Fiat Grande Punto 90HP - Detailed Ownership Review

[raj_5004]

And when its not even your fault, suppose some idiot jumps a signal, at those speeds, you wont get enough reaction time & your car simply wont stop!

Punto has got 90 bhp but its still only equipped with normal discs & rubber.

 

[jayadev]

come on raj !!
these are too much of far imaginations against punto and the road i have driven, from your end.

there are no 4 or 6 lane roads in kerala. if there are, they are far worse than narrow lanes.

anyway ,
take it from me those disc and rubbers in punto deliver much better than more expensive one .

i have black dakota slt with auto transmission 3.7L V6 210 HP (not in india,my boss used it and gave it to me when he got new one)and i sometime do drive it .
trust me dakota doesnt comes miles near braking, handling and ride quality of fiat punto .i did not like dakota at all but its steering is superb (i think they are electronic ) i never felt i am driving such a huge car.
then i have Ford Ranger XL 4x4 3.0 tdci .the turbo surge is truly addictive in it , beyond 2000rpm the the car accelerate as if it may go nuts but thick tyres saves it. i like this ford better than dakota but again braking and handelling is nothing near tiny punto.similarly i have seen couple of suv's in india also though i feel tempted to acquire one, as it would be great to cruise over pitted roads of india. but the fun factor vanishes.
only option left would be to go for exorbitant ones but unfortunately i cannot afford them yet probably in near future if almighty permits .

punto has right weight to size ratio and adequately designed brakes with well balanced centre of gravity which makes it so much desired.
only car which could come close to punto was previous swift petrol .it is also a great package .even though i could drive only few minutes i loved it that is how i felt great love for suzuki but they are not much concerned with quality cars so i had to move on.
i dont consider my punto as sports vehicle at all to be aggressive rather it have only minuscule 1.3 litre heart .
as Cooldhaya said it perfect, the engine would definitly get strained beyond 3500rpm.

punto is great for 2k-2.5k rpm revs and i just love it. it is silent, vibration free and torqey. it keeps rolling without any effort and no gearshifts. moreover amazing mileage.its like fill it and forget it. wonderful for indian conditions of driving.
i haven't done a long drive yet in punto but i have wonderful experience with multijets previously( you don't need to travel with pocket full of currencies to fill the tank).

a car is always a car for safe conveyance. comparison can be done on how reliable and good it is,though comparison on basis of technical specs could be ridiculous.

strange me:- i dont mind comparing hyundai i10 with i20 and definitely i10 scores better in my chart.

 

[jayadev]

Good write-up Jayadev again.


Yes i agree even i have revved up my car to check out the power of my 110BHP engine but do it in proper 4 or 6 lane roads when the road ahead is completely free and never ever tailgate! No offence but tailgaters get on my nerves! I give way to tailgaters generally!


Punto Vs Innova i would say a bit unfair. Punto is lighter than Innova so it can win easily against Innova. But Punto Vs Swift can be interesting! Swift can go upto 165kmph with ease!


And yes speeding in higways maybe you will reach the destination early by 30 mins. But you will compromise on FE , strain your engine , concentration will be fully on road that is you lose the relaxed driving in highways listening to your favorite songs , even if you are a great driver luck will not be with us always! And speeding in city is utter waste! You will get caught up in one signal or the other and the car driving normally will stand beside you in the next signal!


And its good that you are following the turbo idling time , i see many people don do that!

cooldhaya thanks for the above.
it would be strange for you to realize that my city does not have a single signal post though its a small city but nobody bothers. at odd hours one may find traffic police under shade or enjoying coffee at places near junctions.
so you can imagine speeding in such a place would be herculian act. rather, slow but always be first could be the only possible way to get out of crowd , else you get jammed between 2/3 wheelers or shadowed behind huge public buses or entangled between pedestrians. everything depends upon driving intuitions .where one of my friend took 20 minutes to cross through the city i do the same within 5 minutes. again not a big feat but just like to share the humour part of certain indian cities.
in such cities tata nano can do miracles and no wonder day by day they are increasing in numbers.

