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Old 20th March 2016, 00:00   #1
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Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-hdr15.jpg

P.S - Folks, this is my review of the Punto Evo 1.4 Emotion. Team BHP has covered the same in 2014 in full detail here - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ve-review.html

P.P.S - Special thanks to TBHP core team for providing me with this platform to share my experiences. I have used a few pics from the official review. And many thanks to "drivebyfire" for taking some lovely snaps of mine and the car's!

The short-listing process.

May 2015 - I finally managed stacking a decent amount of money thanks to my small(er) monthly savings and a huge LIC policy payout.
I call up my mother and inform her that I'm booking my dream ride - Kawasaki Ninja 650!

She said she was busy and would call me at night. There was something different in her tone this time though. But she had been supportive (after endless quarrels and attempted brainwash sessions on me) about my Ninja dream for over a year now and it was her who said "If you wait for a year, you have an LIC payout - that would help!".

Night arrived at 6:30 PM itself and I got a call from 2000 km away (Jharkhand).
Caller - Hello!
Me - Hello! How are you dad?
Dad - I'm good son, are you home yet?
Me - Yes, I came sometime back.
Dad - Ok, talk to your mother.
Me (tensed) - Yes, sure!
Mom - Hello beta, so which car have you planned to buy?
Me - Maa, I plan to book a Ninja 650 before I waste any more time. I would no longer ride my Karizma to Bokaro then like the last time. Such long journeys would be safer and less time consuming from now on.

Mom - I like Honda Amaze. (completely bypassed the Ninja theory)
Me - How did Amaze enter the equation? Do you imply I buy a car? Mom, this is not good. We discussed this already. Why this mentality?
Mom (cold) - Take a look at whatever (car) you have to buy. We will come to Bangalore for the delivery. I'm so very excited. I know you're a matured boy and you'll buy the best in your budget. By the way, what is your budget you said?

Me - Ninja 650 with few of my planned accessories will cost about 7.5 lacs.
Mom - Where will we sit when we come there, in that case? Or how will you take one to the hospital in an emergency? (the same old circle of questions started)
Me - Ok, let me save for 3 more months. I shall book a Nano as well. Accessories on the bike can wait.
Mom - Please no!
Me - Meh, I will talk to you later!

I didn't sleep that night. I wanted to think with my mind. Thoroughly!
Could I have the same amount of fun in a car? After all, I only know driving one, but I hardly have 100 km road experience in terms of driving it.
The heart said, absolutely not. Mind said - how do you know? You haven't even tried it!

A week flew past, mom called daily and brought up the topic of what car very enthusiastically each time. But I had an inherent liking for cars too, for I would read all reviews on TBHP, from the Nano to the Mercedes - all in detail. So I had an idea what I wanted, if I were to buy one!

The only 2 issues with my choice were - top trim was 2 lacs over my budget and I wasn't sure if I needed a diesel.
I called mom and I said - I "may" go to the showroom to inquire about Punto Evo.

Punto Evo was a decision from the heart. Mind said Swift but heart fought back. It said - you already bypassed me by looking at a car, but trust me; Swift is no good.
I decided to use both my heart's and mind's opinions.

I looked up Google to locate a Fiat dealership and found that Aadya Motors, Bellary road was only a few km away from Dollars Colony.
I paid them a visit, looked around and loved Linea Classic, but they said it wasn't available in top trim anymore and the new Linea had replaced it.
I looked at Punto Evo 1.3 MJD and an Avventura. The decision was made! A Punto was coming home. No TD taken, just a vibe. That is all!
Inquired for loans and discounts. They said they'll hook me up with SBH personnel for loans but they couldn't provide discounts on the Petrol Emotion I had asked for. 1.3 MJD had discounts.

I decided to enquire at Prerna Motors, Mysore road too, since it was very close to my office (then) at Global Village, but they put me off in 10 min flat! Nobody attended to me after I said I was looking for a Punto purchase. I wondered if they were actually a Fiat dealership at all.

Alternatives considered - Kawasaki Ninja 650.

