[jessie007]

Wait is over. Le Bleu is finally here.

After years of reading reviews and vacillating between various cars, bought the Grande Punto - a decision mainly taken by heart. G.Punto is not the most spacious (vista-passenger, fabia-boot), fastest (swift, i20) or comfortable (Vista), but it the best looking, has been adjudged the best engine in the 1.0-1.4 litre capacity, is the sweetest handling car and more importantly has the big car feel with inherent solidity. Simply love the car and the engine is getting sweeter as days pass by – its no racecar but can’t stop flooring the throttle as soon as I get a clean stretch of road.

Make, Model & Variant: Fiat Grande Punto 1.3 Multijet (75bhp) Active
Colour: Foxtrot Azure
Name: le Bleu



Solar powered blinking key chain I bought in Thailand last year in anticipation of buying a FIAT
ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting









On-Road price: INR5,45,000 (Includes the usual extended warranty, Road-side assistance and 5k for the premium colour)
Accessories/Upgrades:
1) Central cum Remote locking – Got it fixed from the dealer only at a cost of INR8000
2) Upgraded the 165/80 R14 JK Tornado tyres to 185/70 R14 Bridgestone Turanza ER60s. All five tyres changed on stock rims
New Tyres : 4000 X 5 = 20,000
Old Tyres : 2400 X 5 = 12,000
Net : INR8000 (includes free balancing)



3) Medium tint sun film installed – INR600
4) JVC HU (KD-R810 Bluetooth CD receiver) with four door-mounted 6” JBL speakers (didn’t want to get the parcel tray cut to install speakers as it makes the tray flimsy, wires hang below and affects boot space as well as the space on parcel shelf – since was used to commodious Indigo, want to fully utilize the space on Le Bleu) – INR12000





I would like to mention about the antenna, which is required to be low enough for our offices basement parking. Sometimes the parking gets very crowded and cars need to be taken out in reverse, which snaps antennas. Though I had no choice, the accessories guy installed an antenna that could be raised or lowered and I keep it at the lowest most position for this reason (no affect on radio reception though) and has passed this test successfully once.

Total cost of upgrade/accessories: INR28,600

Likes (Value for money features even on Active variant):
1) MID with distance-to-empty and mileage display
2) Follow-me-home lamps
3) Luggage intrusion prevention metal sheet at the back of the rear seat (a feature that made me fall in love with the Punto)



4) Driver-side P/W with one-touch roll-down and roll-up (even passenger side window has one touch roll-down - but no roll-up). Also the backlight on the power window switches are not dependent upon the parking or headlights – as soon as you start the car the P/W backlight comes on.

5) Speed sensitive wipers (says in the manual – haven’t tried it as its currently scorching hot in Delhi)
6) The car key itself can be used for turning the child safety lock screw on the rear doors



7) Integrated high mounted stop lamp which looks really neat. The LED brake display is integrated in the body and is quite sleek.



Dislikes:
1) Light and wiper stalks placed the other way round. Although its just about getting used to (till now, I haven’t turned on the wiper by mistake), but is a bit inconvenient – the other day I was fiddling with the music system and wanted to turn on an indicator
2) Rear windows don’t roll down fully (though not of much consequence as rarely rolled down the window on my Indigo in five years)
3) Lack of under thigh support on front seats (the front seat sort of doesn’t have any lumber support on the front edge area – can tell the impact only after a long journey)
4) Pull-type door handles are the de rigueur in the b+ segment (and is sorely missed in the Punto) as they impart a solid feel even in a flimsy car like the Swift
5) Central & remote locking should be a factory fitted OPTION since Fiat’s central locking system is not readily available even with dealers, let alone the market. Also the system is quite complicated and it took almost five hours for technicians to install it – God forbid if any problem crops up in this complex system - Also you can't turn off the beeps when locking/unlocking the car with the remote. It was simple in my Indigo - just had to press the lock and unlock button together and viola no beeps only blinkers flash). I prefer to use the central locking with the key only for this reason - good that there is option of central locking also in this system - but I feel it is unnecessarily complicated



6) After you sit in the car, it does not lock automatically after some time or after reaching a certain speed. Also, once the car is started, you can only lock the doors via the central locking and not by the buttons on the remote. You have to lock all doors from the driver’s side door lock. Though if you open with the remote then the car will lock itself if the car is not started (the key can be in the ignition) for a period of 1 minute. I have found a way to make use of this feature every morning when I leave for office – I unlock the car by the remote while coming down the stairs, keep my bag and lunchbox inside, unlock and open the gates and by the time I sit in the car and turn on the Bluetooth in my mobile the car locks itself. Then it is time to fire the MJD. I know this is quite inane but nonetheless a quirky find.