 

[jayadev]

pros and cons after ..

here in my cities it is great to keep punto on 2nd gear while it rolls with minimum speed nothing to worry except keep an eye on on steering .no jerking no juddering calm and cool it feels with optimum ac (thanx to truly efficient climate control).

as mentioned everywhere clutch is feather soft (i wonder how they do it in diesel engine) so no more strain/pain in knees while dragging.
i thought those long throw gear levers are dated and obsolete. but they are getting softer and smoother(they feel more organic and lively). little or no effort is required to slot into gear though fifth and reverse need bit of muscle .
the clutch paddle placement is too cramped due to awkward dead pedal my feet keeps rubbing on those deadly dead pedal ,i will do some improvisations for that soon .

the centre console is much projected making easy access for panel switches great ,with my hands on gear lever i can keep switching ac controls and air vents, which helps greatly during rainy seasons to de-mist the windscreen often.

those viper stalks and head lamp stalks are amazing. light and easy to flick.
but at night i am least happy with head light i need to turn on high beams often and it need certain amount of effort to flick it to high beam sometimes head lamps got turned off maybe i need bit of getting used to as i am little vague with left hand.

and bitter part of punto is
1. i badly miss armrest and i dont have any clue if i could fix one. the way handbrakes is positioned leaves little room for an armrest well i need to give a try.

2.there is little or no space to keep essential things like bottles or cups the glove box is deep but too narrow all it can hold is the manuals and related papers without any lock but my mrs. suggested the back of seat cover (good idea)

3.electronics and blue n me programming seems to be rocket science its not for common man its bit much complicated with an encyclopedia kind user manual i think i will never get it and better stay away from it.

4.i wish i could use bluetooth pairing from mobile for music ,so far i could not succeed i think it does not work.

5. blue n me is an awesome feature ,the connectivity and quality of calls in handsfree is top class but it seems there are some bugs like when the player is turned on it plays radio first then resume to cd or usb last played track.

6.sure there is a bit of blind spots in punto but it is matter of getting used to and i am perfectly okay with it.

7. the usual thud from rear wheels probably due to fast acting suspensions sprung back.

 

[amiti]

Jayadev, nice review. Few questions,

1. How is the power of 90 HP, is it near to getz crdi or does it feel sluggish given the weight of punto?
2. How does it handle bad roads, are the suspensions good?
3. How is city driving compared to other cars, I mean what are the fatigue levels while driving in city?
4. How are the maintainance costs?
5. Are there any major issues like steering rattle (as an example) or any other manufacturing, design flaw in punto?

Do let me know as I am on the hunt for a powerful hatch.

 

[raj_5004]

come on raj !!
these are too much of far imaginations against punto and the road i have driven, from your end.

there are no 4 or 6 lane roads in kerala. if there are, they are far worse than narrow lanes.

I have nothing to say on this anymore.

If you say speeding on narrow public roads is justified because your city does not have better highways or because your car 'feels' safe & surefooted, then best of luck... discussion on this topic ends from my side, on a good note of course.

a car is always a car for safe conveyance. comparison can be done on how reliable and good it is,though comparison on basis of technical specs could be ridiculous.

surprisingly, these factors are always different from every individual's perspective. cmon, we cant debate on the styling or the goodness of any car, to each his own.

but technical specs are constant & can still be debated on. thats what i think.

 

[jayadev]

Jayadev, nice review. Few questions,

1. How is the power of 90 HP, is it near to getz crdi or does it feel sluggish given the weight of punto?
2. How does it handle bad roads, are the suspensions good?
3. How is city driving compared to other cars, I mean what are the fatigue levels while driving in city?
4. How are the maintainance costs?
5. Are there any major issues like steering rattle (as an example) or any other manufacturing, design flaw in punto?

Do let me know as I am on the hunt for a powerful hatch.

thanks amiti.
1.turbo lag is much evident below 2000rpm though it don't feel sluggish. post 2krpm it shows it power in well mannered linear boost.
getz is much quick compared to 90hp punto.
2.city driving is bliss. (thanks to torqey mjd engine.) steering is a bit on stiffer side probably due to wider tyres{195/15inch} but much responsive.
3.cant tell you maintenance cost yet its only being 2 weeks with me.(but heard that its almost cheap as tata cars)
4.no steering rattle, it feels solid( no rattles form anywhere yet).i haven't come across any flaws yet.

 

[RSM]

2. How does it handle bad roads, are the suspensions good?
4. How are the maintainance costs?
5. Are there any major issues like steering rattle (as an example) or any other manufacturing, design flaw in punto?

I can answers few question, w.r.t Punto (not 90HP specific).
2. It is the best handler in bad roads
4. Maintenance cost of new generation fiat cars are comparable to maruti. Spare price are very competitive (but sometime you need to wait longer for its availability).
5. Steering rattle is famous in i20, not in Punto. The main issues with punto was the fit & finish of plastics, but new cars have very less issues.