Loan, discounts and delivery - I preferred continuing with Aadya Motors because I was floored by their attitude. Very warm and totally opposite to Prerna and what people think about Fiat dealerships. I took loan for 5 years at 10.1% ROI with zero pre-closure charges. I had enquired alternatively at HDFC and they didn't seem the right folk to take loan from. ROI was higher at 11% too.

I had in the meanwhile decided that Petrol version would do just fine even if I manage to drive a lot. I never intended to drive in city anyway! Except when absolutely needed that is.
So, I was looking at 12k to 15k running in a year at the most. However, I have only managed ~6k till date (9th month running). However, that's due to few family issues and nothing to do with the car or my (un)willingness to drive.

I paid a booking advance of 25k and chose the color Red, because an Italian car deserves red. Though I must say I loved black, but avoided it thinking about scratches and stuff.

They arranged a TD in under a week after the booking. I called them at home and drove a Punto 1.4 (white) for a good 20 km from Dollars Colony to MG Road and back. They were prompt and I liked the experience. However, the car was a little dirty in the foot well area and on the outsides. I would give them a 9/10 on this one.

In the end, I managed to get full bumper to bumper zero dep insurance policy for just a little more than the normal insurance Aadya was providing, parking sensors and rubber mats (soon taken by dad) after a lot of haggling.

Date and time of delivery - 4th July 2015, 1 PM. No compromises there. 10/10. Extended warranty wasn't available at the time.

PDI - I carefully checked everything with the TBHP checklist (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/buying...heck-list.html) and found nothing unusual. VIN number provided to me ascertained it was a May 2015 car and that was the latest I could have, as per Aadya. I would rate it as a 9/10, just because a June car would have made it a sweeter deal.

The overall cost of purchase was 8.9 lacs. They gave a coupon for 5L of petrol, but since my parents were present on the delivery day, they talked some sweet sense into the dealership to give at least 10L and they did.

Me and my parents during delivery. Customary pic taken at the dealership.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-dsc_0002.jpg

I christened her, Bellissa. For some reason I treat my bike and car as females, probably because I love them a lot. He he.

Bellissa is an Italian baby girl name meaning "The lovely one". Taken from - http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/bellissa

Overall dealership experience - 9/10, just due to the haggling and small petrol tokens. I mean, one buys a 9L car and that is big money for someone who is new in IT and haggling with him for few hundred rupees after providing him such a wonderful treatment spoils the fun a little.

We got pooja done in Sanjay Nagar soon after and headed to CV Raman Nagar to meet my cousin to show my new toy. And then to JP Nagar to visit my uncle to boast a little more. And then to Bannerghatta road to meet a friend of my dad's. I hated this part but then I guess I cannot fight all the Bihari aspects at once. My parents were happy and I only wished they didn't overdo the thing and I'm glad they didn't.

Features of the car.

Trim - 1.4 L NA petrol powered aka 1.4 FIRE aka Punto Evo Emotion. (90 hp badge is available only on 1.3 MJD Emotion variant)

Steering - Hydraulic power assist. One of the best in the segment.
A view from the cockpit at night.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-dsc_0134.jpg

The dimension of the steering wheel is a tad small, but decent. I feel this adds to the already heavy feeling compounded by the wide tires all round.
My friend drivebyfire loves Ford Figo's steering and he was very impressed by the way Punto's steering works.

I've taken the liberty to quote his post from the Punto Close Look thread here.

Quote:
Originally Posted by drivebyfire View Post
I took Divya Sharan's Punto for a small spin and as a first impression I felt that the steering was incredibly heavy at slow speeds, its the heaviest I felt in any modern car (of the few I have driven). May be Punto's hydraulic unit is inherently like this or may be its because the car wears wide tyres and is heavy. I also felt that the diameter of the steering wheel was a tad small, which will again add to the sense of heaviness because more effort is required to turn the steering wheel. May be the heaviness is an aggregate effect of all the different factors above. What is for sure is that this car will be rock solid at high speeds.

IMHO Figo's hydraulic unit is polar opposite of Punto's. First of all it's amazingly light in city and weighs up ok on the highway. But it is extremely responsive off center! So even if you move the wheel a little bit either side of "12" the car responds more than your input. Because of this when I first drove the Figo I felt "what a fidgety car!". It's only when I got used to it that I started loving Figo's steering! However this is completely different from Punto, where off-center steering is perfectly in-sync with where the front wheels are pointing.

