Fiat Grande Punto 90HP - Detailed Ownership Review

[cooldhaya]

Even i paid Rs.300 fine once for over-speeding in ECR in my Safari!


The speed limit at that place was 40kmph and i was doing 70kmph.

 

[jayadev]

Riding on her earnestly-clocking 7k+kms (sigh.. not with her presently)

there has been lot said about everything about driving her blissfully but is not everybodies cup of tea.

let us look how i live with her.

early morning 6am i peep out of my window to have a glimpse of her and make sure she is still their (lot of theft happening nowadays everywhere).

i would be glad to note that she is relaxing their calm and quite for another great day.

after my primary chores ,i have to search for keys which happens to be daily morning routine now. key goes missing as if it have legs of its own.
once i could not drive her one whole day because keys went missing ,finally my mother picked her out of sofa cushion gap in evening.
ok then .
i get near her i have to adore her little bit from every angle and make sure no scratches or unlikely things except dust on her body.
i open the door feel the the divine scent of machine/car interior i feel blessed.
i plug in the keys turn half and note everything on odo.i hear a faint buzz and some clicks from bonnet.then everything settles down.
confirm the gear to neutral ,press clutch fully and observe the starting sound whether it is quick or slow (sometime there are varaition sometimes but normally it is quick with single rev of starter)

she do not roar or grumble like a powerhouse diesal engine but just a gentle buzz with her traditional clatter.!!

i turn and take her out to road slowly with rev just under 1300rpm.check the breaks if it is as it should be .
and continue at least 2-5 km or 3-5 minutes for warm up.
after that here we go ..for a brand new day full of joy with her.

most of the time i am in an effort to save our planet and my pocket.
i try hard to maintain her to 1700-1900rpm where i get best fe.

but sometimes for fun i do rev her bit hard and she is not hesistant but eager to be revved hard.
ist gear is too torquey if hard revved will end up in wheel spin and jerks. second is tall and sedate will make you feel "you are under control".
changing gear most comfortable way i have found so far.

first gear : rev her upto 2.5k+ and shift to second leave the clutch half pressed or depress the clutch gradually and pedal her to gain over 2nd gear .

please note that it is not easy for a new person to get accustomed to punto driving ..but nowaday i feel that is the best way of driving from where i cannot look back .

punto has so much torque. i have demosntrated to 3 of my friends (just for fun) how this diesal engine can accelerate from 0 - 40 without pressing accelerator pedal but just its idle rpm and clutch and gear change.(though such practices may not be good for engine but i was carefull enough to see that she doent judder or knocks )

punto rolls freely at 40kmph in idle rpm in 5th gear.most of multijet does i believe thanks to good torque.

seconf gear is so good for crawling traffic she maintains to crawl with idle rpm without any fuss.

she is highly climate sensitive in hot dusty mid day she is bit lazy to move but in cold or rainy environment she is much eager (as usual with every other engine maybe due to more dense air in cold)

brakes are amazing. so far thanks to abs i never lost the track yet .
couple of time i had to press as hard as i can due to some careless road crossers ,animals, birds and foolish bikers. anyway she had saved a lot of souls so far in 7500km journey of her.

i felt or maybe just a wierd thought ac is not as instant chilling as before it takes bit longer maybe 5-10 minute longer i think those filters could be jammed with dust.

lately i realized those seats or cushions lacks additional support and that is why it was not so pretty much comfortable while driving/sitting .i will try to resolve it somehow.

steering position again is not everybodies cup of tea. but as much as i have known this is the best driving position (or maynot be) which gives more agility and better response.i feel the eyesight and steering handle give the best coordination in punto only probably great for high speed drivers and racing. but for comfort seekers they may or will complain.

my mother and wife needs both thier hands for horn . it is too hard and tough built i love it .there are no accidental horns beeps while using steering extensively . of course it was just impossible for that naughty kid of my friend. :) instead he opted for music system and volume controls :(
tires make hella noise ..no problem as far as the noise dont creep in cabin when windows are up and they do not.

 

[jayadev]

one of my friend , a middle aged man saw my punto when he came for his holidays from dubai . i realized other than maruthi and toyota he never heard about fiat ,

it was after about 10 years we met . he wished me best for everything i was and i have become (means i was just a college student when we last met) and was happy to see my punto.

he guessed the priced" how much for this 15 or 20 "?

i said 7.5 ..he was shocked..!!

 

[point_city96]

I am glued to this thread and all these days i was being waiting for your updates.I am very excited to see a person from Kannur in such an automotive forum as it is rare and that too you own my dream and favourite car FIAT GRANDE PUNTO(even my signature is that of Punto).The main reason to register in TAI is to reply to your thread.
Happr to hear that your are loving every bit of Punto.
Searching the keys is common in my home,ust an hour ago i had searched the keys of our car for about and sometimes we get the keys between the cushions of sofa.
Car moving at 40km/h without any work was also seen in our MULTIJET swift.
Could you please sugeest me a good shop in Kannur that provide nice work in ICE(its for our new car)

 

[jayadev]

sorry dude i am not with punto anymore ,i am abroad for the job. mean while my younger brother is playing with her.

ice work in kannur is pathetic and miserable (no offence to anyone but my own opinion) i havent found any dedicated car audiophile doing job in kannur .

