[chittybang]

Rarely have I been smitten by a car I could afford but that is exactly what happened when I saw the punto. We owned the reliable and peppy zen and the frugal Fiesta diesel. The zen was an old faithful but it was time to let go. We needed a decent petrol hatch with all safety features. The first car that came to mind was the punto simply because it was always in our heart. Most people adviced us to consider the Swift. Having owned a suzuki I knew it would be a safe bet and the vehicle had proved itself in our roads but we decided to test drive the options. The car was mainly to be driven by my wife ( thats how I sold the idea) but we would often go on long drives.

Test drives:We didn’t have a size constraint so we considered the Beat, Swift, Ritz, Polo, Punto and Micra. We weren’t keen on Hyundai since we weren’t big fans of their styling and steering feedback.
Beat: We liked the interiors and the overall package but the protruding headlights and tail lights were not to our taste. Besides the tail light seemed almost aftermarket. It was fun to drive though.

Swift: There are way too many swifts on road and that’s a good thing because it means many people trust it but it also means it’s too common. So we opted out.

Ritz: We didn’t like the rear. We couldn’t imagine ourselves in it.

Polo: We felt it looked bland but were pleasantly surprised to see it in person. The engine wasn’t very impressive but the car felt good to drive. Very tempted to consider the Polo despite a small dealer network but the 5 month waiting period seems stupid. It put us off big time. In this world if we have to wait for so long it appears VW didn’t do their home work before launching.

Micra: My wife liked the design but they hardly have any network. For someone in navi mumbai we have to go to worli to service the car. They were not too keen to even send us a car for a test drive. The interiors were refreshing though.

Punto: It was the first car we test drove and we kept looking for the punto in every other car. It is difficult to describe that feeling. The car didnt seem to have an impressive interior. In fact it looks ordinary inside but the exterior design and finish was awesome. At first we tried out the 1.2 petrol and it seemed all right but they don’t have an emotion pk . The next week the fiat dealer called me and asked if i would want to try the 1.4 and so I did. The test drive was the turning point. It felt like I was driving a solid sedan. The car was planted and the steering feedback was fantastic. I loved driving my old Lancer and this car gave me the same confidence. The diesel was very tempting but we already had the fiesta doing duty for us and the sweet sound of the 1.4 was difficult to ignore. For once we stopped worrying about the mileage and took the plunge.

The Purchase: Fortune cars , Nerul were very prompt to provide test drives and even followed up on a regular basis. The Fiat representative was pleasant and keen to attend. Once the bank formalities were completed I was given a tentative date. I insisted to do a PDI before registration and they agreed to inform me when the vehicle arrives. I was told it would take a total of 12 days. We had gone for the Tuscan wine colour and hence the extra time. When the car arrived I was promptly informed and I went there with the Team-Bhp check list in hand. It took a while to go through the process in heavy rains. Fortune cars is too cramped for space and I had to make do with the little shade I found . I was given a copy of form 22 and road worthiness cert and introduced to the accessories department. The accessory section is a rip off and everything seemed over priced . On schedule I got delivery of the car after registration. They explained the booklets as well as the registration papers. The delivery day was a little frustrating because I had to wait simple due to lack of good managing skills within the dealership. The serviced cars were piling up and creating a major bottle neck in the entry and exit points. To add to it the new delivery cars were parked right in the back. Simply put it was as good as any traffic jam. Finally we found a way out after a photo op with the car (If they don’t give us a copy why take the snap? I doubt they even clicked).

Ex showroom-------------5,95,344
Registration----------------47,674
Cess-------------------------5973
Free insurance/extended warranty
Discount:
Corp discount---------------- 6000
Gift cheque-----------------10,000
Total---------------------6,32,991
Had a nice drive through the expressway towards Lonavala as a celebration.