SX4's EPS unit on the other hand is basically dead off-center, absolutely nothing happens between "10 & 2", you can keep rocking the steering either side of 12 (like in old movies) and the car will basically track straight. However once you turn in the steering wheel enough and load it then you get a pretty good feedback about what the front wheels are doing. This is simply how the EPS is calibrated and I don't feel SX4 is a bad handler because once you know how the system works there is good feedback from front tyres. However I have found that nobody really shares this particular opinion of mine and most pretty much feel SX4 sucks but i beg to differ (). Yes because of the dead off center steering SX4 is a lazy lane changer (whereas Figo is quick as lightning), however its a matter of getting used to.

Coming to the present discussion Swift's EPS unit will feel amazingly alive to SX4 drivers but it will feel meh to Figo drivers and positively lifeless to Punto drivers.

My point being that many times its a matter of getting used to and I do not believe that when it comes to "steering feel" there is any real absolute. Unfortunately EPS gets a bad rap in tbhp, however even between Punto and Figo, for in-city driving Figo will be the clear winner and for on highway driving it will boil down to pure driver preference.
Headlamps - Standard 55w Osram Bilux H4. Decent so far, but I may need to upgrade this one soon.

Low beam.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-dsc_0153.jpg

High beam.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-dsc_0154.jpg

Tail lamps - They are full LED units and they look awesome. Also, they are a direct replacement for the old Punto.

Build quality, paint quality, panel gaps, fit and finish - The car is built like a tank. It has a very sturdy build. Paint quality is good too. Red in fact is the only non metallic paint used, rest shades are metallic. However, they add 6k to the overall cost of the car.
Panel gaps are uniform almost throughout, at least to the common man's eyes. However, I feel that the bonnet could have been shut tighter.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-dsc_6707.jpg

Fit and finish is up to segment standards. I frankly don't have any complaints (yet) in this area.

Horn - The car gets dual horns as standard and they do the job quite well. Below is a pic taken from the official review.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-img_5573.jpg

Tires and brakes - Apollo Aceleres 195/60/R15 with diamond cut alloys. Look fantastic. However, there is slight tire noise above 90 kmph on the highway with windows rolled down. Grip is good.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-dsc_6620.jpg

Brakes are awesome! Period. However I wished rear brakes were discs too. However the pedal travel is a little longer than I would have liked.
Spare wheel is 14 inch with steel rim.

I (undesirably) tested the car's ABS on the Bangalore - Chitradurga 6 lane highway when a rider ahead lost his cap type helmet in the wind and it landed not very far from the car. I was thankfully on the left lane (rider on the middle lane, overtaking me) and hence I didn't have to steer to a slower lane while braking. The car stopped well in time, with any fuss. This was on a dry afternoon. I would however never want to test the ABS again, especially in sand or wet conditions.

However, I later started practicing engine braking alongside and I must admit I have stopped a few times on short notice and ABS hasn't been activated for I don't get the judder at the pedal. This should help me lengthen the brake pads' life as well.

Ground Clearance - 185 mm. More than enough for most roads I would take my car to. However, on very high mountain like speed bumps and crater sized potholes, one should crawl through in order to save the underbelly.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-dsc_6710.jpg

Suspension and handling - Very compliant and well tuned. Handles city roads and undulations well, though it is a teeny weeny bit on the hard side for city rides but it comes to its own on the ghat sections. One of the best tuned suspensions in its segment I believe!
A special applause for the chassis too. It seems they always wanted to make a drivers' car.

Handling is where the car truly shines. It truly sticks to the line on the curves, provided the driver has the nerves!
It's a rock solid tank on the highway. With stickier tires, I feel this car will be even better in terms of driving pleasure.

One shot from my drive to Mullayanagiri, the highest peak in KA.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-dsc_0084.jpg

I really enjoyed the curves, except the broken, bone jarring (last) 1 km towards the top since it has no boundaries and is a steep drop in the valley below. Not once did the under body get hit though!

Safety features - ABS + EBD + (only) 2 airbags. I however added some more protection of my own!

