Fiat Grande Punto 90HP - Detailed Ownership Review

[jayadev]

lovable punto-THE HIDDEN MAGIC

as initially experience was so it dint take much time to change . after all it is fiat .

as said 1st gear is short and torque y ,second gear is tall and remaining are normal.
so what good it could be with an apparent slouch?
THE HIDDEN MAGIC
-which was revealed by a long term fiat owner thanks a million to him.

punto 90 hp is not so bad in 0-100 dash with 15-16sec but useable .

i never knew 2nd gear could be used in a diesal engine for overtaking with good acceleration.in punto it happens .
thanks to tall 2nd gear.
even if you downshift from third to 2nd at considerable speed you dont feel the jerk rather you are placed into turbo region instantly and the car can cruise with commendable speed again .much more than adequate for any purpose.but do not expect adrinaline rush due to linear turbo drive.

the car is about to clock 900km. and what i discovered is car is completely designed with fuel economy in mind without compromising the built.
20kmpl was unbelievable for me and punto did it.the digital displays shows!!
hope i they are reliable and calibrated ones.

 

[jayadev]

got a call from service centre to come over with punto.let me see what happens. i feel glad. finally some positive indications (i feel so)

 

[J.Ravi]

Belated congratulations and best wishes on becoming a proud owner of a precious Punto, jayadev. Happy and safe driving in your Punto.

 

[helboy]

Wow that was a hell of a review :) good work bro.thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

[jayadev]

i am in no position to write anything today .punto is not with me. i could not go to the service centre by evening as it was raining and i was out of town .
i wonder what happened to cellphone network the calls refused to connect!!
hope everything would be ready by tomorrow morning.
Mrs. is teasing me .

1.as mentioned previously the passenger seat had a minor play difficult to notice by normal means but i can figure it out. fortunately the service guy also admitted there was a little bit of play and he agreed to sort it out or replace the entire seat.
2.the the floor mat was obstructing the ac vents .( just a minor fix.)
3.i think thats all.

ps: i checked the car before PDI(pre delivery inspection) and told them that if i figure out any issue i wont agree for registration or payment .so i checked thoroughly and pointed out some mismatches and quality issues in front of service manager and sa.
for thier utter embarrassment the left side window switches popped out while i closed the door bit hard. and i yelled at them this is what your fiat is!!
they convinced me that everything will be taken care of in PDI and there wont be anything to complain while handover.
so they were right . i double checked those plastic parts ,accessories, handles,pedals bonet and everything and surprisingly it was rock solid. well built and fixed. dashboard and door parts were shiny maybe polished by something. we tried the doors and hatches several times to hear any rattles -absolutely nothing except world famous THUD.
i felt a deep pleasure imagining that , finally i got a car in which i can close the door with a confidence.(else in other cars one can figure out and sketch the internal mechanical assembly due to rattles and sounds.)

after reaching home i did re-inspection with my brother at night. where i figured the play in seat .it was difficult for my brother to agree but finally he too noticed that negligible amount of play compared to driver seat, so we both set off to attack the showroom very next day.

well there was a reason for utter amusement when dad checked the back side of the car .bottom left one was the white reverse lamp and right one was the red fog lamp . me and my brother were frozen with shock(we never noticed such a huge one) . but later we went through the car bible and realized that is regular(wierd-but wise)

 

[jayadev]

with punto again

clocking 5 km since two days
that was truly a reception back in service centre.are they out of their mind?

i felt honored for the first time in tata-fiat service centre. needless to mention i was being handled by fiat staffs not the regular tata guys. talking to them i felt they have some idea about what they are in to.
suggestions came down like a glacier on me to "take care of it like a baby it is a great car". to which i replied this was supposed to be a sports car everywhere which should withstand abuse.prompt came reply from crm(customer relations manager) "sir, this definitly have that label but do you know what is life expectancy of any of the sports car" i smiled back!!

well seat is not yet fixed . "the red stitching" ,the new arrived seat does not have red stitching unique in 90hp . he apologized and promised me to replace it within this week.( no issues as long as they are committed.)

remaining things are fixed well and told that they did additional check also.
there was nothing like a proffessional appeal to his handling he was doing all these and listening to me as if that was it was his own car- i felt strange and wondered how long it will happen.

if i encountered such dramatic experience every time i visit showrooms and service centers then i think i wont have double minded thoughts. "i will live a king size fiat fan"!!

 

[jayadev]

i am in no position to write anything today .punto is not with me. i could not go to the service centre by evening as it was raining and i was out of town .
i wonder what happened to cellphone network the calls refused to connect!!
hope everything would be ready by tomorrow morning.
Mrs. is teasing me .