Do let me know as I am on the hunt for a powerful hatch.

All the best, its herculean task to decide one between i20 and Punto.

 

[jayadev]

I have nothing to say on this anymore.

If you say speeding on narrow public roads is justified because your city does not have better highways or because your car 'feels' safe & surefooted, then best of luck... discussion on this topic ends from my side, on a good note of course.



surprisingly, these factors are always different from every individual's perspective. cmon, we cant debate on the styling or the goodness of any car, to each his own.

but technical specs are constant & can still be debated on. thats what i think.

crossing 70kmph (except on e-ways where it is 100km) in any indian road is illegal. that is the maximum speed allowed by law in india so as per your statement car which can go faster than 70/100kmph in india is not justified so manufacturers must be sued.{if so probably you did not see all those police, ministers and government cars on Indian road .}
well i dont want to debate on speed issues on Indian roads.
the one i did was one time and i am not a race boy though i did cross 220kmph abroad.
i like to have more time on the move so i prefer sedate riding. preferably i like to sit in passenger seat while my mrs. is driving, though i love driving.

i wonder how tech specs are constant and debatable for two different vehicles?

raj if you dont get me yet,
there is maruthi suzuki eeco 7 seater and 7 seater muv like innova both have different technical specs yet they are on sales and in demand. i will definitly go for innova but i know a guy who dropped innova and bought eeco. his justification:-"much cheaper and maruthi's reliability " i dont have any idea how they compete.
90hp punto can be anytime better than 100+ hp hyndayi getz; in reliability and goodness. in spec getz outnumbers punto in many factors.

its not only looks and cosmetics as honda jazz could not make it upto anywhere near hyundai i20 or punto petrol.

 

[vijay]

awesome review mate, one of the finest detailed review to go through, good write up.Yes Fiat surely knows what to deliver from their vehicles which is the case with Punto and Linea.Only thing i feel should have detuned in 90BHP punto is its low range grunt, which is still the same from its earlier version, else perfect car to own and drive.Enjoy your drive.

 

[jayadev]

-----------Next Post-----------

I can answers few question, w.r.t Punto (not 90HP specific).
2. It is the best handler in bad roads
4. Maintenance cost of new generation fiat cars are comparable to maruti. Spare price are very competitive (but sometime you need to wait longer for its availability).
5. Steering rattle is famous in i20, not in Punto. The main issues with punto was the fit & finish of plastics, but new cars have very less issues.


All the best, its herculean task to decide one between i20 and Punto.

earlier people used to have punto tick but now it is i20 tick.

but what i learnt is hyundai maintenance cost is much dear compared to fiat in india.
-----------Next Post-----------
thanks vijay ,
but if fiat tuned the engine same as suzuki swift , they will compromise dearly on fuel efficiency due to wieght . india just needs fuel efficient cars.

tuning for fuel efficiency vs perfomance is like on sword edge dance .

presently punto 90hp claims 20kmpl on highway with 195 inch tyres which other car can do so ?

kudos to fiat with excellent handelling breaking and fuel efficiency!!!!!

if you still bother 0-100 dash in 15sec is too sluggish this car is not for you.

perfomance part takes over later post 40km/h..


else
(for me) this is the best hatchback available in india with best usable features.

an excellent package ...emotional package!!!!!

 

[amiti]

Thanks Jayadev and RSM. i20 is out of my list. Didn't liked the high placed dash and low ground clearance of i20. So Punto 90hp and if at all launched punto t jet are definitely on my list.

 

[raj_5004]

Hey amiti, are you not considering Polo 1.6? I think after palio 1.6, that can be the next hot hatch on our country...

 

[jayadev]

amiti,
advance congratulations .

but before you make final decision do give a thorough check at showroom and service centers at your locality.

raj ,
volkswagon is too new in india with thin line of service .

let us believe that they wont bring down German prices for the services in India!!!

 

[raj_5004]

You are right, but i recommended the polo as a petrol alternative since -

Do let me know as I am on the hunt for a powerful hatch.

Polo 1.6 is a 105 bhp hot hatch!

Regarding A.S.S, Fiat (TATA) maybe cheaper but even their service is not that great. no idea about VW but yes, their spares will definitely be on the higher side.

From his requirements, it seems he needs a powerful hatch with good ride & comfort. in diesel, i20 CRDi or punto 90bhp is the obvious choice & in petrol, polo fits the bill.