[raj_5004]

Presenting Fiat Punto with 90 HP & Variable Geometry Turbine... India's most powerful hatchback… blah blah blah!!

Anyways, I dont care a damn as this is my ownership report! For those who like to keep it short & prefer compact reports, please stay away... The following is a story! It's more of a biography, just that it covers only 3 months of my life.

The story has many characters-

1) Main lead : raj_5004 (thats me!)
2) Main lead's best friends : Aditya, Arun & Naveen
3) Main Lead's GF : Fiat Punto
4) Punto's "sautans" : i20 & polo
5) Side actors : Swift, Micra & Figo

The saga starts in -

November:

I am living a peaceful life. I am having fun, enjoying with friends, hanging out… driving my scorpio – which I love to do! I have no idea what is about to come though…

December comes:

I am on the hunt for a new job. Sent my resumes to various organizations. Got a call from Navnit motors that I was appointed in their Land Rover division… Hurrayyy! I was very delighted but at the same time, due to some reasons, I could not take my scorpio to my workplace. I needed a “cheaper” car. So the decision was made to buy a new car!
By December end, I was asked to join LR on 3rd Jan. In the meanwhile, I started my research on cars. Many hours where spent on T-BHP, Google, etc. In my anxiety, someone who got bugged the most was my dear friend & fellow BHPian Aditya (Renegade) & Naveen! Initially I decided I would buy a second hand hatch. I strictly wanted a diesel car only. I was searching the web for used Swifts, i20s or Puntos. When I could not find a good bargain anywhere, I decided to buy a new hatch. But in the lower end, all I liked was the santro & swift. The santro was not available in diesel & swift diesel had a huge waiting period. Also, it on-road price was more than 6 lakhs. That was no longer “cheap”! All this while, Aditya was of GREAT help, thanks buddy… (I call him “the GOOGLE boy”! ask him anything, he comes with an answer in 5 minutes flat – courtesy google!)

January arrives:

Here comes New Year & I join LR. I am yet to decide on a car. Lots of hours were spent it front of the computer. Finally, the following diesel hatchbacks were considered-

1) i20 – Looks good but a little too curvy for my taste. Has good performance but is notorious for it’s turbo lag. Moreover, the 8.5 lakhs price tag put me off. I was wondering what would I be paying for?
2) Polo – Again a hefty price tag & no features on offer. I was not too impressed with it’s looks either.
3) Punto – I love the way this car looks. But performance was lethargic & A.S.S. is a suspect.

Looks was my top priority, so the micra & figo were not even considered. Finally, the Polo was also removed from the list. I dint find anything “exciting” about the car. Time was running out, I had to make a decision fast. I quickly registered myself for a test drive for the Punto & i20 diesel. I got a sms from fiat & Hyundai that I would be receiving a call soon.

Next day, since I got no reply from either of them, I visited Fortune motors (Thane) & test drove the punto 75 hp. As expected, after driving the scorpio, the fiat felt painfully slow in comparison. But I was amazed by the refinement, the build & the ride quality of the car. The steering felt amazing & the car looked hot! It could do with better interiors though.

The next day, a FIAT rep called me to arrange for a TD but I told him that I am already done with it. Till now, the Hyundai guys dint turn up. So I called them on the number provided in the SMS & they assured me they will arrange a i20 CRDi soon. Two days passed by & I got a call from a Hyundai dealer that they can bring a i20 petrol!!! When I told them that I was looking for a diesel, they bluntly replied that i20 CRDi is NOT available for test drive… I asked them that how they expect me to book a car without driving it to which they replied that I have to decide after driving the petrol… GREAT!

In the meanwhile, I called my friend Naveen. He owns a Punto for almost a year now. We talked about the car, its pros & cons & issues. He was very frank with me & his most commonly used phrase was “Let me be honest with you, ……”! Thanks a lot buddy, you eased off some of the apprehensions I had with FIAT.