1.as mentioned previously the passenger seat had a minor play difficult to notice by normal means but i can figure it out. fortunately the service guy also admitted there was a little bit of play and he agreed to sort it out or replace the entire seat.
2.the the floor mat was obstructing the ac vents .( just a minor fix.)
3.i think thats all.

ps: i checked the car before PDI(pre delivery inspection) and told them that if i figure out any issue i wont agree for registration or payment .so i checked thoroughly and pointed out some mismatches and quality issues in front of service manager and sa.
for thier utter embarrassment the left side window switches popped out while i closed the door bit hard. and i yelled at them this is what your fiat is!!
they convinced me that everything will be taken care of in PDI and there wont be anything to complain while handover.
so they were right . i double checked those plastic parts ,accessories, handles,pedals bonet and everything and surprisingly it was rock solid. well built and fixed. dashboard and door parts were shiny maybe polished by something. we tried the doors and hatches several times to hear any rattles -absolutely nothing except world famous THUD.
i felt a deep pleasure imagining that , finally i got a car in which i can close the door with a confidence.(else in other cars one can figure out and sketch the internal mechanical assembly due to rattles and sounds.)

after reaching home i did re-inspection with my brother at night. where i figured the play in seat .it was difficult for my brother to agree but finally he too noticed that negligible amount of play compared to driver seat, so we both set off to attack the showroom very next day.

well there was a reason for utter amusement when dad checked the back side of the car .bottom left one was the white reverse lamp and right one was the red fog lamp . me and my brother were frozen with shock(we never noticed such a huge one) . but later we went through the car bible and realized that is regular(wierd-but wise)

attaching the photgraph of first day encounter but please note that it was before the delivery or registration.
fortunatly i got a chance to look inside the hidden areas (inside the door). and what i discovered was the inner parts were of good quality and even the switch and additional accessories also were of excellent quality and felt durable ,solid and strong the picture itself is self explanatory to an extend.

 

[cooldhaya]

Its just great to read your thread jayadev! I can feel your excitement! Good write-up.


And the fog lamp and reverse light issue its the same even in SX4 if you had not noticed it till now. Even some other cars also have the same pattern.

 

[jayadev]

spare a minute for her!!!

i am driving very anxiously . i looked at the speedo.. . wow!!! it is about to cross 260kmph.roads in kerala have become real good i am so happy. suddenly a voice like thunder and clouds -jayadev time to get up , you are dreaming !!
truly i wish such dreams could ever come true in india then i would go for sanyas!!

its 7am and everybody is busy(i wonder what these women have to do even on sundays). i got out to see punto, drenched in mist .i though i should give a "morning ride" to her and here i go with my purse and keys. i heard so many people shouting behind me - who cares!!!
suddenly my brother's golden words rang in my head " always give 1 minute warm up for that little turbo" i thought "oops" and stopped . i kept looking at the clock .it was like eternity .one minute was taking too long. anyway it passed somehow. i was enjoying the sound of engine , remained silent for some more time, i press the accelerator a bit, a generous grunt truly sporty. a strange gratitude filled in my soul for all those fiat engineers. it was almost 8 minutes i was still there . i moved on to road. the weather was cool so i opened the window. i felt heavenly with cool wind kissing me constantly.
i concentranted on undulations of road which i constantly felt on steering- nil , nothing reached the cabin everything was absorbed by; thanks to that amazing suspensions. 50kmph in fifth gear . that was cool sedate drive in morning. and i was very much pleased to be on the move.
i felt a bit confused as road ahead and behind both are never ending-which side?
i turned and headed to the highway bypass straight 4 km road newly built good for short fast drives.
i was about to touch the bypass when i heard a honk- a toyota innova. i knew that car and the guy too . he is a race boy with an innova, red mod swift and pulsar 180 . he passed me swiftily . some thoughts came in my mind ,suddenly i downshifted and floored the accelerator.he was already 100mtrs away by now. i pushed my punto and realized i was gaining on him i peeped into speedo it was already 120 and going up whow!! ...130....135......i was getting closer and closer ....i think he realized my intentions and pushed . i smiled and thought i am just only halfway i pushed again 140 .... tailgating him for a couple of seconds i realized he was almost out of breath. i pushed accelerator little deeper 145...150 + i joined parallel to him( punto had much much more left).....he might have felt real pain......i slowed down!!!!!!!!!
generally i dont like to overtake and be first rather i love tail gating and scare from behind (maybe not a good attitude but only with those race heads) i slowed down and continued with morning ride little later after a turning i saw the innova also in slow move. may be he was also having a "morning ride" but i might have spoiled his day. i felt sorry for for him.
maybe some other time he should come out with his red gizmo looking swift and we should give a try.