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-dsc_6681.jpg

Interior, storage areas and boot space - 2 tone in light beige and black. Diesel Emotion gets full black treatment and I would have loved to have the same. The fabric dashboard and seat (light beige portions) are prone to get dirty. Ambient lighting on the passenger side dash looks cool at night.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-dsc_0158.jpg

Glove box gets a light and it is air cooled. However, it is not spacious enough to keep anything apart from vehicle documents. A small felt lined compartment is present on the top of the dashboard (above the central AC console) which can be used to store keys, toll tickets etc.

MID displays a lot of usable information and it really looks lovely at night.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-hdr12.jpg

Driver foot well gets a dead pedal which is a big comfort on the highways.
Please excuse the dirt, as the car had done some muddy trails only a couple of days ago. By the way, this is why one should abandon fabric mats and use 3D mats instead.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-dsc_0163.jpg

Stalks are of decent quality and they look like built to last. However, they aren't on the conventional side (indicators on the left and wipers on the right).

Seat belts at the front can be adjusted as per the person's height. However, I haven't felt the need to alter the factory set height for my frame.

4 people can sit comfortably but a 5th passenger is not welcome. Moreover, with my 180 cm frame, anyone larger than 175 cm would not feel very comfortable behind me. The cabin doesn't feel claustrophobic. However, there are no practical storage areas. There are no usable places to hold a water bottle except behind the front seats.

Front doors open wide, in 3 steps.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-dsc_0175.jpg

Rear doors open wide too, albeit in 2 steps. Look at the limited knee room available for the rear passengers.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-dsc_0178.jpg

Front seats get forward/behind, height adjustment features which is good, but there is no dedicated lumbar support. Seat are generally comfortable. Steering gets tilt adjustment. It took me only a day to find a suitable driving position for myself. However, with whatever adjustment I make, I feel that knees need a little more room. Quirks of a Fiat I would say. I don't feel any pain in city traffic but on longer drives (800-1000 km overall types), I get mild pain near the knees.

This is the view from the rear passenger seat.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-dsc_0166.jpg

The boot is enough for 2 medium sized suitcases and few smaller bags.
It gets a small nifty light that provides decent illumination.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-dsc_0148.jpg

Loading bay isn't flat and one needs to hold the luggage up and place it "in" the boot. Rear seats would need to be folded down to accommodate heavy luggage. Rear parcel tray gets hooks at both ends to keep it in place and it does the job of hiding contents in the boot from prying eyes.

Air conditioning - The car is equipped with an ACC that actually works. I usually set the temperature to 25 degrees even in the hottest of days, just to not get burnt after I get out of the car. Rear vents work well too. The cabin gets cooled in no time. AC vents have flow and direction control.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-dsc_0157.jpg

Music system - Decent for my usage. Audiophiles definitely would want an upgrade. Bass is good though! 2 sets of tweeters and 4 speakers do the job well for a mango man!

Bluetooth pairing and hands free is taken care of seamlessly by the Blue & Me system. However, GPS voice guidance doesn't come from the car speakers despite all my attempts at all settings on the phone and in the car. If anyone has done this, please share.

Windscreen, IRVMs and ORVMs - Windscreen is wide but the thick A pillar causes some blind spots. Also, the dashboard reflects on the windscreen on sunny days. Not bad, but bothersome at times.

I also got rear windscreen wipers and I feel they are as important as ORVMs. Wonder why manufacturers skip them on lower trims.
ORVMs should have been a little wider IMHO. Though the coverage is neat and they get integrated blinkers too.
IRVMs are okay. They provide decent rear-ward visibility however they don't get auto dimming feature for night rides.

Exterior - I'd admit that Punto Evo isn't as classy as its predecessor, but it still turns heads. I love the power bulge on the bonnet.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-hdr9.jpg

However, I hated the chrome bits on the car (not in terms of quality but in terms of looks), except the ones present at the center of both bumpers (front and back). However I took care of those chrome bits.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-hdr11.jpg

Engine and gearbox - The engine is rev happy and quite comfortable doing 100 kmph at a little over 3000 RPM. However, I have set the over speed warning at this mark so that I remain below it most of the time. It helps a lot with mileage figures too.
I feel up to 90 kmph is best for mileage as well as safe(r) on our highways.
City drive-ability is fine, however the steering feels heavy at slow speeds. Many speed breakers can be dealt with in 2nd gear but the real nasty ones do command one shift down to 1st.