Meanwhile, I visited Galaxy motors (mulund) & took a TD of the punto 90 hp. It was marginally better than the 75 hp but frankly, I was still disappointed with the performance. The Fiat guys were very courteous & helpful… I was still waiting for Hyundai’s reply. I had driven a friend’s i20 petrol & frankly, though I like it’s interiors, I was not much impressed with its ride & steering feel. Somewhere in the back of mind, I did think that if this is the way Hyundai treats it’s potential customers, God knows how they will treat me during service. I did a search on the web & I found that both cars have their own issues. While the punto seems to more reliable that i20, the Fiat A.S.S. is a pain. On the other hand, i20 does have its own issues like ACC problems & sterring rattle. Also, I did read horror stories about Hyundai’s A.S.S., so in the end, both the cars were neck to neck on every parameter. So the final decision was to be made based on the pricing. The top end i20 was a cool 40,000 more than the punto 90hp. This gap would further increase with the discount offered on the Punto. Also, Hyundai strictly said that the waiting period on i20 is 6 weeks. Fiat assured delivery within 2 weeks. (I wanted a 2011 made car only).

Finally, the decision was made to go for a white coloured Punto. We opted for the 90 hp punto as it costed just 30k more than the 75 hp one.


11/1/11 : Visited Wasan motors (chembur) as they offered the car at the lowest price. Booked the car for Rs. 7.75 lakhs. Freebies are floor mats only, as requested by me. Paid the token amount & was promised delivery by 27th Jan. Optional accessories purchased are scuff/sill plates (Rs. 350/-) & reverse sensor (Rs. 5000/-).

14/1/11 : Did some research about window tints & zeroed in on 3M RE 35 or V Kool. Called the V Kool dealer & got quotations for K37 & T35. He told me he would send samples of the film in a day or two.

15/1/11 : The first thing I wanted on my car was alloys. Again internet was of great help. Called up Bombay tyres, Tyrex & Premji’s tyre plus to ask if they have 98 PCD alloys for punto. Bombay tyres said no.

16/1/11 : It was a Sunday, the only day when I get time. Visited Premji’s tyre plus & met Mr. Mark. He is a great guy & very knowledgeable. He has a great setup in thane, one of the best tyre dealers in town. He showed me some great designs in Konigs & Enkei, but sadly all were 100 PCD which he said is a direct fit for Punto. Somehow, I was unwilling to compromise on safety & put 100 PCD alloys. Even here, Aditya joined me! The same day, we went to Tyrex. He had 98 PCD alloys from 69 Racing wheels, it’s a Taiwanese make. I felt the design was quite average. Also, he dint have a display piece, he could only show a photo.

22/1/11 : It was a Saturday, the sales executive messaged me the engine number & chassis number of my car. He called me to inform me that the car is in transit & will be offloaded that day evening or Sunday morning. I was overjoyed on hearing this & told him that I would do the PDI myself. Since Sunday is closed, plans for PDI were made on Monday.

Meanwhile, I was still confused about alloys & called up Saifee tyres. I knew he has HR alloys in 98 PCD but I was not too keen on their design. On the phone, Jitubhai told me he has "XXX" alloys in stock. (Alloy make & model kept as suspense in purpose!) I jumped in joy & rushed to his shop. The alloys planted a big smile on my face. They looked great & most importantly, THEY WERE 98 PCD! I wanted just this! I promised him I would pay the advance for the wheels on Monday morning & asked him to “book” the alloys for me!

24/01/11 :

{Sad scene} Called up Fiat dealer to asked the address of their stockyard. Got a bad news that the vehicle is not yet offloaded.

Went to tyre shop & paid advance for the alloys & got it booked for me!

25/01/11:

Dealer called to inform that the car will be reaching their stockyard today evening or tomorrow early morning. Since it was 26th Jan the next day, the stockyard would be be closed. So PDI could happen only on 27th!

I was not unhappy with the dealer somehow as they have been very transparent & communicative throughout the whole process.

27/01/11:

Called my dealer in the morning to inform him that I am coming for the PDI. He informs me that the car has yet not arrived. I go .

Surprisingly the dealer calls me in the evening to tell me that my "darling" in unloaded & I can have a look at her. The dealer's stockyard is just half an hour drive from the place I am in, but that half hour seems forever!

