Tested: Fiat Punto 1.3 MJD Emotion pack

Ricky_63 · 19th June 2009, 10:34

Brilliant detailed review. What about the 1.4 petrol sibling ?? Any idea how that performs & feels ?

One good thing about Fiat - the OE alloys they are offering are nice, unlike some OE alloys which are pathetic.

Nice car, how does it compare to the Swift Diesel in performance ??

Cheers

PatienceWins · 19th June 2009, 10:53

Great Review!!

Thank you for the pictures and the detailed review.

pk_del · 19th June 2009, 10:59

Thanks for the review Sid. Did you get a chance to look at the FE figures?
How does it compares to Palio 1.3 MJD? I was planning to buy Palio 1.3 MJD but I am now inclined towards GP.

deepakhon · 19th June 2009, 11:06

Wonderful review Sid!

Looks like GP has a good potential. I am looking forward to test drive the car too. Also, eagerly looking forward to GTO's review. 600 km should be a very good sample to judge the car's capabilities.

BTW, can you comment about the approximate 0-100 timings? I can understand that you have not tested it with all the latest equipment, but still...

Ramsagar · 19th June 2009, 11:15

Great review.Seems to be the price of top end diesel model is steep.Atleast for me.

worrisomebear · 19th June 2009, 11:20

nice review..awesome fotos.. i saw a red one at nariman point yday and its a looker

krish82 · 19th June 2009, 11:36

They have tested the 1.4 and diesel models in this site Fiat Grande Punto: Launch Date, Review of Fiat Grande Punto, Cost and Efficiency, according to this the petrol 1.4 mileage is too less just 8kmpl in city thats lesser than what my accent gives, and even the diesel response is no where near swiftt DDIS.

Price 4.74L doesnt seems very VFM for base 1.2.

.anshuman · 19th June 2009, 11:55

The salesman at the gurgaon dealership claimed the first service is at 30k and the it has service intervals of 15K,that means lesser visits to tata workshops.

finneyp · 19th June 2009, 12:02

Nice detailed Review Sid! Thanks!

myavu · 19th June 2009, 13:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by sidindica

pics from "my car" display

Beautifully written

Thank you.

Hey, are we missing Distance to empty and Millage indicator in My Car?

Cheers!

shantyrocks · 19th June 2009, 13:34

had a long test drive of the punto at fortune motors thane.
varient tested : red punto multijet emotion pack.

i was initially planning to buy the punto but the wait was too long and i was too impatient and ended up buying the swift DDiS 2 months back.
my test drive of the punto ended up being a comparison test between the swift and the punto.

EXTERIORS : the swift when it was launched was the best looking hatchback in its segment.the design is almost flawless and it looks beautifull from any angle you see it from.
but its too common now and the punto comes like a breath of fresh air.it looks stunning.those italian lines are just marvellous.it beats the swift as far as exterior goes.

INTERIORS : the swift has dark grey and black interiors and so does the punto. but the punto feels airy and spacious. the dash and centre console look way better than the swift. The front have better comfort and you can get a good driving position instantly. The plastic quality is much better than the swift.

ENGINE : now this a big let down guys. The NVH levels feel marginally better than the swift but only just. Itried to engage the first gear and the clutch felt as if its going in some ditch beneth the car.it does have a long long travel. slot it in first gear and the pick up is good but then there is nothing in the second gear.i floored the pedel and watched the RPM needle rise to 1500 to 2000 to 2500 to 3000 rpm butttt where is the turbo??? it was accelerating like a indica v2 . i was really dissapointed as iam used to feeling the turbo kick in my swift which rockets the car ahead in no time.
but the engine is amazingly torquey and i could drive at 20kmph in the 3rd gear and 30kmph in the 4th gear. the engine shows no signs of getting strained. this should translate into good fuel economy.i was driving in some stop go traffic and it was a breeze compared to my swift which involves a lot of gear changes. as the torque comes in slowly and linearly the car does not shoot ahead but there is controlled forward movement.

GEARBOX : the swift has a short throw gear box but the one on GP is good too.it feels better than the palio.but then the long clutch travel really spoils things.as you press the clutch to slot the gear the swift behind you will easily cross you and move ahead.

BRAKES : the varient i drove was with ABS so obviously the braking was much better than my swift.