In terms of peppiness, it loses out to most of the competition in city. I put that responsibility on the weight it carries over the competition and it's gearbox. Weight alone adds almost 200 kg extra.
MID figures and actual world figures are always within 5% of one another (based on full tank to full tank method after auto cut-off).
The max mileage received in city has been 14.7 kmpl and on the highway has been ~19 kmpl. I usually stick under 3000 RPM on the open roads and hence such figures.

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-dsc_0009.jpg

The gearbox is rubbery when compared to say, a Maruti. We have a Wagon R at home and it feels like heaven in city while changing gears when compared to the Evo's persistent discomfort in the gluteus maximus, as a friend of mine would say! I do wish Fiat gave it shorter shifts (in terms of throw) but the gates are well defined. I never get a false gear. Yes, it's troublesome driving enthusiastically with this GB though. However, people looking for a short shift kit may have a look at this one - http://www.short-shifters.com/f-shif...ifter-kit.html

Service experience - The first (free) service was carried out at 4700 km on the ODO since I had a trip planned. Engine oil level was checked and not replaced despite my request, coolant was checked, tires were checked but their alignment machine was out of order, hence they didn't even rotate the tires. So I basically got my car back in a few hours after a good wash and polish. Cost me nothing. I shall reward it 8/10.

I headed to a tire shop and got the tires rotated as well as aligned. Then I headed to an engine oil shop and got the oil drained too (though it was FS, but I was running in my car. So.). A fresh fill for the next 10,000 km.
In the ~5900+ km covered so far, I thankfully have no niggles or rattles.

Mods done/planned - Covered all chrome bits in CF and matte black (DIY). Everything else is stock. Although better bulbs are in the pipeline. I recently got Cyclops 3800 lumen LED bulb (H4) for my Karizma (nicknamed Kari) and it totally reeks of awesomeness, but I shall settle for a better halogen bulb for the time being.

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Last edited by Aditya : 30th March 2016 at 06:50. Reason: As requested
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Old 24th March 2016, 12:52   #2
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re: Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed

Major trips - Coorg, Gokarna, Chikmagalur, Coonoor and small 100 km breakfast drives now and then.
I have posted logs of most trips of mine on TBHP already.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...s-coonoor.html
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...s-gokarna.html
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ikmagalur.html

Pros of the car - Sturdy build quality, awesome steering feedback, great stability on the highways, brilliant suspension, minimal body roll at sane speeds, superb handling, lovely brakes, great chrome and paint quality, ambient lighting looks great in the dark (segment first), ergonomically placed AUX/USB ports, longer rear seats with good thigh support compared to the pre-facelift versions.

Cons of the car - Steering adjust should be enabled for reach, increase storage areas in the form of bottle holders, bring the new GB to India that makes shift throws shorter, provide an option for full black interiors in top end petrol variants (would help avoid windscreen glare too), glaring omission of auto sensing wipers (from the Linea), a more powerful engine to handle the tank light weight is desired (maybe a 1.6 L NA).

Some known and hidden features of the car (taken from personal observations, TBHP and Team Fiat FB page):