they are not at all good at innovative combinations or quality setup.
either THEY WILL MESS UP OR THEY WILL definitly MESS UP. yes it is out of my own experience they broke couple of plastic lugs changed the stock screws did not put foam spacers under speakers et al . in my previous vista..
so i did not let them touch my punto except for filming . even that is a shoddy job with lot of petite air bubbles .they said it is due to dust particle which they cant avoid.
(lexus kannur nr pallikunnu )

they know how to work on common cars like wagon r alto and innova as they have been working with it for ages. morever the prices are on bit higher side.

i found better options in calicut at Nadakkavu area there are many of them and maybe they are good too.
yet i brought my amp from bangalore (i asked tata guys to get it for me so that i wont be void of warrenty) and bought comp speakers from ernakulam the polk audio db650 costed me rs.7000 which in kannur they asked for rs7300+ courier charges and a week to bring down from somewhere.

we should meet up sometime we are now three people TAI members from kannur calicut ..!!

 

[jayadev]

i am not driving her since last couple of weeks but my brother.

he has informed me :
"saw a white misty formation in the head lamp reflector just above the lamp."
he fears it is melt down due to heat of lamp.

ps: i had changed the stock head lamp with philips extreme power 55/60.

 

[cooldhaya]

I think the problem is the entry of moisture inside the headlamp assembly due to some small crack somewhere.

 

[aswinjak]

sorry i must have posted in a wrong post by mistake
now in the correct place
first of all i would like to thank jayadev for makin me finalize
yeah. i am booking my punto tomorrow!
I am happy as hell. Been following u for months now! This is my first post! This is my first car. of course my family has owned lots of cars!

Even my dad is a car lover and its our second fiat! After padmini.
I am a student, doing my 3rd year mbbs.
currently own a fiesta 1.6 s. great car, love it so much. the FE kills me!


again THANK all you guys for helping me out.

No matter wat people tel bout punto (its a bad car bla bla )
its heaven on wheels... and i badly want these people to shut up..!!! cause the don know damn bout cars..!!

 

[350Z]

Aswin, Welcome to The Automotive India and Congratulations for booking your Fiat Punto. Assume its 90HP? Also, it’s irony of life that one cannot shut up the people speaking about you or your car but then what? The best part is that you are enjoying what you drive and that’s all what matters the most, rest will automatically get their answers someday. Now looking forward to another new Fiat Punto ownership thread soon in our forum. Enjoy your stay here.

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[jayadev]

No matter wat people tel bout punto (its a bad car bla bla )
its heaven on wheels... and i badly want these people to shut up..!!! cause the don know damn bout cars..!!

nobody can say punto is a bad car. but in India it doesnt fit any specific buyer other than enthusiast . if it had more powerful engine it would have been an icon in hatchback nevertheless we need FE. so it is a tug of war where the saying comes true "lips gather more feet" and much it is apparent.

Fiat is Fiat and i am proud to own a punto.... general opinion regarding service,and other issues much depend on luck..!!!

 

[aswinjak]

Thanks 350z and Jayadev. You guys are rite!!
finally booked guys... guess wat i called the dealers by 10.30 to tell em that im comin to book the vehicle

AND I WAS SHOCKED HERE THERE WAS A BNW AND RED PUNTO AVAILABLE.

but unfortunately i have to wait because i wasnt ready to pay the whole amount!!!
so they blocked my punto. saw the car. its waiting for me in the yard.
most probably will get it within this month. onroad price in madurai is 6,64000 after al the offers!!
happy but feeling bad. its so near me but not able to get it!! hope ya guys understand.

 

[jayadev]

Driving Tips To Maximize Fuel Efficiency from FIAT

• Drive away immediately on starting the engine even during early morning starts. The advanced 32-bit microprocessor is programmed for automatic cold start and engine warm up. Hence there is no need to warm the engine by keeping the car idle. Just drive away gently without accelerating too much
• In traffic or at signals, switch off the car when standstill is expected to be longer than 30 seconds. The 32-bit microprocessor in your car will ensure first-time restart for a quick getaway
• The high torque delivered at low rpm by your car engine allows you to shift gears smoothly and quickly. Try to engage the 5th gear, at 45 - 50 kmph.Drive smoothly and avoid sudden braking and acceleration.
• When accelerating, first shift down to a lower gear and then accelerate gradually. Do not floor the pedal directly in a higher gear.
• Always drive your car at steady speeds of 50 - 60 kmph in the 5th gear. Fuel consumption increases at speeds above 60 kmph.
• Use the clutch pedal only while shifting gears. Do not rest your foot on the clutch pedal or press it partially while driving.
• Keep air mode on recycled position for better cooling and lesser load on the engine Reduce the blower rpm once you reach the desired cabin temperature.
• On slopes use the parking brake instead of the foot brake.
• 

 

[ilango[speed thirst]]

Re: Driving Tips To Maximize Fuel Efficiency from FIAT

• On slopes use the parking brake instead of the foot brake.
  

A big no to parking brake while driving .

the brake shoe lining tend to come off , of course new car , no issues!


Of course for skidding and other stunts you can use them

 

[mastersquall]

handbrake on slop means drifting time

 

[jayadev]

Handbrakes while climbing slopes