[fiat_tarun]

Very honest review. Thank you.

Fiat really need to phase out the FIRE 1.2 and bring in the Twinair. With the speed masking capabilities and wonderful chassis the already slow car feels even slower !

My parents have the 1.4 and I have noticed that with the AC on, even this engine needs some revving.

The first thing Fiat need to do is get rid of the India spec. gearboxes and bring in the EU one. That alone will make their cars so much faster.

[BigBrad]

Originally Posted by rameshnanda

Congratulations on your new car. Neat and crisp review with Beautiful pictures.

As you said, ergonomics is a problem for many with this car. I would suggest you to use some additional cushion for the under thigh support. That may resolve your issues. It did for me.

Thanks! Glad that you liked the pictures. I just tried some familiar angles, thats all.

And thanks again for the suggestion to add a cushion. Even I was planning to do the same. Didn't get time to find one.

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

Congrats on getting the Punto Home. The 1.2 tends to open up as you pile on the kilometers. From what I have read, the engine is not the most powerful out there, but does its best in the city with decent mileage for a heavy car.

Enjoy many more happy miles with the Punto.

Hello Krishna, I've been a follower of your Linea thread and the way you have maintained your car is nothing short of immaculate. Only a passionate person can do that. I'm kinda lazy sometimes. Do you use a car shampoo? If yes, which one is that? Sorry if I missed it in your thread.

I hope the engine opens up after a few more kms on the odo. Such a capable car is let down by the engine + gearbox combination. As rightly pointed out by fiat_tarun, FIAT should keep their Indian product portfolio up-to-date with other international markets. Mileage during long journeys is pretty decent. As mentioned in my review, she averaged 17+ on a recent trip.

Originally Posted by Samba

@Big Brad , nice detailed and honest review. Punto is really a gem of a car specially when it comes to handling and comfort. The Punto 1.2 is a good city car. One thing I would really like to ask you as you are not much satisfied about the engine performance of the car. Did you test drove a Punto 1.2 before buying or after buying you figured out the lack of performance compared to swift?
Wish you many happy miles with your white beauty.

Samba, Thanks! Glad that you liked my review.

No, I couldn't do a test drive of the car before buying. It was a surprise for me when Punto came into the picture(detailed in my booking process) and a test drive at that point of time wasn't of any help.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Your observations on engine performance is spot on.

Happy to see similar thoughts from you.

What I can say is the engine is incredibly refined, rev happy (after some miles have clocked) and quiet for an 8 valve unit. I drove the very same car with the odo now at 32000km and I can easily say that it feels more driveable even with the air con running. It feels a good 15% better than when it was new.

I'm so relieved to hear this. I hope this change happens with the first oil+filter change or 5000kms atleast.

I keep the shift points at about 28000rpm. Its perfect and you don't get a sense of losing power.

Me too follow a similar pattern. On highways, I never let the engine revs fall below 2500rpm unless there is a need to do so.

The best part is efficiency is still good when driven hard. Pedal to metal driving resulted in 11kmpl which is pretty much the same when driven sedate. I doubt if the city cycle will ever go above 12kmpl. This is from experience. This car now runs on stock replacement K&N filter. I did not feel any difference in performance. The only gain being a better quality wet filter which will send cleaner air into the engine.

The mileage figures you mentioned do coincide with what I'm getting now.

I don't have any plans to put a K&N filter as of now. Will wait and see how the engine behavior changes over a period of time.

What you are hearing is wind cutting noise from the ORVM and not a air leak through the windows or door.

Thanks for the clarification. I suspected an air leak.

Same problem here. My right knee started to ache after about 150km of driving. There is something wrong with the overall alignment or should I say symmetry of the driving position. Not much you can do about it.

Hmmm. But, I think a soft cushion just below the thighs might do good. Fellow BHPian rameshnanda mentioned this above and I too had the same plan.

I did not follow what you meant here. The addition of a grace period to roll up/down the windows post engine kill is a new feature in Fiats.

Okay, let me explain.

When you turn off engine, the backlight illumination of power window as well as electric ORVM buttons remain on until you pull out the key from ignition console or until you open the door.

2nd one, a small typo actually. What I meant was auto locking of doors at 20km/h and not auto closing. Sorry for the confusion.