RIDE & HANDLING : hands off to the GP for its robust suspension.i drove over a rough patch of road and couldnt feel a bump.as if i was sailing on water.on the same road my swift bounces around. couldnt really rip the car around bends so cant say anything about the handling part but it might be better than the swift.

all in all a good package considering the amount of goodies packed in.but the performance oriented dude might be dissapointed.extensive highway runners will have to think twice before the overtaking manouvre.
the car i drove had done just 200 kms so i feel that after running in the engine might get a tad more responsive.

OTR MUMBAI : 7.10 LACS for emotion pack.

the dynamic might be good VFM.

nurni76 · 19th June 2009, 13:43

I havent seen the GP in flesh, but for me from the pictures, Punto looks like an ugly toad. The front bonnet part is too raked and long and the head lights and grill make it look like a frog waiting to eat up an insect. Sorry GP Fans, the looks have let me down.

Will take a look again in flesh and test drive to see if it is really worth. So looks like it is VW Polo for me now

coolboy007 · 19th June 2009, 13:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by nurni76

I havent seen the GP in flesh, but for me from the pictures, Punto looks like an ugly toad . The front bonnet part is too raked Sorry GP Fans, the looks have let me down.

Looks are subjective but its way too subjective in your case. This is the 1st post in 800 + so far in Punto thread that says it looks like an "ugly toad". Isnt that too much, ugly toad.
Which car looks beautiful to you? Ritz, swift or Jazz?

thiyags22 · 19th June 2009, 13:55

Thanks Sid, that was a nice review. I feel like I TDed the car.

anoopap · 19th June 2009, 13:56

Hi all,

had a showroom visit yesterday.

following are my key observations -

the car is bit more like sedan in seating position (but with lesser space), with drivers leg crouching, which can tend to be uncomfortable for long drives.

like linea, i feel about 15% of space has been eaten by rear boot/ luggage section. rear passenger space (mostly our parents) will of more priority than boot space.

plastics look good, until u open it.

external build and door panel quality better than swift.

pick up not better than swift.

with the kind of gear setting, a bit change in gear shifting habit needed, when compared to suzuki cars. have to shift through 1st and 2nd gears bit faster.

summary -
looking at fiat service record and facility, i cant see swift/ i20 prospects shifting to this car except just for new DESIGN and BUILD QUALITY.

19th June 2009, 10:34	#46
Ricky_63 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 3,885 Thanked: 518 Times View My Garage	Brilliant detailed review. What about the 1.4 petrol sibling ?? Any idea how that performs & feels ? One good thing about Fiat - the OE alloys they are offering are nice, unlike some OE alloys which are pathetic. Nice car, how does it compare to the Swift Diesel in performance ?? Cheers
	() Thanks

19th June 2009, 10:53	#47
PatienceWins Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,416 Thanked: 809 Times View My Garage	Great Review!! Thank you for the pictures and the detailed review.
	() Thanks

19th June 2009, 10:59	#48
pk_del BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Delhi Posts: 200 Thanked: 522 Times	Nice review Thanks for the review Sid. Did you get a chance to look at the FE figures? How does it compares to Palio 1.3 MJD? I was planning to buy Palio 1.3 MJD but I am now inclined towards GP.
	() Thanks

19th June 2009, 11:06	#49
deepakhon Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,441 Thanked: 65 Times	Wonderful review Sid! Looks like GP has a good potential. I am looking forward to test drive the car too. Also, eagerly looking forward to GTO's review. 600 km should be a very good sample to judge the car's capabilities. BTW, can you comment about the approximate 0-100 timings? I can understand that you have not tested it with all the latest equipment, but still... Last edited by deepakhon : 19th June 2009 at 11:08.
	() Thanks

19th June 2009, 11:15	#50
Ramsagar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: BLR_Nellore(AP) Posts: 1,396 Thanked: 252 Times View My Garage	Great review.Seems to be the price of top end diesel model is steep.Atleast for me.
	() Thanks

19th June 2009, 11:20	#51
worrisomebear BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Mumbai, London Posts: 54 Thanked: 9 Times	nice review..awesome fotos.. i saw a red one at nariman point yday and its a looker
	() Thanks

19th June 2009, 11:36	#52
krish82 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 203 Thanked: 34 Times	They have tested the 1.4 and diesel models in this site Fiat Grande Punto: Launch Date, Review of Fiat Grande Punto, Cost and Efficiency, according to this the petrol 1.4 mileage is too less just 8kmpl in city thats lesser than what my accent gives, and even the diesel response is no where near swiftt DDIS. Price 4.74L doesnt seems very VFM for base 1.2.
	() Thanks

