FIAT Grande Punto 1.4 FIRE

[Zinam]

Hi Guys,

Thanks a lot for all your comments!

I agree most of your findings. But i just test drove 1.4 Punto for few kilometers.

I think, FE wise, people are getting around ~12 KMPL in city traffic and i find that to be good. As even small cars, i10 or Santro, gives ~13 KMPL.

Also the service coverage is not bad, as Tata is 3rd largest coverage after Maruti & Hyundai. Quality is still questionable though

One more point related to ratings, Looks you have to give more. I have not found even a single person, who doesn't agree Punto is best looking hatchback available in India.

Hi RSM,

The 1.4 FIRE is some what thirsty when compared to Santro's 1.1 or i10's 1.2 Engine. Santro & i10 easily get 13 in city driving. But with 1.4 you cannot claim more than 10 & the car is heavier too unlike other hatches. This makes the mileage drop & these figures are the ones which i got from FIAT Executives!

I think they dont have any neccesity to claim low mileage for their cars!

excellent review buddy. if this punto FIRE wasnt a fiat and instead a hyundai or honda, it would set the sales charts on "fire"!

Yes Raj,

Defnitely this car would have set FIRE among hatches if released by Hyundai or Maruti!

Zinam! With those skills you might as well write for an auto mag.
Precise review buddy!

Thanks Arun! You will hear something good shortly!

Zinam,

Very very well written review.

But shockingly there is no handle / provision to open the boot. Once you release the remote boot lock, FIAT expects the door to come up slightly from its position. But this doesn’t happen in rainy days & you have to fight to open the boot.

Excellent find. I have not read about this anywhere and you have brought out something very interesting.

Cheers,
Vroom

Thanks Vroom.

Yes, this was one of the worst part i found & i was fighting with it to open the boot, so thought of making this point too!

@Zinam:"The quality & build of plastics are on par with Skoda" i think you need to test drive a fabia and then make this statement. I agree that Punto's plastics are better than Tata but it is not even closer to Hyundai's plastic and only then it can reach skoda. I have a personal experience where the bonnet release lever(Plastic) was in my hand when i tried to open it. :). It cannot be compared with skoda's plastics is my opinion.

Overall well written review with lot of time spent on revealing the facts.

Hi Interceptor!

I agree that Punto is not above the quality of Fabia! I said it is on par, which means that its equivalent to Skoda's quality!

Though there are few scope for improvement, the overall build quality is really excellent when compared to Hyundai, Maruti & TATA!

 

[RSM]

Hi RSM,

The 1.4 FIRE is some what thirsty when compared to Santro's 1.1 or i10's 1.2 Engine. Santro & i10 easily get 13 in city driving. But with 1.4 you cannot claim more than 10 & the car is heavier too unlike other hatches. This makes the mileage drop & these figures are the ones which i got from FIAT Executives!

I think they dont have any neccesity to claim low mileage for their cars!

This is the problem with executives.
When i have taken my MJD, the guy told me the FE will be around 14 in city and 18 on highway.
I am getting 17-18 in city (50% AC on) and also got 22 (2 times) when i drove on highway.

Yes, this was one of the worst part i found & i was fighting with it to open the boot, so thought of making this point too!

This is bit aggravation.
I open my boot daily, due to security in my office, and beleive me no problem at-all. In Bangalore, its raining from last 2 months.
I agree that it is not the best, but it is not a big issue also. This is my personal opinion.

I agree that plastic quality in i20 is better. I have not seen in Fabia.

 

[vijay]

Nice review ziman,yes perfectly assisted steering, perfect suspension setup for indian roads makes fiat;s punto as well as linea fun to drive.good gadgets like Blue and Me are welcoming new era of technology.fire engine is good too but i dont quite accept its quality as you said at par with skoda, no way mate, infact punto's plastics quality doesnot even matches its Linea;s quality, as fiat themselves accepted to get costs in control quality isnt looked as deeper as was in linea, even sound insulations is differ on both the cars.But yes a good car with 15" wheels and alloys makes this car look stunning.What fiat needs to do is to get better quality inside cabin, better ASS to bring back those rocking days.

 

[RSM]

But shockingly there is no handle / provision to open the boot. Once you release the remote boot lock, FIAT expects the door to come up slightly from its position. But this doesn’t happen in rainy days & you have to fight to open the boot.

Excellent find. I have not read about this anywhere and you have brought out something very interesting.

Cheers,
Vroom

I checked in my car today. The boot door does come out slightly (but less than an inch) after you unlock it.

 

[Zinam]

So do you agree now RSM ?

 

[Shynish M]

Great review buddy. In fact this was a much awaited review for me, personally as I am planing for the same car you have tested. I think, the missing boot handle is okay as it is the latest trend in some of the new cars. hope the boot will work properly in all climates Regarding the FE, I think it will slightly increase after the engine is properly set, say 5000 KM +. I am not surprised about the initial sluggishness of the engine, as its tuned to be like that !

Keep going buddy.

 

[Zinam]

Thanks Shynish!

So post the requirements for your new car.

We are ready to help you out in picking the best :-)

 

[RSM]

So do you agree now RSM ?

Actually i never noticed this earlier. Since i noticed i remember your comment, so i updated.

Still, i maintain this is not a problem. Just you have to get used to it.

Anyway, i agree with all other things Zinam, you are a great writer and you catch even small things like this, which normal person will never catch.

 

[Zinam]

Thanks RSM!

As a Unbiased Test Driver, I feel Common People should get all the details exactly & even a small detail should not be missed

 

[RSM]

Wipers works well during rain. I am not sure how other works

4. I checked it. Each one is of different length and when lifted up they bend. Are they doing a good job as well?

Punto & Linea uses "Aero Twin" wiper from Bosch.

Compared to conventional wiper blades with a bow system, the "Aerotwin" is only half as high.

The flat design improves the aerodynamics of the wiper blade and reduces wind noises significantly. Another effect is that it impairs vision less during wiping.

 

[napster]

nice writeup dude, its a well written review..and do we get similar wiper for other cars too?

 

[RSM]

do we get similar wiper for other cars too?

In europe market, most of the car comes with this kind of wipers. I don't know about Indian market. I have not seen any.

 

[Ichimaru]

these wipers last longer!

 

[Crazy cat]

For MJD Engine
Synthetic Oil - Selenia 5W-40,Cost - Rs. 650 per litre.
Is it costly.

Wipers works well during rain. I am not sure how other works

Do you think 650 per litre is cheap? I'm not sure whether this is the cost, but the sales executive said that oil alone will cost above 3k.

 

[RSM]

Do you think 650 per litre is cheap?

Considering 15000 KM interval, i don't think its costly by any means. Comparing with others might help.

I'm not sure whether this is the cost, but the sales executive said that oil alone will cost above 3k.

This is the price, 100% confirmed at Concorde Motors, Bangalore.
Also this is the price for MJD.
For FIRE (Petrol), the cost is Rs. 600 per litre.

Now, since it takes 3.2 litres, with taxes, this should be around approx 2.4K.