Originally Posted by djay99

Congratulations on your new car. Nice write up and pictures. Punto is fantastic when it comes to a mix of ride and handling. Probably only hatch with exceptional balanced ride and high speed manners.

Thanks djay! She is indeed a great car.

Originally Posted by deetjohn

Congrats on the car BigBrad. Nice to see a petrol Fiat here. Have fun! Isn't Dynamic the former Emotion? Does your car have rear wash wipe and ABS? Good decision on the tyre swap.

Hey deetjohn, Thanks! Yes, you are right. The present Dynamic trim has most if not all of the features of earlier Emotion variant. It has rear wash wipe, but no ABS.

Nice photographs. You have a knack for photography. Why no pictures of the rear? For me, the Punto looks the absolute best from the rear.

Photos, I'm delighted to hear your comments. Infact, what I'm using is an advanced P&S cam and I tried some angles that I'm familiar with. I used the full auto mode for most pics and chose some preset modes for the rest. And regarding Punto's rear, I'm having exact opposite thoughts. I've put that as a negative point. Will definitely click some rear pics in future. I left it out purposely.

Originally Posted by ghodlur

@BigBrad - Congratulations on the Punto. Totally agree with you regarding the build quality and solid feeling once sitting inside. Recently had that experience when my office colleague got himself one an used Punto. The ride quality of Punto is a great plus for an heavy hatch.

Happy mile crunching and drive safely.

Thankyou for the comments. Wish you the same.

Originally Posted by Sommos

Many congratulations BigBrad for your Punto.
Surprised to see a petrol Punto on the forum.
The engine would take it's sweet time to open up.
Wish you loads of mile munching and a niggle free performance from the car.
Enjoy your ride and drive safe.

Sommos, thanks for the inputs. It was quite a BIG surprise for me when dad welcomed the two sales executives into our house. I never expected to drive a petrol FIAT.

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

Very honest review. Thank you.

Fiat really need to phase out the FIRE 1.2 and bring in the Twinair. With the speed masking capabilities and wonderful chassis the already slow car feels even slower !

Absolutely true. Instead of rolling out minor cosmetic changes and calling them 2013 models, they should bring the latest ones from Europe.

My parents have the 1.4 and I have noticed that with the AC on, even this engine needs some revving.

In my opinion, 1.4 engine is far better. I had the chance to test drive one when Punto was launched and it never felt underpowered.

The first thing Fiat need to do is get rid of the India spec. gearboxes and bring in the EU one. That alone will make their cars so much faster.

Agree with you again.

[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by BigBrad

Hello Krishna, I've been a follower of your Linea thread and the way you have maintained your car is nothing short of immaculate. Only a passionate person can do that. I'm kinda lazy sometimes. Do you use a car shampoo? If yes, which one is that? Sorry if I missed it in your thread.

I hope the engine opens up after a few more kms on the odo. Such a capable car is let down by the engine + gearbox combination. As rightly pointed out by fiat_tarun, FIAT should keep their Indian product portfolio up-to-date with other international markets. Mileage during long journeys is pretty decent. As mentioned in my review, she averaged 17+ on a recent trip.

I usually get the car washed at 3M Car care or do it myself. Till date nobody else has touched the car for the wash not even the service center. If I wash it myself, I use the Meguars wash n wax shampoo and then give it the waxing treatment with Meguars Tech wax 2.0. Between the washes, I use the quick detailer to keep the car's shine as good as a waxing session.

But one thing for sure, If I do it myself, a lot of calories are burnt to keep the car the way it is.

[arpanjha]

Congrats friend, I too own a Punto 1.2, but previous generation, and I am happy to know that the dynamic now offers so much more, at the time I got my car(2010) the dynamic just had two tone interiors and all windows powered as extra, so I didnt bother to go for it. As per performance is concerned, you should be able to get a slightly better response from the engine after your service, and nothing more. I get a fuel average of about 12KMPL with ac on in the city and around 16 on highways, which more or less justifies my usage.
Happy mile crunching, and I shall also be eagerly looking for any tips to improve engine response, please pass me on if you get any tips for the same.

