Thanks everyone for all your Good Wishes.
This is one of the Best things about all the BHP'ians. Its an extended family, really it is. Yesterday night I posted one of the biggest news yet in my life & within this short time you all have sent your congratulations & Good wishes. Thanks a lot !!!
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Originally Posted by Sawyer Remember that till you complete 100000kms in various conditions, you will still be on the learning curve, and drive accordingly. All the best! |
Well, cant say that the training was very Good, however I have concentrated towards getting the basics right. Once I get the car home, I shall undergo self training sessions during the early morning hours for a couple of weeks. Only when I am confident about myself & others also feel that I am ok to face the traffic, I shall venture out on the main roads. I heartily take your good advice & shall ensure that I drive carefully now & always.
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Originally Posted by Gandhi Congrats Kaustav for your first car.
Can you share a bit more on the decision making process you went through? Why particularly Active variant and not some higher variant? |
Well, the decision making part was a huge pain for me. As you all know, I learnt driving a car (or should I say holding the steering wheel) just a few days back. So, there was no way that I could take test drives and then decide. I have always been a Fiat fan, an ardent fan. The first Fiat car that had caught my attention was Fiat Adventure, the crossbreed between car & MPV. If only they would have launched that model with the 1.3 VGT (or higher), i would have been a sureshot buyer. The next car was the Palio, an awesome, time tested car, that got a new reincarnation as the Palio Stile. The third was the Linea which is an absolute beauty. Then came the Grande Punto, a truly Global model which already has its footprints in many countries. It was actually a hard decision for me to steer my heart away from the Stile & wait for the GP. Once GP was launched, I just went ahead with my decision as there was no point in waiting any further. Even if the VGT model is launched at a later point, I would have had to wait further & even the price would be higher.
I went for the Active(D) as it was withing my logical budget. I say logical because I could have actually spent upto 7 lacs for a decent, first car. However, the lowest Linea diesel sells for more that 8 lacs in Bangalore and is also a big car to handle for a novice like me. So Linea was ruled out. Next I started to think about the new Ford Icon, which makes a lot of sence as a 6 lacs sedan. That was ruled out as Ford is in troubled waters & somehow I was not prepared for a sedan. I have always dreamt of long drives so always wanted a Diesel car. I would shell out more money initially but everytime I visit the petrol pump, the fuel costs would not bite my pockets. Thus, all other small hatchbacs that are petrol only, were kept aside. I never liked the swift's personality and stance, hence was never interested for it. Ritz looks to me as if its an incomplete car from the back, just like a movie with an abrupt ending. Well, these are purely my views & I know that there are many who like Ritz. The I20, Fabia & Jazz are costly as per my requirements.
The higher versions of GP have better wheels with ABS & EBD, a Music System, Blue & Me, rear wiper & rear power windows.
1> Bigger wheels with ABS & EBD - good to have but at a cost. driving safely would take care of that to some extent
2> Blaupunkt Music System with Blue & Me - I don't get many calls, maybe 3-4 in a day and only junk messages. So Blue & Me wouldn't add much. The speakers that are provided are not up to the mark for me. I would get a better ICE fitted after the car is delivered.
3> Rear power windows - In all fiat cars, the rear windows anyways go only halfway down. So, I might as well ask the rear passengers to move their muscles & open the windows. Seriously, mostly only me & my wife would be travelling. So, result is that rear power windows can be neglected for now
Another big point that I have is that, as I was purchasing a Hatchback (one of the best available in the market now) I also wanted to maintain the maximum distance from the sedans in terms of price. The vital ingredients are same across all variants - same body, same engine, same suspension(tires & grip is better though, in higher variants). My formula was - get one hatch among the best hatches available, but at a fairly lower cost than good sedans like Linea. So, Active made more sence for me.
And yes, during the decision making process, there were numerous sessions with friends, colleagues, wife & many others who asked - why fiat? I was stirred but never shaken. I shall try to post more of that later, this post has already grown huge.
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Originally Posted by NutsNBolts Congrats Kaustav. 9 hours behind the wheel! Now this fact calls for a celebration of your judicious decision. Is that the first active MJD on Team BHP? You says silver GP, or is it Mild Grey ? the color advertised officially by Fiat. Do load pics and your experience with dealership after you purchase. |
You are right, its called Minimal Grey. I mentioned silver in a hurry as the colour looks very silvery. I had been to the Dealer once again today morning. I spoke to the Sales Manager and enquired about the underbody rust coat. He mentioned that the car already gets an anti rust coat from the factory (also stated by Trust_In_Thrust in his post) & that it cannot be provided free as a part of the package. He also mentioned that for Bangalore weather, an addional coat would not be required for now. So the benefits that I am getting are:
1> 12000 Rs Corp discount (Level A companies get 6000, level B 9000 & Level C get 12000)
2> mud flaps, floor mats, boot floor mat, perfume & Ganesh Idol
3> 3M polish on the car
As per the Sales Manager as it is a newly launched car, nothing else can be provided for free.
I shall keep updating this thread as and when I have more info to share. Until then . . . Take care all of you & drive safe.