Points to Note:
1) There are NO rear vents under the front seat in my car – tried all settings on the air direction flow knob. Maybe this could also be one of the contributors towards the significant weight reduction in the 2011 model (1190 to 1130 kgs).
2)

Dealer: Autolinks
Inspite of purchasing two vehicles from them previously, the dealing was very average and there was delay in every step. Everything took either hours instead of minutes or days instead of few hours. The delivery commitment was as always off by a couple of days – thanks to most of the staff going on holiday. Following are the number of days it took for certain formalities:
1) Number plate* - 11 Days
2) User/Service manual - 6 Days
3) Installation of remote locking - 6 Days
4) RC (is around 45 days) - God knows

* Apparently registration number for Fiat cars is not with the Tata-Fiat dealers – they say they have to contact and get directly from the transport authority. However for all Tata cars, they have pre-approved list of numbers from the authority and number plates are fixed on cars on the date of the delivery itself.

The only benefit of my dad’s acquaintance with one of the owners is that we were asked to make the down-payment by cheque on the day of the delivery only. Though I was ready to pay earlier.

Please note that the review about Le Bleu is comparative in nature. I am comparing my experiences w.r.t. my 5 years spent with my Indigo (2006 LS TDi) and to an extent with my dad’s Grande Mark II (2010) and sister’s Santro (2008). I prefer heavier cars and this has been the case since childhood – I usually bought Hot Wheels cars which had a metal base – didn’t like the one with a plastic base. Although weight is an anathema in today’s environment-friendly and fuel-efficient world, but I feel diesel vehicles can get away by being a bit heavier because of their inherent combustion & fuel efficiency. (Wiki speak - Gasoline engines are typically 30 percent efficient while diesel engines can convert over 45 percent of the fuel energy into mechanical energy).

Exterior

• An eclectic mix of a GT car, stylish touches a la Maserati and a sporty coupe look – what can I say more
• Every details of the car is pure art - be it the headlights, taillights, bulges, creases, the trapezoid shaped door handles and I can go on
  
  I get the glares (admiring ones, of course) most of the time and the car does have some presence. I believe the Foxtrot Azure colour really brings out the best in the car and is a nice light colour for the scorching Indian conditions. An office colleague also bought a Punto around the same time I bought one, but in white colour – parked next to a couple of other white hatches the car looked quite ordinary. So a different/unique colour definitely help in enlivening up the outlook.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Engine

After driving a comparatively basic turbo-diesel (Indigo) for over five years, Fiat’s multijet is a welcome change.

• The glowplug light during start up comes on for only a second, as compared to around 2-3 seconds on my Indigo
• The four pot motor is smooth and with very low NVH levels as compared to the three pot motors from the VW stable, which are quite raucous at start-up - though Polo and Fabia have better sound insulation
• Good, linear pick-up - though I miss the turbo-kick at 2k rpm of my Indigo
• Pick-up and speed is deceptive as the in gear timings are quite good, even better than some sedans

Transmission

• Clutch is very light though has a slightly longer travel than usual
• Gear shift is quite smooth and has a nice slotting action that ensures precise gearshifts, though you have to give the stick a decent shove to slot it in properly
• The gear lever itself is sculpted and beckons you to hold it, just like the steering wheel – truly a driver’s car

Ride & Handling

• The first day I took a car to office and traversed broken roads, I almost forgot about the bad road and realized it the next day only. In the Indigo the engine weight is too much and the tires have a lower profile (60), so felt the potholes and bumps more in it (although with independent suspension at the rear, it was more comfortable to ride in the back seat of the Indigo)
• The hydraulic power steering provides just the right amount of feedback and is a delight to use with its well-weighted feedback
• In regards to the weight the MJD Punto originally came with a kerb weight of 1190 kgs which was heavier than most sedans (including Fiesta diesel). I believe, Fiat over time realized the importance of fuel economy in a market like India and have done away with a stabilizer bar at the rear axle and it is obvious that Fiat must have benefited from this by way of a slightly reduced manufacturing cost. The weight reduction is almost 60 kgs! (Lose weight now – Ask Fiat how?). Although I would have been happy with the car at 1190kgs, but the weight reduction would definitely play some role in acceleration and fuel economy figures. Still at 1130 kgs it is the most robust hatch around and it does have a positive bearing in high speed road manners and stability over bumps and potholes. If the rear bounces over a bump at speeds then it comes down with a thud, pointing that there is still a lot of weight in the rear. Would be nice to know the weight distribution of the car (front and rear split), though I believe it makes more sense in case of sedans and SUVs.

