Aug 12, 2010 02:35 PM
8505 Views
I had been driving a swift VDI for an year or so but then reliability issues crept up. With not much of fix obtained from Maruti, decided it was time to replace the same. My primary observation with swift was that it could never give methe safety factor and could find the car rattling at high speeds. Hope the day comes when emphasis in India would be more on safety as well rather than just onthe resale value (why think of 5 years down the lineeven before a purchase?). I had decided it was not going to be Maruti or Hyundai this time and preferred an European or an American car. The shootout was between Punto, Figo and Polo. I had made up my mind on the diesel version and Polo diesel was yet to be launched (would not have made much of a difference as the car was too cramped for space and the only winning USP was the VW badge). Finally decided it was the Punto over the Figo although it was dearer by a lakh.
Purchased the GP 1.3 MJD Emo Pk.in June in the newly lauched Tuscan Wine colour. The dealership experience was mixed. The car could not be delivered within promised timeline of 3-4 weeks and it took a whole 6 weeks. But otherwise, overallyit was a pleasant buying experience. There have been numerous feedback on the linear acceleration of the car and that its not as zippy as the swift which shares the same FIAT multijet engine. Well, being a swift owner myself, I can confirm that this is verytrue in 1st and 2nd gear and you cant expect to zip off from each traffic signal like you can do with the swift. But all said and done, we are not racing geeks in the city.Also, the body weight of the Punto needs to be weighed against Swift. But thats all where the thumbs up for a swift over a punto ends (if at all, you considered it a +1 for swift over Punto and if thezip off is a priority for you). For me, it was'nt. One can truly enjoy the linear acceleration.
A lot has been said about the looks and it isthe best looking hatchback in the country today - no competition and an undisputed winner in looks. Probably the only car in the market where you would be unable to choose the colour as each and every colour suits this hatchback. From the 3rd gear onwards, there is no comparison to the swift. Punto is in a different league of its own and mind you, is truly a speed masker. A 100 kmph on the speedometer makes you feel you are at 70 kmph and you wont even know it unless you notice the display. I have test driven most of the hatchbacks and the ride, handling and suspension abilities of this is unmatched (Polo comes close). Its just been about a month and too early to judge the FE which is presently at 12km/l in city.
The AC is a chiller and the auto climate control is intelligent enough toadjust the temperature accordingly even in the hot chennai summer - not much of manual intervention needed. The car comes with a Blaupunkt audio system with 4 speakers and tweeters and the quality is strictly ok. If you are a listener at medium volume levels, it will suit you fine but if you are the one requiring heavy beats and loud volume levels, this is not for you. There is a USB port available as well. The blue n me works well and the audio clarity of the calls is too good. With steering mounted controls for the audio and blue n me, it is as convenient as it gets.
Coming to the interiors, there have been numerousreports of broken plastics esp in 2009 models. I had seen this car during launch and I can confirm that the plastic quality and fit and finish have definitely improved in the 2010 model. I have not faced any similar problems so far, touchwood !! But couple of times, I did find some rubber parts lying on the ground from some part underneath the car and intend to get this fixed during the 1st service. Well, its justified that for the price tag of 7+ lac, one wud expect richer interiors but I am not too disappointed. Its certainly better than most other cars but definitely, the Jazz and I20 have a better edge here. The seats are comfortable and space is adequate for 3 people at the rear. The steering control is fantastic and it really responds (unlike I20 where it appears light and dead) with slick gear shifts. I can t comment on the TATA after-sales-service this soon but so far my experience with them when I took it for polishing and fixing number plates have been pleasant.
This car is well-built and you definitely get a sense of safety once you areinside and at high speeds. This is certainly the USP of this car. This was certainly missing in swift. This car has been designed with safety in mind and also not compromising much on the FE (reports suggest average of 15 kmpl which is excellent in city).
This car has definitely chalked a comeback for Fiat in India in this segment (Linea too is a winner in the sedan segment) and it should definitely do better numbers once there is better marketing efforts and the crucial aspect of A.S.S from TATA. There needs to be more promotion in the media highlighting the various features available. I am surprised that Bluen me has just been advertised a year after launch, that too for Punto 90HP. To simply put, the car is loaded with features at this price point.
To sum it up, this car is truly admiration guaranteed, although this tagline belongs to its elder brother, the Linea.