i was on the move with lot many thoughts when i felt a bit hot. it was almost 8am and sun was on my face i pulled up the windows and turned on one of favorite;the killer..er..chiller ac .
traffic was building up slowly and i was almost in the city limits. i downshifted to 3rd gear and let punto control the torque part. it was freely revving with my feet liberally placed anywhere but not on any of the paddles. i love it.( i wished to install semi automatic sensors for steering controls so i can keep my hands also free, i wondered if such accessories exist in known world.)
the good and most lovely part of punto is- no judder or jerks in slow rpms or low speed. so apparently no strain to engine as it has a huge torque . comparitively vista with same engine used to get strained a little but here probably due to right kind of gear ratios punto behaves well mannered and at ease. the point is it is fantastic for city rides . as everybody else out there and me too hate driving in city but with punto stress levels and noise is much much lower.
finally there was the age old call of nature and i was feeling hungry. it was early morning i left and covered 22km. so i turned back to where i started;home.it was almost 9am.
i reached home and was about to turn the key off suddenly a voice in my head"spare a minute for her!!!!" i smiled and let her idle for a while. then turned off. opened the door and felt i should not come out of punto it is so damn hot outside. while getting inside my home i looked at it again-tempting it is to get in and go somewhere for long long drive. the small car having a cozy comfort and exceptional ride i dont want to miss it.

while in home having breakfast i pondered ,why so much people argue about fit and finish and say that overall fiat is below par. for me it is excellent package. i do agree there is little bit of plastic mismatch but on contrary to that it is well built and rattle free .
for above thought i got two answers
1. probably enthusiasts are pushing fiat to come up with first class product which should be miles ahead of any other car as punto already is leading on many aspect since two years.
2.probably many people are jealous and trying to establish monopoly by showing thumbs down to competitive brands and claiming fiat as garbage.

ps: after driving this much in punto i have reached to a conclusion that fiat is acting much smarter than we thought.
fiat realized if they act only for the enthusiasts as everywhere else in globe they would soon need to pack up from india. they realized india does not need 100bhp dasher but fuel efficient car to appeal for masses. on the other hand fiat is not at all willing to compromise their stand on built quality either to produce cheap rattling toys.rather they are looking forward to establish themselves as iconic brand andwill probably unleash those tempting beasts with 1.6 and 1.9 engines in near future.linea t-jet gave me first indication!!!!!!!!! and it is tempting me too much.

 

[raj_5004]

i was about to touch the bypass when i heard a honk- a toyota innova. i knew that car and the guy too . he is a race boy with an innova, red mod swift and pulsar 180 . he passed me swiftily . some thoughts came in my mind ,suddenly i downshifted and floored the accelerator.he was already 100mtrs away by now. i pushed my punto and realized i was gaining on him i peeped into speedo it was already 120 and going up whow!! ...130....135......i was getting closer and closer ....i think he realized my intentions and pushed . i smiled and thought i am just only halfway i pushed again 140 .... tailgating him for a couple of seconds i realized he was almost out of breath. i pushed accelerator little deeper 145...150 + i joined parallel to him( punto had much much more left).....he might have felt real pain......i slowed down!!!!!!!!!

Sorry to say friend, all this leaves a very bad impression about your driving style in mind... the icing on the cake was this-

generally i dont like to overtake and be first rather i love tail gating and scare from behind (maybe not a good attitude but only with those race heads)

160 kmph & racing on public roads? Tailgating?

You think thats cool? and to post all this in a public forum... what did you want to prove?

There are better ways to prove your car's performance, build quality & suspension. You love you car so much, then why do you drive it rashly? why do you tailgate? do you like the punto more without the front bumper & headlights?

sorry if my post feels otherwise, but i dont mean to offend you in any way. drive safe.

 

[RSM]

jayadev, congrats on your buy and you had put nice ownership experience. You are in possession of the most powerful diesel hatch in India currently. With power, comes carefulness. I agree with raj, be careful and never try to do rash driving. You don't need to prove anything anywhere.
Having said that, I am not surprised that you touched 160 kmph without huss.

Take care of your beauty, enjoy more and more lovely drive with it. More you drive, more you will feel in love with it.

