it was this lazy monday in October 2009. I saw her for the first time! She was an electric blue piece breezing past me (I was in a dreaded tum-tum mind you)
'Emotion', I read on her back. Needless to say, my heart and mind were doing a couple of emotional cartwheels between themselves.

That very day, I returned home and registered for a test drive online. On friday, I got a call from BU Bhandari (then dealers of tata-fiat) and we arranged a TD for sunday. I asked them to get the 1.4 Ep.

She came home in all her resplendent glory. It was an electric blue car again. The resemblance to my beam blue Swift was uncanny in many ways. But this machine was definitely something else. The desmodronic key, the 15" drool-worthy alloys, the meaty steering with leather wrapping and the steering mounted controls, automatic climate control! WOW!! My head was blown apart, literally!!

When she left from my building, I was still glancing out the window watching her vanish into the distance.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER 2: What a Spark!

As chances of my relocation to Bangalore looked bleaker with every passing day, I was seriously considering the need to buy a new car in Pune to move around. Due to certain circumstances, we were unable to move our Swift from Bangalore to Pune. I had no idea of permanence in Pune, and was unwilling to get the registration changed.

My mother was living with me, and both of us have rarely travelled in any other means than our own personal transport. Rental taxis were expensive, but not as much as the damn private auto-rickshaws which fleeced your heart out if you stayed in PCMC (like I did).

Pune-ites, empathize with me on this fact. Pimple Saudagar to Mankar chowk,Wakad cost me 60 bucks on an average. That is a distance of less than 3 km. I used to visit Khadki for about 140 bucks and woe betide me on days I wanted to go to Camp!

While my fantasy girl Punto was a dream, buying her was also a dream because of my limited finances. It was then that I decided that I need to scale down my expectations, and decided to check out the Chevrolet Spark at a showroom in Ganeshkhind (the name escapes me).

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised with this rather modest little hatch. We did come close to buying a Matiz many years ago, but now that I was in the Spark, I could see what we were missing. The car was effortless to drive, spacious and comfortable to be in (impressive ride), packed with great features (for its segment), and with all discounts in place, would cost me only Rs. 3.7 lakhs on-road for the LT.

To me, this was a win deal! A lot of friends thought I was insane, and questioned my logic in this matter. But I was seeing some kind of insane sense in the decision.

I was told to check out Pashankar auto in Baner as they were supposed to be the best dealers for Chevy in Pune. I did just that. My mother and I had almost finalized on a misty lake Spark LT, when in their parking lot, I saw the hatch that stalled everything for a good reason! It was a Beat!! It had a red number plate, and this was a car that was not even launched then! I saw the car inside out and then I took a look at the Spark again!

Despite its amazing value, I realized that this was not the best thought decision I could have come up with. And that, as they say, was that!
I graciously cancelled my plans for a Spark, and patiently waited for the thump of the Beat!

In a way, I can look back and say that that decision I made was ultimately instrumental in my FTA Punto being parked in my driveway today.

Clearly, there is still a lot more in this story. But not every adventure unravelled itself in a day, did it? So, the rest remains for another day!

[Pyrotek]

Hi folks,

I interrupt the story of my selection process to bring some updates on my journey with the Punto thus far.

I have reached the magical 1000km landmark!

Took it on a drive to Mysore and Kushalnagar and the highway stability of the car is simply mindblowing!

Now coming to the problem. yes, I have one. Today, I observed that there is something dangling below the car under-body on the right hand side near the rear wheel.

To me it looks like some suspension component which may have come loose from its original housing in the car under-body, but frankly I am not sure. Will upload a pic tonight and your opinions are most appreciated.

Till then, I wonder if its alright to be driving the car as-is. Have any Punto owners faced such a problem? Car under-body bits working themselves loose only to be dangling precariously underneath?

[speedKrazy]

Originally Posted by Pyrotek

4. Electrical niggles: I have found that my central odo light intensity, and climate control display light intensity drop down on switching on the headlights. This strikes me as odd! The dealer has promised to correct the same when I go to fit my accessories and the number plate this week.

First of all Congrats on your new acquisition.
Hey the Illumination dimming is not an electrical niggle.Thats supposed to be a feature.During day time when sun is up the displays has to be bright to be visible
and during night time (read switching on head lights) the lights inside cabin is dimmed so that driver wont get distracted with the bright light inside cabin.