Immediate feedback: Exterior is fantastic. It’s a stunner and there is no two ways about that. The interiors are bland and for this kind of money we deserve better. Having said that I don’t think the plastics are bad. In fact I am unable to understand why so many people have cribbed about the quality of plastics. I think it is comparable with the Fiesta and that’s decent. The fit and finish should be better. My car seems to be well finished and the only slight disappointment was a slight panel gap near the key entry. Blue and Me is fun and addictive. The seats are better than the Fiesta with good thigh support. The paint job is superb and the 850 km i have driven so far have been lovely. Hopefully after the run in period it will be more pleasurable. The gear shifts have been comfy for me but my wife is finding it hard to engage first gear and fifth gear. The climate control is efficient and easy. The postion of the charging point isn’t very convenient to use for phone chargers. The cup holders are too small. The horn is very good on a comparative basis with the fiesta and zen. Boot space is impressive. The foldable key is nice but why is the spare key not foldable? The mileage so far has been 13kmpl. It surely can’t compete with our zen on that front. The car feels solid and confidence inspiring to drive. Looking forward to many good years with this Italian stallion.

[Schoudhury]

Let me be the first one to congratulate you .
I haven't seen any Punto in this color in blore, so it will be kool if you can post some exterior pictures of the car .
Im sure people are scared of the a.s.s of tata-fiat rather than the plastic quality which is stopping people to buy this beauty, atleast this was the reason why i didnt consider the punto when i shortlisted cars. Also im sure there are many cars whose plastic quality may not be that great but people are still buying them.

Anyways , drive safe and keep us all posted .

Cheers.

[fiat_tarun]

Congrats on the 1.4 Punto. This is a really nice engine, though all the power is higher up the power band. But the 1.4 FIRE has such a lovely engine note that revving that engine actually makes me smile! Enjoy the car and hope you enjoy the FIAT experience (both the good & the bad)

[nkrishnap]

Congrats on the Bold Italian Drive. By the way nice color.

Do enjoy many more happy miles with the car.

More pictures please

[EARTHed]

Congrats on the Punto!

Originally Posted by chittybang

Punto: It was the first car we test drove and we kept looking for the punto in every other car. It is difficult to describe that feeling.

This clearly shows your EMOTIONs. There is something special about every FIAT!

[Vik0728]

Congrats on your latest acquisition chittybang. She's a De-Wine Beauty!!

I normally keep myself updated with all the purchases by fellow bhpians and to the best of my knowledge, this is the First Punto on TBHP in that colour.

Awaiting a detailed Review and loads of snaps. Happy motoring.

[StarrySky]

Congrats on your Punto! An absolutely stunning pic as well in the OP. Nice color choice. Haven't seen many Tuscan Wine Puntos around.

Your initial impressions on the car are also quite similar to mine.

[avishar]

Congrats on your punto.
Its nice to know someone who has not cribbed about the interiors,maybe Fiat is incorporated some improvement in the fit and finish department in these later cars.

[PaddleShifter]

Congrats Chittybank. Tuscan wine looks great. I've seen just one, that too online and a 90bhp VGT variant from Delhi.

Do post some more pics. There aren't too many in this color.

Any freebies you got? Are the discounts you mentioned for the month of September or did you buy it in Aug?

Finally, enjoy your beauty and do consider door sill plates for your beauty. Fiat has recently launched new accessories.

[NutsNBolts]

chitty chitty bang bang is that what this color looks like. Photograph in misty background is too cool. some more exterior pics plz. I believe Tuscan Wine also changes shades depending upon ambient light.

[ancientmariner]

Congrats. That's a refreshing colour. You get a good mileage. Mine is just 10 with mostly city driving.

[Soccerfan]

congrats bro on ur new acwuisition. please put more pics of the car. havent see tuscan wine punto

[ravikn]

Congrats for your new drive. Am sure you will enjoy every mile driven in this 1.4 engine. Do post some more pics

[nishant_242]

Congrats bro on the Punto!!
The car looks stunning in this colour, please post some more pics of the car.

[Klub Class]

chittybang, welcome to the Fiat Punto Club. And yes, congratulations for choosing this Italian Hatch.

I've seen 'Tuscan wine' Fiat Punto in automotive forums only. It looks awesome in pics and I hope that it looks equally good in real life too. I must say, good color choice.

Do keep us engaged by sharing your experiences(both good and bad). I'm hopefully waiting for more pictures from your side.

Drive safe.

Amith