Finally, I reached the dealer's stockyard. The stockyard is filled with TATAs, Toyotas & Fords. Wasan also deals in these brands. but no Fiats! Where is my "PINTU"? (Howz that name?)

I walk towards the office & my eyes desperately searching my Pintu. I see no Punto in the yard. I see a white Aria & manza standing in the yard but I see something peeping from between these tatas. As soon as I cross these cars, I see a white punto with her gleaming eyes in the sunset, smirking at me... I am not sure whether it's my car. I ask a staff for my car & he says that this is indeed my car... my Pintu! She was just given a bath & was all clean & sparkling.

A thorough PDI was done on my beloved. Everything seemed fine except a panel gap in the dash below the right AC vent. that can be excused since its a FIAT. YES, ITS A JAN 2011 MAKE!

All happy & excited, I wish her goodbye (only for some more days) & leave for home. Tomorrow, I will be making the balance payment. Delivery of my Pintu will be on 03/02/11.

29/01/11:

I fly to kerela for a cousin's wedding. Even though I am a thousand kms away, I still cant stop dreaming about my Pintu in my driveway. I desperately want to reach home & drive my Pintu.

02/02/2011:

I reach mumbai at 9 pm. I go to bed thinking about the next day, the D-day! But I am not able to sleep. I am still dreaming!

03/02/2011:

This was the day I was waiting for what felt like centuries... I reached the showroom at 4 pm & say my Pintu parked right at the gate. I finished the formalities inside, the fellows explained me some basic functionality, we did the puja & I sank in the driver's seat & zoomed off... well, not exactly! I was driving at a pace where even a snail could easily smoke me! The diesel tank was empty & the car was to be re-fueled. the range shown was 0!!!

On the way to the bunk, I dint see a bump on the road & at the last moment, i just closed the eyes & let the car go. I heard two really loud thuds but i dint really feel anything inside the cabin. But the thuds really upset me. Thats when i thought about the extra air these dealers fill in the tyres. Along with the diesel, I checked the tyre pressure & I was right. It was way over inflated.

All set, I reached home. A few friends (Aditya & Arun) came over & we went to Saifee tyres to install the alloys but disappointingly, the alloys would not fit. there was error in the packaging. I was a bit sad but at the same time happy to drive my car all the way back home.

Reached home & fiddled with the "My car" settings. Its very easy to use. Also, I was apprehensive whether my Android X10i would pair with the Blue&Me. It worked like a charm! I was jumping with joy...

This was a great day for me...

To all T-BHPians:If you spot a white punto 90 HP (Reg. No. 2322), its me! My car will very soon get a LTD sticker too.

[.sushilkumar]

let me be the first to Congratulates you On Italian babe . IMO bosa nova white is the best color on the punto. Enjoy her to the fullest and drive safe .

Happy motoring . between a leap of faith from a Scorpio to a FIAT .

[camchennai]

Congratulation Raj on your new Italian horse.

Excellent write up and every scene were narrated very well, Thanks for brining up this review. Please update us on the initial experience and some more pictures of interiors.

Also why only floor mats as freebie??

P.S. I guess you got confused in the end while putting up the dates, D-date is suppose to be in February however you have mentioned January dates.

[Akshay1234]

Congrats Raj, on the car and the job. Working in the LR dep will be interesting.

You certainly will enjoy this car, especially the opening up of the engine, where with every drive the car will feel different (better).

One thing for sure, is that the speakers need an upgrade. Also what have you decided for the music system?

The tyres too, should be switched to possibly Yoko C-Drives.

[khoj]

Hey Raj_5004,
Congratulations on getting Pintu home. However, I am puzzled. You have a transport company and here you are taking up jobs elsewhere. What is the deal? You doing this for fun or getting experience outside of a comfortable domain. What gives?

PS Could you post some pictures of the interiors too and do you intend to sell your OE alloys? A friend of mine was looking for 98 pcd alloys a couple of weeks back hence the query.

[neil.jericho]

Congratulations on the Punto. Is it just me or has there been a surge of Punto threads these days ?