 

[jayadev]

thanks for your concern.

sorry raj ,
nothing to create an offense rather i expect it to be taken optimistically .if it is too bad moderators can delete this post i won't mind.
it is just raw experience came out in writing without any intentional twists or corrections rather it was like a test drive.

normally i cannot exceed 70kmh in kerala as lot of speed cameras and highway patrols are at every nook and corner and speed indicator in punto is like a blessing, i set it exactly at 70 when it starts beeping. i do appreciate that there is speed control on the road at least nowadays i feel much safe in those narrow lanes of kerala.

sometimes everybody have such mentality to push themselves a bit more .
i dont do it regularly but sunday early morning new road and no traffic i felt bit tempted and i am glad for that. and also happy to learn what i paid for was worth.
such things keep happening on road where recently i was tailgated by brand new bmw 5 series for several minutes i dont know why maybe he was enjoying backside of punto . but nothing to desire much for me he left like a meteor and vanished into eternity.(they are entirely a different league of machines ,may be the beemer guy can be in this forum too he can tell why)

i am a lazy man . i love sedate driving with armchair comfort. my highway speed do not exceed 70-80kmh and mostly i stay at 60.and punto has amazing characteristic in those speed bands which i love so much.
and i must say i am a good driver. i have confidence in me when i am behind wheels.
but again i say sometimes we must have liberty to perform as well else what good is all these cars. with so much power and price we pay, they are good for showcase and showrooms with feature list attached.
i cannot prove that my car is faster as there exist faster cars and with better options.
i just took liberty to share those joyous moment i felt with all those who are reading .
i repeat if it was too bad moderators can delete that post.

 

[raj_5004]

sorry raj ,
nothing to create an offense rather i expect it to be taken optimistically .if it is too bad moderators can delete this post i won't mind.
it is just raw experience came out in writing without any intentional twists or corrections rather it was like a test drive.

No issues buddy. Its just that many a lives have been lost by this attitude. You have nothing to prove about your car.

If some jerk is tailgating in an innova, its better to stick to left lane & leave them. If we do the same as that fool, that makes us a fool too!

sometimes everybody have such mentality to push themselves a bit more .
i dont do it regularly but sunday early morning new road and no traffic i felt bit tempted and i am glad for that. and also happy to learn what i paid for was worth.
such things keep happening on road where recently i was tailgated by brand new bmw 5 series for several minutes i dont know why maybe he was enjoying backside of punto . but nothing to desire much for me he left like a meteor and vanished into eternity.(they are entirely a different league of machines ,may be the beemer guy can be in this forum too he can tell why)

I am not against speeding, i understand every petrolhead needs to feel the power of their car but do that on a proper 4-6 lane highway with dividers where chances of surprises are lesser. it safe for both you & your darling car.

i cannot prove that my car is faster as there exist faster cars and with better options.

Thats what. Today you overtook that innova, tomorrow some other innova, maybe with a Pete's box, CAI & free flow will tailgate & overtake you. whats the point? what did we achieve? this will go for on & on & on... until luck runs out one day.

Lets promote sedate & safe driving. Sorry if i sound too boring!

 

[jayadev]

No issues buddy. Its just that many a lives have been lost by this attitude. You have nothing to prove about your car.


Thats what. Today you overtook that innova, tomorrow some other innova, maybe with a Pete's box, CAI & free flow will tailgate & overtake you. whats the point? what did we achieve? this will go for on & on & on... until luck runs out one day.

Lets promote sedate & safe driving. Sorry if i sound too boring!

well what i wanted to share is not that punto is better than innova or any other car. rather as i said i wanted to know how good punto is.in city generally autorikshaws and scooters always lead the traffic that does not mean the rest of the cars are inferior.
as there were so many people complaining about the perfomance of punto since it was launched. i was bit anxious (and still i am) but as far as i have driven it -i am much happy.
last year i droped punto and got indica vista due to perfomance issues only , apparently there was not much to differentiate except the price. . then i learnt about the safety issues regarding built,breaks and handelling to be honest buying indica vista was a bit naive decision for me if compared with present punto. when things are at right place the stress level and anxiety is reduced to a great extend and that is what lead to safe driving!!!

as you said i agree there is no point generally in highways as we can save only couple of minutes, but in cities it does sometimes makes a huge difference but it is not legal to overtake in cities though. but all this depends upon drivers intuitions.
my dad keep advising me from back seat he keep pointing the bumps,the animals and et al. and it is quite normal out of concern and anxiety which i pretty much appreciate there is nothing boring i feel.to some it may be lead to deviate the attention.
Raj your suggestions are most welcome but do take me positively!!

 

[cooldhaya]

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!