[BigBrad]

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

I usually get the car washed at 3M Car care or do it myself. Till date nobody else has touched the car for the wash not even the service center. If I wash it myself, I use the Meguars wash n wax shampoo and then give it the waxing treatment with Meguars Tech wax 2.0. Between the washes, I use the quick detailer to keep the car's shine as good as a waxing session.

But one thing for sure, If I do it myself, a lot of calories are burnt to keep the car the way it is.

Good to know that. I'm going ahead with Meguiars wash n wax shampoo which I will use for regular washes at home. And probably a full interior + exterior wash n wax every 6 months at the recently opened 3M shop in our city.

How's the Roots horn in your Linea? Any issues till date? I'm thinking of installing it in the future.

Another thing I'm contemplating to do before that is the headlight upgrade. I'm confused between going for a better 55/60W bulb with no other headaches or a 100/90W bulb with relay n all. Which one do you prefer? Also, did you ever had a chance to drive a Linea with 100/90W to compare with your new bulb?

Originally Posted by arpanjha

Congrats friend, I too own a Punto 1.2, but previous generation, and I am happy to know that the dynamic now offers so much more, at the time I got my car(2010) the dynamic just had two tone interiors and all windows powered as extra, so I didnt bother to go for it.

Thanks arpanjha! Yes, even I was surprised seeing the price difference of 25k between Active & Dynamic and the extra kit it offers. Its definitely more VFM than the Active variant.

As per performance is concerned, you should be able to get a slightly better response from the engine after your service, and nothing more. I get a fuel average of about 12KMPL with ac on in the city and around 16 on highways, which more or less justifies my usage.
Happy mile crunching, and I shall also be eagerly looking for any tips to improve engine response, please pass me on if you get any tips for the same.

Will update my experiences in this thread for sure.

[ranjithpd]

Congratulations BigBrad, a very nice review there

Guess there ain't a single maker with all +Ves, the Punto is a very good car in her own ways...hopefully you will start loving it more as you get to know her and she tides over the first few miles before opening up.

Wishing you miles n miles of happy and safe driving.

[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by BigBrad

How's the Roots horn in your Linea? Any issues till date? I'm thinking of installing it in the future.

They are working fine for now.

Another thing I'm contemplating to do before that is the headlight upgrade. I'm confused between going for a better 55/60W bulb with no other headaches or a 100/90W bulb with relay n all. Which one do you prefer? Also, did you ever had a chance to drive a Linea with 100/90W to compare with your new bulb?

It depends on how much of highway driving you do or the road conditions. I suggest get better bulbs without much fiddling with the wiring.

Linea does not have the H4 set up to have the 100/90 set up. It comes with H7 for low beam and H1 for high beam. This set up with a good set of bulbs provides good amount of illumination for night driving coupled with the very good fog lamps.

[Arch-Angel]

Congrats on your ride! Puntos have a charm of their own. (I like Italian damsels , I meant the cars!). That said, stuff will improve after your 2nd service. The car will fully open at 20k and youll get to enjoy a slightly peppier car. Have fun Brad, she is quite the charmer!

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by BigBrad

I hope this change happens with the first oil+filter change or 5000kms atleast.

Chances are it won't or the difference is not significant to highlight or even feel. The improvement in power starts being felt only after 15000km which is technically your first service by odometer reading.

Originally Posted by BigBrad

I don't have any plans to put a K&N filter as of now. Will wait and see how the engine behavior changes over a period of time.

Like I mentioned earlier, the K&N filter did not aid performance. It only offers cleaner air with a little more density.

[Batfreak]

Great stuff, BigBrad! Congrats on the car. She is gorgeous. Hope to see more recent FE figures. Please do keep the thread updated.
PS. The door sills are looking fabulous!
Happy driving!
Cheers!

[BigBrad]

Originally Posted by ranjithpd

Congratulations BigBrad, a very nice review there

Guess there ain't a single maker with all +Ves, the Punto is a very good car in her own ways...hopefully you will start loving it more as you get to know her and she tides over the first few miles before opening up.

Wishing you miles n miles of happy and safe driving.

Thanks Ranjith!

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

They are working fine for now.



It depends on how much of highway driving you do or the road conditions. I suggest get better bulbs without much fiddling with the wiring.