[fiat_tarun]

Congrats on the car. I'm quite surprised you want to change the alloy wheels. I really like the Punto and Linea OE alloys.

Nice to see a lot of Fiat threads in the past few weeks where buyers have had pretty good dealer experiences. This is indeed a good sign.

[SMK_BLR]

Congrats on the Italian beauty.. GP in white looks awesome! Your chronological narration is very good with attention to details. Happy driving!

[sbkumar]

Congrats Raj, Welcome to the Club ! It's the best looking hatch in market now, esp in BNW!

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by .sushilkumar

let me be the first to Congratulates you On Italian babe . IMO bosa nova white is the best color on the punto. Enjoy her to the fullest and drive safe .

Happy motoring . between a leap of faith from a Scorpio to a FIAT .

Thanks sushil. When i decided on the Punto, I was sure I want the B N White only.

Originally Posted by camchennai

Congratulation Raj on your new Italian horse.

Excellent write up and every scene were narrated very well, Thanks for brining up this review. Please update us on the initial experience and some more pictures of interiors.

Thanks buddy. I'll will surely update with the interior pics & details.

If possible, I'll also post pics of the "Blue&Me" functionality. It works like a charm with my X10i. How I wish every car had this feature inbuilt...

Also, I am yet to fiddle with the My Car settings.

Also why only floor mats as freebie??

They were giving me floor mats, mud flaps & teflon coating as a freebie. These people charge unnecessarily in the name of accessories. so i asked for cash discount in place of accessories. Also, I dint want those ugly mud flaps on my car.

P.S. I guess you got confused in the end while putting up the dates, D-date is suppose to be in February however you have mentioned January dates.

Thanks for bringing this up. Its corrected.

Originally Posted by drjumbo

congrats man!!! perfect man plus muscle car!!!!happy driving

Thanks mate.

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Congrats Raj, on the car and the job. Working in the LR dep will be interesting.

You certainly will enjoy this car, especially the opening up of the engine, where with every drive the car will feel different (better).

Thanks a ton akshay. You know you have been of great help, dont you?

I am getting V Kool installed. He is charging me 5k.

One thing for sure, is that the speakers need an upgrade. Also what have you decided for the music system?

Yes, the speakers are terrible. I'll doing an ICE upgrade very soon.

The tyres too, should be switched to possibly Yoko C-Drives.

I am a very sedate driver. So nothing has been thought about the tyres as of now.

Originally Posted by khoj

Hey Raj_5004,
Congratulations on getting Pintu home.

Thanks buddy.

However, I am puzzled. You have a transport company and here you are taking up jobs elsewhere. What is the deal? You doing this for fun or getting experience outside of a comfortable domain. What gives?

I have PMed you.

PS Could you post some pictures of the interiors too and do you intend to sell your OE alloys? A friend of mine was looking for 98 pcd alloys a couple of weeks back hence the query.

Yes, I am selling the OE alloys. I have posted an Ad in the T-BHP classified section.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Congratulations on the Punto. Is it just me or has there been a surge of Punto threads these days ?

I guess the most selling Punto is the 75 hp Emotion. the sales executive confirmed this. 75 hp Emotion pack sells a bit less. 90 hp is not preferred by many, God knows why.

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

Congrats on the car. I'm quite surprised you want to change the alloy wheels. I really like the Punto and Linea OE alloys.

Even i like the wheels, but I like my car to look different from the rest of the crowd, so the alloys...

Nice to see a lot of Fiat threads in the past few weeks where buyers have had pretty good dealer experiences. This is indeed a good sign.

I have had an amazing experience with Fiat, even better than toyota. The SE even messaged me in the evening congratulating me for the car.

Originally Posted by SMK_BLR

Congrats on the Italian beauty.. GP in white looks awesome! Your chronological narration is very good with attention to details. Happy driving!

Thanks a lot buddy.

Originally Posted by sbkumar

Congrats Raj, Welcome to the Club ! It's the best looking hatch in market now, esp in BNW!

thanks buddy...

[sidindica]

Congratulations on the '11 GP 90 HP Raj!