Tyres & Braking

• The 165/80 stock tyres have been given keeping in mind the cost and fuel efficiency. Fuel efficiency is not a problem for me as already it is one of the most fuel diesel engines around
• The 185/70 Turanzas are a compromise between grip and ground clearance. Although would have liked a profile of 60, but chose 70 as ground clearance is of paramount importance. For Indian driving conditions I feel an aspect ratio of 60 offers the best compromise between ride and handling.
  
  
• Had good experience with Bridgestones S322 on my Indigo, so decided to go along with Bridgestone only. Though Michelin XM1s were there in the reckoning, decided on Bridgestones for their longer life, and I believe the locally manufactured Bridgestones are more suited to Indian conditions
• Brakes have a nice linear feel and stopping power is quite adequate for a car of this size
  
  
  

Interiors & Space

• Black and grey plastics gel well with the black dotted seat covers – just what I wanted. Also, the dark interiors offer a good contrast to the foxtrot azure colour of the car
  
  
  
  
• There is ample legroom in the front and the front seats travel a lot as well making it the ideal hatch for six footers. I myself am 5’7” so don’t need to move the seat back too much. Rear seat legroom is also decent, though not in the league of my Indigo, but still more than enough and one doesn’t feel hemmed in, partly due to the decent glass area
  
  
  

• The interior plastics look fairly well put together. No sign of any loose fitting or shoddy stuff
  
  
  
  
• There is one OK-sized glovebox and in place of the passenger airbag there is another neat little storage space. The glove-box sometimes doesn’t close properly – one has to give a decent thump to close it properly. I also noticed the glove-box is open from behind just above where the plastic of the glove-box assembly ends. There is a remote chance of stuff from inside the glove-box falling out on a really bad road or bumpy surface.
  
  
  
  
• The boot is of decent size and I was able to stuff in most of my office merchandise. We have a pack of 10 backpacks which don’t fit into other small hatches, but the space premium of a large hatch was evident here as I was able to stuff in 2 packs of 10 backpacks each.

• Boot space can be increased by dropping the rear seat. Furthermore in case one needs more space the seat can be taken out of its rear hinges and double folded
  
  
  
  
• Door pockets are quite small and you can barely squeeze in a 350ml water bottle (I could easily keep two 500ml bottles in my Indigo)
• The two cup holders on the centre console are sufficient for can or cups, though tall containers (like 500 ml cans or bottles) foul while changing gears and with HVAC controls
• There is another additional cup holder at the end of the centre console for rear passengers which is a nice touch, though good for only keeping a small can or cup as a bottle tilts on braking.

HVAC

• Cooling is surprisingly good in the car and the film on the windows helps. I wasn’t expecting the cooling to be as good as in my Indigo (have read about average cooling in Puntos especially petrol ones). Have tested it in 42°C and it cooled quite well. I usually don’t keep the thermostat at the coldest position as I want some leeway, should it get really hot – also, it is easier and faster to acclimatize once you get out of the car.

Safety

• A car with 5 star Euro NCAP rating is definitely quite assuring. Even though the base version doesn’t have the airbags, ABS with EBD and seatbelt pre-tensioners – But inherently the structural rigidity is the same across all models and the size of the brakes (257mm front ventilated disks and 203mm drums on the rear) seems to be adequate for the kind of acceleration and the official top speed (152 kmph) the car can achieve – keeping in mind the sure-footed handling and composure during straight-line travelling.
• Also read somewhere that the car has a good torsional rigidity. Article in the following URL makes for an interesting read, even though some features like power steering differ in the Indian (hydraulic) & European (electric) version. FACTfile - Fiat Grande Punto

Fuel Efficiency
During initial short-distance running the average showing in MID was only around 11 kmpl, but I went to Noida one day and it improved to 15 kmpl – I believe it’ll improve further over some time and maybe after the first service. Also, idled the car with AC on during the first few days (for around 15 minutes each time) while I was checking out all its aspects of the car and familiarizing myself with the music system.

My friends also test drove the car and the cars they drive are a Manza Quadra (2011), Fabia 1.2 petrol (2010) and Scorpio (2005). All of them were amazed at the smoothness and responsiveness of the engine, even the one who has recently bought a Manza, which has a VGT was feeling shortchanged. The reaction of my sister (who drives a Santro), in addition to the refinement of the engine was the amazement at which it handled bad roads.My dad was also glad at driving the car and had a special mention for the seat which was bulging at the lower back region so as to give good support to lower back

1ST Day irritant
Pre-delivery Quality Control checks are a joke – just after taking delivery of the vehicle, the door open light came on and there was a constant irritating beep. The dealer as always had no clue. I was able to trace the problem a day later – the button on the driver’s side door wasn’t getting pressed properly. The button was supposed to get depressed by the doors plastic cladding upon closing the door. But somehow the plastic was very so slightly concave at that point. I tried to push it outwards when the door cladding was opened for installation of speakers but that didn’t help for long – the irritating beep was back – was able to reduce the volume of the beep from the trip button setting, but wasn’t able to get rid of it. Finally I took a piece of rubber, which incidentally came from somewhere in the car itself (a discard) and screwed it behind the rubber that covers the switch – and voila problem solved. Something that should have been rectified during Q.C. led to an unnecessary irritant on the first day of driving the car itself – had to drive some 20kms to the Gurudwara and back with the irritating beep.