19th June 2009, 11:55	#53
.anshuman Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Good-Gaon Posts: 7,763 Thanked: 11,064 Times View My Garage	The salesman at the gurgaon dealership claimed the first service is at 30k and the it has service intervals of 15K,that means lesser visits to tata workshops.
	() Thanks

19th June 2009, 12:02	#54
finneyp Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,716 Thanked: 319 Times View My Garage	Nice detailed Review Sid! Thanks!
	() Thanks

19th June 2009, 13:34	#56
shantyrocks BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: thane Posts: 741 Thanked: 5 Times	punto test drive had a long test drive of the punto at fortune motors thane. varient tested : red punto multijet emotion pack. i was initially planning to buy the punto but the wait was too long and i was too impatient and ended up buying the swift DDiS 2 months back. my test drive of the punto ended up being a comparison test between the swift and the punto. EXTERIORS : the swift when it was launched was the best looking hatchback in its segment.the design is almost flawless and it looks beautifull from any angle you see it from. but its too common now and the punto comes like a breath of fresh air.it looks stunning.those italian lines are just marvellous.it beats the swift as far as exterior goes. INTERIORS : the swift has dark grey and black interiors and so does the punto. but the punto feels airy and spacious. the dash and centre console look way better than the swift. The front have better comfort and you can get a good driving position instantly. The plastic quality is much better than the swift. ENGINE : now this a big let down guys. The NVH levels feel marginally better than the swift but only just. Itried to engage the first gear and the clutch felt as if its going in some ditch beneth the car.it does have a long long travel. slot it in first gear and the pick up is good but then there is nothing in the second gear.i floored the pedel and watched the RPM needle rise to 1500 to 2000 to 2500 to 3000 rpm butttt where is the turbo??? it was accelerating like a indica v2 . i was really dissapointed as iam used to feeling the turbo kick in my swift which rockets the car ahead in no time. but the engine is amazingly torquey and i could drive at 20kmph in the 3rd gear and 30kmph in the 4th gear. the engine shows no signs of getting strained. this should translate into good fuel economy.i was driving in some stop go traffic and it was a breeze compared to my swift which involves a lot of gear changes. as the torque comes in slowly and linearly the car does not shoot ahead but there is controlled forward movement. GEARBOX : the swift has a short throw gear box but the one on GP is good too.it feels better than the palio.but then the long clutch travel really spoils things.as you press the clutch to slot the gear the swift behind you will easily cross you and move ahead. BRAKES : the varient i drove was with ABS so obviously the braking was much better than my swift. RIDE & HANDLING : hands off to the GP for its robust suspension.i drove over a rough patch of road and couldnt feel a bump.as if i was sailing on water.on the same road my swift bounces around. couldnt really rip the car around bends so cant say anything about the handling part but it might be better than the swift. all in all a good package considering the amount of goodies packed in.but the performance oriented dude might be dissapointed.extensive highway runners will have to think twice before the overtaking manouvre. the car i drove had done just 200 kms so i feel that after running in the engine might get a tad more responsive. OTR MUMBAI : 7.10 LACS for emotion pack. the dynamic might be good VFM. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

19th June 2009, 13:43	#57
nurni76 BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: BLR/SEATTLE Posts: 907 Thanked: 360 Times View My Garage	I havent seen the GP in flesh, but for me from the pictures, Punto looks like an ugly toad. The front bonnet part is too raked and long and the head lights and grill make it look like a frog waiting to eat up an insect. Sorry GP Fans, the looks have let me down. Will take a look again in flesh and test drive to see if it is really worth. So looks like it is VW Polo for me now
	() Thanks

19th June 2009, 13:55	#59
thiyags22 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Madras / Bangalore Posts: 148 Thanked: 19 Times	Thanks Sid, that was a nice review. I feel like I TDed the car.
	() Thanks

19th June 2009, 13:56	#60
anoopap BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 56 Thanked: 18 Times	is it a value ? Hi all, had a showroom visit yesterday. following are my key observations - the car is bit more like sedan in seating position (but with lesser space), with drivers leg crouching, which can tend to be uncomfortable for long drives. like linea, i feel about 15% of space has been eaten by rear boot/ luggage section. rear passenger space (mostly our parents) will of more priority than boot space. plastics look good, until u open it. external build and door panel quality better than swift. pick up not better than swift. with the kind of gear setting, a bit change in gear shifting habit needed, when compared to suzuki cars. have to shift through 1st and 2nd gears bit faster. summary - looking at fiat service record and facility, i cant see swift/ i20 prospects shifting to this car except just for new DESIGN and BUILD QUALITY.
	() Thanks