1) Leave the cabin light ON & it will automatically switch off after some pre determined time to save battery.
2) Suppose your fog lamps are ON. Now, when you switch OFF your headlights, of course the fog lights will also switch off. But good feature is the fog lights wont automatically turn on the next time you switch on the headlights. That is because Punto does not have a manual switch for fog lights but it has a 'touch' button. Good thing if you keep forgetting to manually switch off fog lights - the same applies for rear fog lights too.
3) Punto has hydraulic engine mounts to reduce noise & vibration.
4) Cool feature - If any of your warning lights such as brake light, turn indicators, boot light, tail lamp is not working, the car will display a message on the MID with a beep mentioning which bulb is not working.
5) Punto has a speed limit warning which you can manually set. Seen in VW Polo as well.
6) Many cars have door open warning. Punto shows you which exact door is open. For example, door open warning light on the instrument console with a beep followed by a message on the MID which reads "rear left door is open" or "boot is open".
7) Punto shows which track (entire track or album name) is playing or which radio station is set right in front of the driver's eyes, in the MID.
8) Blue & Me feature - Connect up to 5 phones with the car. It will download your entire phonebook from your phone into the car's memory, you can navigate your phonebook through the steering controls & the names will appear on the MID. Makes calls again from the steering & enjoy wireless conversation. This is really really convenient. Even when you are receiving calls, it shows the caller's name (or number) on the MID allowing you to accept or reject calls.
9) Voice commands - You can change tracks, folders, search songs, open phonebook, search contacts & even call you contacts just by talking to your car!
Some scenarios -
Me: Call DAD
Punto: Call DAD now?
Me: Yes
Punto: tring tring
or
Me: call 123456789
Punto: call 123456789 now?
Me: Yes
Punto: tring tring
or
Me: Settings
Punto : Settings, Choose your options - car settings, phone settings etc
Me: Phone settings
Punto: Phone settings, Choose your option - pairing, volume, code, etc
or
Me: Songs
Punto: shows songs on MID
Me: Folder
Punto: shows folders on MID
Me: Genre
Punto: shows genre on MID
Me: Radio
Punto: shifts to radio from USB!
Best part about Punto's voice commands is that there is no specific strict command as such for a function. for example, to listen to USB, you can say anything like "media player" or "music" or "songs" & it will still open USB folder for you! It even understands our Indian accent well, something which is a problem in other cars.
10) Pull you headlamp stack once after car is switched off & key is taken out, follow me headlamp feature is activated. Even that is customize-able - pull lever once, headlamp stays on for 10 seconds, pull lever twice, headlamp stays on for 20 seconds, pull thrice, stays on for 30 seconds!
11) Unlock your car & the cabin light comes on. Open the door, sit inside & close the door & the light goes off in a nice progressive manner - theatre dimming style. Similarly, switch off the car & take the key out, the light comes on slowly. Exit & lock the car, the light dims progressively.
12) Even after you exit & lock the car, the MID still remains ON for few seconds. Don't know why.
13) Attention to detail in a FIAT? The charging point has a light. you can see a nice dim orange light in the night when it is unused.
14) Rear wiper automatically starts when you shift to reverse, if front wiper is ON.
15) You can download a software from the internet, copy it to your pen drive, insert the pen drive in the car's USB slot & then copy the contents to your computer. It will show your driving habits, how efficient you were & your car's carbon footprints. It will recommend how you can improve your driving to increase fuel efficiency & decrease pollution.
16) Punto has 5 years paint warranty & 5 years anti-corrosion warranty.
17) Punto has 4 years unlimited kms warranty, highest in the segment.
18) The entire dash, stereo, instrument console and a/c controls lights up in orange. Good. But this can be dimmed/brightened by pressing +/- buttons on the dash!
19) When you pull the wiper stalk for the washer, it sprays water first (without wiper for a second or so) & then wipes 4 times & then after a few seconds, it gives 1 more wipe to clear the residual water coming down on windshield.
20) You can engage parking light of just one side by turning the indicator stalk to the respective direction with park light on. Good to save battery.
21) Punto has a mechanism that prevents airlock when the fuel goes empty. The car stops with approx 3 litres of fuel still remaining in tank which will be inaccessible . So when you refill again your car is back to normal unlike other cars where the airlock has to be released by manually pumping the fuel pump.
22) When the outside temperature is less than 3 degrees Celsius, the MID shows - POSSIBLE ICE ON ROAD!
23) The HU has a Speed sensing volume feature which you can activate/deactivate. When activated, the music volume increases/decreases with respect to speed/road noise.
24) Wipers are Speed sensitive in Intermittent mode i.e. Wiper speed increases in intermittent mode with increase in Car speed.
25) When the child lock button on the front RHS electrical power window console is activated , both the rear orange lights of the window buttons goes off.
26) You cannot change settings in MID when you are driving – A safety feature.
27) In the Punto, in an unfortunate even of an accident, along with the fuel cut off, the doors automatically unlock & the cabin lights come on.
28) The seat belt warning buzzer can be temporarily or permanently disabled.
29) There is a thread exactly opposite site (read back side internal) to open fuel lid if it is not happening from the lever provided.