Next time when you go to the showroom make sure that you would never go to the person who promised to correct it

Happy puntoying.

[julupani]

@Pyro

Unless we get a pic to see what exactly the component is, or atleast some sort of description cant really say what you should do.

But it reminds of a fuel overflow pipe coming loose on the Punto and dangling below the right rear wheel well.

Also, if it is a suspension component I would imagine you would feel some sort of difference while driving.

[shantyrocks]

congratz pyrotek..!

The GP is indeed the best looking hatch on roads right now.
Looking forward for some interior pics too.

[Pyrotek]

Hi folks,

I am extremely disappointed to report that my Punto has not been anywhere near as trouble free as I expected it to be.

After the near-scare with an underbody component found dangling (which turned out to be some electrical wiring thats all, thank goodness), I have a new and even more serious problem.

I see that my car cannot be locked either by remote or by manual locking. perplexed, I inserted the key in the ignition to be greeted by the message that the car's 'left front passenger door is open' even when its closed.

It is because of this, that I am not able to lock the car at all.

In addition I am hearing some strange squeaks and rattles on the car, and the rear parcel shelf hinges have broken.

I am highly disappointed with the unreliability of this car's components and even the dealer's response has been very unsatisfactory. They promised to pick the car from my residence at 10AM, but due to their internet not working, my complaint mail has not been forwarded to their workshop yet, as a result of which they are unable to pick my car from my home.

All in all, a thoroughly disappointing experience so far which is making me regret not purchasing a Jazz. If paying 70k more was for the sheer peace of mind, then I am wondering if that was worth the premium.

[Palio_2005]

Hello Pyrotek. First congrats on your new Punto. I guess you may have gone through various posts on TBHP before selecting the Punto. The Fiats are known to have these niggles which is the reason why "aam junta" shuns these beauties and only the die hard fans who are willing to risk it buy the car. This definitely does not justify Fiat's lack of QC, but now that you have bought the car, these are issues you have to deal with.

I too have a Linea MJD and sometimes wonder if I should have gone with a Vento, but when I drive my Linea (I too have faced issues like beadings coming off, oil leakage, clutch slave cylinder change , some rattling on LHS dash ...) BUT the drive,handling, steering feedback, ride, features, and overall feeling are overwhelming for me. I too have driven my friend's vento but came away unimpressed.

I would suggest do not let these niggles take away the total driving experience. No doubt Jazz would have given you complete piece of mind, but it would have taken away something else...

[julupani]

Very well put by Palio_2005

Just yesterday, we were out on a short highway drive. We stopped on the way at a spot to buy some sweets at a village particularly famous for it. After buying the sweets, just walking back to the car, and even after a year and half of the Punto experience, it still looks unbelievably stunning and has the ability to leave you drooling. And that one moment just makes the ownership worth it.

[sbkumar]

Originally Posted by Pyrotek

Hi folks,

I am extremely disappointed to report that my Punto has not been anywhere near as trouble free as I expected it to be.

After the near-scare with an underbody component found dangling (which turned out to be some electrical wiring thats all, thank goodness), I have a new and even more serious problem.

I see that my car cannot be locked either by remote or by manual locking. perplexed, I inserted the key in the ignition to be greeted by the message that the car's 'left front passenger door is open' even when its closed.

It is because of this, that I am not able to lock the car at all.

In addition I am hearing some strange squeaks and rattles on the car, and the rear parcel shelf hinges have broken.

I am highly disappointed with the unreliability of this car's components and even the dealer's response has been very unsatisfactory. They promised to pick the car from my residence at 10AM, but due to their internet not working, my complaint mail has not been forwarded to their workshop yet, as a result of which they are unable to pick my car from my home.

All in all, a thoroughly disappointing experience so far which is making me regret not purchasing a Jazz. If paying 70k more was for the sheer peace of mind, then I am wondering if that was worth the premium.

@Pyrotek,
These are known issues and I have experienced both of them first hand - rear parcel shelf hinge and door latch ( though it was rear left door in my case). Don't lose patience, just take it to them yourself and get it fixed. There are more reliable cars for sure at this range, but GP has it's own positives too.