We must be one of the very few and can I say offbeat households having two Grandes in their garage and that also both diesel - Dad's Tata Grande Mark II & my Fiat Grande Punto.

[bblost]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership forum. Thanks for sharing!

[prajwalkashyap]

Whoa! A beautiful review for a beautiful car! This car is too good to be marketed by truckers.

The heaviness of this car makes an Alto/Santro feel like its made of tissue paper.

Happy miles with your new car!

Prajwal

[selfdrive]

Great crisp review of a fabulously beautiful car jessie007!
I wish you many a safe mile together

For FE, I would recommend using the tankful method and doing a comparo with the trip meter/ MID readings. After you have done this a few times, you will get a fair idea of how much you should trust the MID/ how you should understand the MID readings

[CliffHanger]

A nice detailed report Jessie. Wish you miles and miles of happiness with your new found love!

[A350XWB]

Congratulations and enjoy the ride. Punto MJD was a strong contender while I was searching for my second car, but finally bought a Figo mainly due to TASS concerns.

Originally Posted by jessie007

3) Lack of under thigh support on front seats (the front seat sort of doesn’t have any lumber support on the front edge area – can tell the impact only after a long journey)

Actually, under thigh support and lumbar support are two different things. Lumbar support is the support to your lower back.

[krish3]

A wonderful and detailed report of my fav hatch. Congrats on purchasing the beauty.

Seen that you've already changed the stock tyres, but just for info sake, which brand were the stock ones? I just drove a 90HP Punto now and it had Apollo Acceleres. Also why didn't you go for a wider tyre as it would have enhanced the looks of the Punto.

[Soccerfan]

Nice and detailed review sirji. Wish you many more happy miles with the Punto

[shk 8896]

Congrats on the Italian beauty ,Jessie.Looks nice in the Fox Trot Azure.Nice and crisp review but the exterior pics do not do justice for this beauty.LOL.Please blacken the pillars and paind door handles and ORVMs in body color.Drive safe.Do update.
Sreehari

[headbanger]

Excellent choice of colour Jessie. Punto is one of the finest cars in the hatchback territory and had it not been for the TASS service issues, I wouldn't have even cared to TD any other vehicle 7 months back. Since I wanted to play safe, I landed with Ritz.

I have driven a friend's Punto at higher speeds and the composure of the car is astounding. Indeed an enthusiast's flavour...

Originally Posted by jessie007

Le Bleu is finally here.

Congratulations and best wishes, jessie007. Excellent write-up. Mine is also a FTA. Explore and enjoy your precious Punto.

[Reinhard]

Hey Jessie,

Hearty congratulations on the FTA Punto. Its on the top of my favourite car list too! That is an awesome colour and surprisingly, not too many Puntos are in FTA. Generally its seen more on the Linea. Wishing you unlimited safe and happy miles with the "tank".

A wise decision to go for the Active IMO. Its much more VFM than Dynamic, E & E-Pack.

The only drawback I really feel troubling about this car (and many others) is the stalk orientation. As you correctly mentioned, it beckons you to keep the left hand on it. Most enthusiasts prefer to drive that way. I don't remember driving with the left hand off the gear stick, be it my Omni or the Vista. But the lamp & wiper control stalks in the US/EU configuration in most "non-Indian" cars is pretty annoying. I don't find it comfortable to drive having the left hand on the stick, as its not possible to quickly use the indicators when needed. I really wonder how all these cars were deemed road worthy by our transport authorities. It was a MUST to make the lamp stalks on RHS as a standard. What if there is a need to use lamps while changing gears....? What's your take on this after driving your car for some time now? Is it a hindrance?

[bluevolt]

Congratulations Jessie for your new Fiat Punto.

Very nice review and pictures, rated four stars.

Please do update the thread with servicing experience with Tata.

Wishing you happy and safe driving.

[ghodlur]

Jessie,

A big congratulations on the Le bleue. The colour looks rocking on the car. The post was crisp and covered most of the aspects. Waiting to hear about the after sales experience too.

Happy mile crunching and drive safely.

[bkbkr1212]

Congrats on that buy Jessie :-)
Brilliant machine. Wishing you lacs of mile crunching
Well, I think you are going to give a serious competition to resident T-BHP reviewers