Few pics from the hottest places to the coolest places in Karnataka (I'm a sucker for dramatic HDR):

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-bellissacoonoor.jpg

Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-dsc_0025.jpg

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Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-hdr5.jpg

So, back to the question which my heart popped - can I have as much fun in Bellissa as I have on my Kari? You bet!

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Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed-dsc_6739.jpg

Last edited by Divya Sharan : 25th March 2016 at 08:10. Reason: Added content.
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Old 25th March 2016, 08:43   #3
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re: Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 25th March 2016, 10:07   #4
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re: Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed

An excellent write up on your gorgeous car. Wishing you and your Bellissa a long and intimate relationship.
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Old 25th March 2016, 10:27   #5
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re: Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed

Wow.
Fantastic writeup but more than that, some of the pics of the car with a scenic background is superb

It gives me enough fodder for my next drawing.
Especially, the opening pic and the pic with the Evo and coconut trees in the background!!

Superb review of a very understated and under estimated car!!
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Old 25th March 2016, 10:50   #6
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re: Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed

Nice write up and great purchase! Here's to many safe and pleasurable miles in your new car. Good to know the Punto now comes with effective air conditioning.

PS: In my own humble personal opinion, some of the pics were too heavily layered/filtered (HDR??) and distorted the stock image.

Thanks for sharing with the community!
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Old 25th March 2016, 11:18   #7
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re: Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed

Quote:
Originally Posted by Divya Sharan View Post

VIN number provided to me ascertained it was a May 2016 car
You mean May 2015, right?

Appreciate your DIY effort, but honestly, Chrome lining looks rich!

Last edited by MunnabhaiMBBS : 25th March 2016 at 11:22.
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Old 25th March 2016, 11:39   #8
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re: Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed

Thank you GTO for the approval!

Quote:
Originally Posted by fiestarry View Post
An excellent write up on your gorgeous car. Wishing you and your Bellissa a long and intimate relationship.
Thanks a lot. Our relationship has just started and I wish my plans don't deviate a lot this year, for we have some long drives planned together.

Quote:
Originally Posted by arnabchak View Post
Wow.
Fantastic writeup but more than that, some of the pics of the car with a scenic background is superb

It gives me enough fodder for my next drawing.
Especially, the opening pic and the pic with the Evo and coconut trees in the background!!

Superb review of a very understated and under estimated car!!
Wow! Thanks a lot.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ByDesign View Post
Nice write up and great purchase! Here's to many safe and pleasurable miles in your new car. Good to know the Punto now comes with effective air conditioning.

PS: In my own humble personal opinion, some of the pics were too heavily layered/filtered (HDR??) and distorted the stock image.

Thanks for sharing with the community!
Yes, thankfully the AC works. And well.
W.r.t HDR I agree. And that's what my intentions were. To make them overtly dramatic.
Something like oil painting/cartoonish.

Thanks a lot for the appreciation.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MunnabhaiMBBS View Post
You mean May 2015, right?

Appreciate your DIY effort, but honestly, Chrome lining looks rich!
Oh yes, mods please correct this. Dang, I re-read the whole thing so many times yet couldn't see that.

The chrome lining on the front and rear bumper looked very classy to me, but grab handles in chrome didn't go well with me. Once I started wrapping them, I thought I might as well wrap all shiny bits and make Bellissa the only chrome free Evo in India.

Last edited by Divya Sharan : 25th March 2016 at 11:40.
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Old 25th March 2016, 13:49   #9
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re: Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed

This is one awesome review! Congrats on the Italian Beauty! She looks totally gorgeous in that red shade. And those are some superb snaps of Bellissa.

Was not aware of the so many features of the Punto Evo. Must say, it is a very underrated car! Rarely do I spot these beauties on the road.

Agree that the chrome bits don't go well with her and blackening out is the way to go. Along with this, black alloys would look absolutely killer! What say?