Linea does not have the H4 set up to have the 100/90 set up. It comes with H7 for low beam and H1 for high beam. This set up with a good set of bulbs provides good amount of illumination for night driving coupled with the very good fog lamps.

I guess 100/90 will be the best bet even though I don't do much highway drives at night. Reason being the condition of kerala roads that are very badly illuminated and most of the heavy vehicles don't even have a low beam switch . Will figure it out and update here.

By the way, I bought Meguiars NXT Car wash from the 3M shop in town. Cost me Rs. 480. Didn't buy the wax. Unfortunately, I missed a combo deal (Meguiar's NXT Car Wash & Meguiar's Ultimate Quick wax) in autofresh.in. Had I seen that earlier, I would have gone for it.

Link: http://www.autofresh.in/exterior-car...20-84494178968

Originally Posted by Arch-Angel

Congrats on your ride! Puntos have a charm of their own. (I like Italian damsels , I meant the cars!). That said, stuff will improve after your 2nd service. The car will fully open at 20k and youll get to enjoy a slightly peppier car. Have fun Brad, she is quite the charmer!

Thanks Arch-Angel! After hearing the comments from fellow BHPians regarding the engine opening up after second service, I'm so eager to reach that milestone.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Chances are it won't or the difference is not significant to highlight or even feel. The improvement in power starts being felt only after 15000km which is technically your first service by odometer reading.




Like I mentioned earlier, the K&N filter did not aid performance. It only offers cleaner air with a little more density.

Thanks for the inputs sandeep. I'm looking forward to the second service which is quite far.

Originally Posted by Batfreak

Great stuff, BigBrad! Congrats on the car. She is gorgeous. Hope to see more recent FE figures. Please do keep the thread updated.
PS. The door sills are looking fabulous!
Happy driving!
Cheers!

Hey Batfreak, thanks dude! Will update the mileage figures once in a while. We usually don't fill it to the brim everytime. So, I will not be posting full tank-full tank figures, instead will update the values from MID which is pretty accurate I guess.

Here's a recent FE figure logged in MID for a 300+kms trip:

[swathyd]

You may go for a remap which will leave the mileage unaffected . It may not be effective as in the case of a diesel engine , but some relief could be there .

[Arch-Angel]

Originally Posted by swathyd

You may go for a remap which will leave the mileage unaffected . It may not be effective as in the case of a diesel engine , but some relief could be there .

Absolutely, It might be a decent option but considering its price/effect i don't think it would be recommended. Nothing beats sticking a turbocharger under the hood though.

[BigBrad]

Originally Posted by swathyd

You may go for a remap which will leave the mileage unaffected . It may not be effective as in the case of a diesel engine , but some relief could be there .

Originally Posted by Arch-Angel

Absolutely, It might be a decent option but considering its price/effect i don't think it would be recommended. Nothing beats sticking a turbocharger under the hood though.

Absolutely true Arch-Angel, the price-per-gain ratio would be very low which pulls me back from doing such mods. I'm trying to live with it for the time being.

Thanks for the suggestion, swathyd.

And turbo, if I do that mod, dad will most probably put up a notice for me in the house, "ENTRY RESTRICTED".

I'm planning to do a headlight upgrade + something to control the heat inside the cabin. For the latter, I'm yet to decide on whether to put sunfilms or use a windscreen cover that people normally use when the car is parked under sun. Any suggestions guys?

[Arch-Angel]

Originally Posted by BigBrad

And turbo, if I do that mod, dad will most probably put up a notice for me in the house, "ENTRY RESTRICTED".

There are something we can do and somethings we cant. I'll put turbocharging on the to do list now . That aside, the vehicle will get better once you hit 20k on the odo. Don't get your expectations too high though. It wouldnt be a day and night difference. But it will be there for sure. She will rev more freely.

Originally Posted by BigBrad

I'm planning to do a headlight upgrade + something to control the heat inside the cabin. For the latter, I'm yet to decide on whether to put sunfilms or use a windscreen cover that people normally use when the car is parked under sun. Any suggestions guys?

Do whatever is legal. Imo, sunfilm has been outlawed by out government(laws are for middle class only sadly. ). So i guess those windscreen covers will have to do their job in this case.