24th April 2010, 03:18
| #1 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bengaluru
Posts: 248
Thanked: 1,053 Times
| An Italian Summer with the Grande Punto :) After a long and thoroughly enjoyable process of Test driving every car this side of 10 lakh rs (Cataloged HERE i finally got engaged with my Italian beauty 3 days ago   The last 3 days have been awesome with long drives from Pune to Sinhagadh and Pune to Lavasa. Now off on a trip to Dapoli tomorrow. Can't stop driving My Punto is an April 2010, Euro IV MJD Model. Most of the comparisons here will be drawn from my previous long term experience with the i10 & whatever time i have spent in the test drive cars. The plastic dont seem to have improved too much as my bonnet handle keeps falling off :P But other than these small whinies, the Punto hasn't failed to impress. Pros so far:- 1. Nice build feels so much more solid than my i10. An idiot Indica driver cracked against my RHS mirror and the mirror dint break. There isnt even a scratch on the paint. Quite astounding how i escaped that one ! 2. Ride & Handling is fun. Potholes which broke my back over a bike & over which the I10 used to bounce around like a pogo stick are rudely dismissed by the Punto with no wallowing and no noise. I have driven the car to Sinhagadh & Lavassa, both of which are routes full of uphill twisty mountain corners. And it was a pleasure driving the car.The hydraulic steering tells you exactly how your tires are interacting with the tarmac, and as you rush into a corner with mild understeer and power out of it with a floor of the accelerator, the Punto just inspires confidence. I got the tires screaming a couple of times but the car dint lose its line 3. The cabin is quite quiet  . Slot the car into 5th and cruise along at 100. The diesel engine is quieter than the i10 petrol inside the cabin. Road & Wind noise is also well insulated.4. Love the way the cabin lights up in Orange at night ! Dislikes: 1. My spirited driving (even though i try to keep it below 2500 RPM ) has resulted in my overall fuel efficiency being a pathtic 13.5 kmpl ! 2. The plastics !! 3. When i try switching radio stations using the steering mounted controls, everything goes haywire and i lose all my preset stations and all channels get tuned to All India Radio ! ( SERIOUSLY ) 4. The music on my phone doesnt stream over blue and me ! 5. The pathetic 5th wheel painted in black ! 6. The fact that everyone asks me "Why did you buy a Fiat" Here are some pics. Will update more experiences after my Dapoli trip   The beauty of Lavasa  After my 1st puncture ! Bloody screws on the road !  Last edited by GTO : 26th April 2010 at 11:08. Reason: Strictly no more than 2 smilies per post please. Read our rules |
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24th April 2010, 07:47
| #2 | |
| BHPian  Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Thane
Posts: 195
Thanked: 68 Times
| Quote:
In the end, Fiatcars feeeel like CAR.  Some how I always liked Fiats, esp Punto, in black Steel wheels. best one to look at was the Palio Adventure with plastic claddings. | |
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24th April 2010, 08:34
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| Senior - BHPian  | |
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24th April 2010, 08:45
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| Senior - BHPian  | Yet another Punto thread I see this morning.  Congrats buddy on your Bold new drive! |
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24th April 2010, 08:54
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| Senior - BHPian  | |
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24th April 2010, 08:57
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| BHPian  | congrats dude, i got a march 2010 white mjd and i absolutely cannot stop driving her around yet!! waiting for the magical 1000 on the ODO, my feet is itching to rev her beyond 2500 rpm!! wondering, why did you have to change to the spare wheel already?? |
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24th April 2010, 09:01
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| BHPian  | |
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24th April 2010, 10:49
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| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: KL-47 // KL-53
Posts: 1,830
Thanked: 1,164 Times
| Hey, Congrats on you new Punto - and welcome to the Punters club.. Quote:
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But beware of the glass - the glass inside the ORVM assembly tends to fall loose (the fitting is a bit flimsy) when it hits something hard. I had this once, and thankfully the mirror did not fall down. I could fix it back in place. Quote:
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BTW, how much has your car covered? (Just to know how long will you have to suffer the itch). I am waiting for the day my car turns 10000! She's already 9500kms young (in just 4 months). Quote:
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24th April 2010, 12:44
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| Distinguished - BHPian   | Congrats Silverfire The Punto in red looks very nice. Very eventful 3 days for you, a trip around the town, a hit by the indica, bonnet lever falling off, a puncture and loads of joy driving the car. Enjoy many more miles with the Punto. Do give it a thorough wash and wax, to make it shine |
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24th April 2010, 13:20
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| Team-BHP Support   | Congrats on the red punto! Its for sure, one of the most beautiful cars available in India, specially black, white and red IMO. Gets tints ASAP! Spare wheel painted black (and sometimes of a different size) is the norm nowadays. The idea is to use it only as a spare. Quote:
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24th April 2010, 14:30
| #11 | |
| BHPian  Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mumbai
Posts: 641
Thanked: 27 Times
| Quote:
Looks like the Punto has already been through a good workout on the fantastic roads of Lavasa. The black steel spare wheel do look like an eyesore. Its the same as in the Palio. Also, have you noticed any significant difference in the BS4 tuned MJD motor? Here is my beauty at the same spot at Ekaant, Lavasa. Great view indeed. | |
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24th April 2010, 15:13
| #12 |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: -
Posts: 1,157
Thanked: 1,271 Times
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24th April 2010, 15:58
| #13 | |
| Senior - BHPian  | Hey bro congrats on the Italian beauty. I recently bought Black Punto and clocked 1300 in 1.5 months. Update us once you return from Dapoli. Quote:
. If only parking would not have been a problem, I would not have sold my Palio. | |
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24th April 2010, 16:06
| #14 |
| BANNED Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Melbourne
Posts: 4,462
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24th April 2010, 16:29
| #15 |
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