Also, the MID light stays on for sometime after being locked in my car too-Fiesta 1.6. Just shows the odo reading at that time.

Here's wishing you many miles with your Bell.

Neel
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Old 25th March 2016, 14:10   #10
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re: Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed

Congratulations are in order. Very well written.
Must admit, I was unaware of a lot of hidden features. They seem very practical.
Wishing you many happy and safe miles with Bellissa.
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Old 25th March 2016, 17:00   #11
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re: Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed

Quote:
Originally Posted by petrolhead_neel View Post
This is one awesome review! Congrats on the Italian Beauty! She looks totally gorgeous in that red shade. And those are some superb snaps of Bellissa.

Agree that the chrome bits don't go well with her and blackening out is the way to go. Along with this, black alloys would look absolutely killer! What say?
Thanks a lot Neel! yes it is a very under rated car and sadly Fiat India isn't doing anything to further its cause.
Alloys are light brushed aluminium in shade and they look good. But, I agree that they might look super hot in a darker shade if not exactly black. Dark gun-metal brushed finish maybe?

Quote:
Originally Posted by satrikon_454 View Post
Congratulations are in order. Very well written.
Must admit, I was unaware of a lot of hidden features. They seem very practical.
Wishing you many happy and safe miles with Bellissa.
Thanks a lot! Yes, there are indeed many hidden features in the lovely car.
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Old 25th March 2016, 18:43   #12
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re: Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed

Many congratulations Divya. It's a wonderful ownership log.

Wish you lots and lots of happy miles and adventure with her.

I too have a Linea with a 1.4NA. You'll love it's mid-range and top end grunt in the Punto. Just keep an eye on the oil levels.

Punto looks fantastic in red and you've got some absolutely gorgeous pictures there in the second post. Didn't you get HSRPs for the car? Would look much sober and enhance the overall looks.
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Old 25th March 2016, 19:24   #13
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re: Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed

OMG! What looks. Truly there is no other car which looks as stunning as a Punto. The black vinyl mod suits the character of the car even more.

Wishing you loads of happy miles with the car.
One questions: Is the Evo available with the 1.2 option as well. I believe only that version could fit my budget right now.
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Old 25th March 2016, 19:41   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by forester View Post
Many congratulations Divya. It's a wonderful ownership log.

Wish you lots and lots of happy miles and adventure with her.

I too have a Linea with a 1.4NA. You'll love it's mid-range and top end grunt in the Punto. Just keep an eye on the oil levels.

Punto looks fantastic in red and you've got some absolutely gorgeous pictures there in the second post. Didn't you get HSRPs for the car? Would look much sober and enhance the overall looks.
Thanks! By HSRP, do you mean IND number plates?
Well, these were given for free and they would have cost me 700 odd. Just kidding! I like simple white plates.
And I do agree, though I rarely touch 3 digits, but I do touch up to 4000 RPM in lower 3 gears and I love it.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Utopian View Post
OMG! What looks. Truly there is no other car which looks as stunning as a Punto. The black vinyl mod suits the character of the car even more.

Wishing you loads of happy miles with the car.
One questions: Is the Evo available with the 1.2 option as well. I believe only that version could fit my budget right now.
Thanks a lot!
Yes, Punto Active is available in 1.2 trim. In fact, Punto has some 60k odd discounts going for it as well for this Month. Not sure about trim wise discounts though!

Last edited by Divya Sharan : 25th March 2016 at 19:42.
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Old 26th March 2016, 10:41   #15
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re: Bellissa - Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 ownership review - 4 year / 50,000 km completed

Quote:
Originally Posted by Divya Sharan View Post

Me and my parents during delivery. Customary pic taken at the dealership.

I christened her, Bellissa. For some reason I treat my bike and car as females, probably because I love them a lot. He he.
Congrats Divya Sharan on your latest acquisition and "SHE" looks Gorgeous buddy.

Personally, I was never a fan of the Punto EVO design as I loved the pre-facelift's subtle yet sexy stance. But quite recently I saw an EVO in that Red Shade and I could hardly take my eyes off.

Hope to see you and your "Bellissa" soon on one of Bangalore's TBHP meet.

Wish you a very happy motoring and drive safe.
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