You didn't mention my name as the scriptwriter...*evil grin*..lol

Looks amazing in white and hope you will get killer gunmetal finish alloys to complement the looks of the car. Make sure its 98 PCD IIRC.

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by sidindica

Congratulations on the '11 GP 90 HP Raj!

thanks buddy.

You didn't mention my name as the scriptwriter...*evil grin*..lol

Script, production, direction, screenplay... everything is me, me & ONLY me!

Looks amazing in white and hope you will get killer gunmetal finish alloys to complement the looks of the car.

I had chosen alloys in gun metal finish but as i said, due to some problem, they could not be installed.

Sigh!

[raj_5004]

I was planning to add lenso alloys but unfortunately that dint happen. However, I got another set of 98 PCD alloys from a Taiwanese brand. Added tints from V Kool.

A special thanks to BHPian Aditya (adishenoy) for accompanying me, clicking all the pics & even photoshopping it.

Initial impressions coming soon...

[akshay4587]

Congrats Raj
Looks Haute.
How would you rate the Performance of the engine,when you compare it to the 2.2Mhawk(Please exclude handling part from this)


PS:You too seem to be a sucker for tyre foam,like i am

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by akshay4587

Congrats Raj
Looks Haute.

Thanks buddy. I am glad you liked the alloys.

How would you rate the Performance of the engine,when you compare it to the 2.2Mhawk(Please exclude handling part from this)

In short, mHawk is way better than the Mutijet in terms of low end torque & responsiveness...


PINTU'S INITIAL IMPRESSIONS:

I have barely driven her but I have got to know much more about her... by reading her kundli (manual) & spending time with her.

The first thing I do in the morning, when i get up is, look out of my window, appreciate her beauty & wish her Good Morning! Am I going bonkers???

I would like to share a few things about my pintu-

+ I have said it many times & I will still repeat - she is gorgeous! I mean everywhere, right from the mall car parking lot to the road side accessory shop, everyone gives a second glance to my pintu. And I am not imagining things... I am not blind in love!

+ The Auto AC is a chiller. Even before I had installed the tints, the hottie used to make me cold. after the tints, i set it on "Full Auto" which means it will automatically adjust the temperature & fan speed if its getting too chilly inside. Smart!

+ I am amazed by the boot space. It can easily swallow a 6 footer like me. Ahem... Does that mean two 15" subs??!!

+ The stock alloys are fantastic. these are the best stock alloys I have seen on any car, including the high end Mercs. Then why am i changing it? I want to give Pintu her own personality. Not like her other siblings on the road.

+ Fiat has given Pintu fat 195 section tyres! I am impressed that ATLEAST Fiat is not behind extracting the maximum kms for litre, like the competitors.

+ The build quality & toughness of the car makes even my innova run for cover. the "thud" when you close the doors & the overall "heavy" feel of the car is what I like in my scorpio & its present in my Pintu too.

+ Everyone already knows the ride quality of Fiats. On my way back home from the dealer, I dint notice a big bump. by the time I saw it, it was too late & i just let the car go. Pintu was at 40 kmph & I heard two loud thuds but thats about it. I barely felt anything inside. And the tyres were over inflated by the dealers too... I was confused whether I should smile or frown!

+ I filled in full tank of diesel & the Trip computer shows a range of 652 kms, based on average speed. Thats an average of 14.5, this is before the first service, in city & with AC. I am very happy if the car delivers 13-15 kmpl.

+ Blue&Me is the best thing that could have happened to me. My phone got connected in a jiffy. It so so so easy attending calls now & even making calls is super fun. Just press the windows button & say "Call XYZ" & the car makes the call for you. Superb!!!

+ Voice recognition system is also superb. It recognizes our Indian accent very well. All call settings can be changed or edited just by giving voice commands.

- The engine is an average performer. I dont know how it performs above 2000 rpm, maybe it will be good. But i want low end torque for city use. This one is not as responsive as a scorpio.

- The music system is crappy. Why the hell do I have to use the steering controls for the USB? What if my co-passenger wants to hear USB? Why cant they integrate that in the head unit? Why have they given such third rate speakers?

- I actually liked the black & silver interiors now. But beige would have looked nice, no?