Not that Grande after all - TD report. Review on Fiat Grande Punto

I had been waiting for sometime now and had defered the purchase of my car. I was eagerly awaiting the launch of the Grande Punto. Like all prospective buyers, I spent innumerable hours on the net researching on the Grande Punto and I have to tell you that the hype around the car is a bit overrated. Sometimes we are so overawed by the looks of the car or the lineage or the perception about the brand that we fail to objectively evaluate the vehicle.

I visited the showroom in Bangalore and was lucky enough to drive both the Petrol(1.4 lts) as well as the diesel versions. The looks are very good if not stunning. Again as beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, everyone's perceptions could be different. The vehicle I would say is perfect in proportions. It is big and looks big too. The design is not outlandish but is understated, very elegant, quite purposeful and masculine. This is the kind of car that you can drive to your office, to a formal business meeting, to a disc, out of the town, in the wilds etc etc and it will not look out of place. Note: Colour can make a hell of a difference on this car. While the red looks stunning, the silver looks quite pale. Please see all the colours in flesh(not shade cards) before deciding.

Performance: You may not skip a beat but you may want to yawn

The looks of the car kind of sets expectations.lots of expectations. You conjure images of you burning rubber, images of a car that is quick, zippy and fast. Dear friends this is where you will be thoroughly dissapointed. The Punto tips the scale at 1145 kgs and 1190 kgs for petrol and diesle respectively. These are heavy cars and the engine, especially petrol just doesnot have the torque to propel this vehicle as you please. To get the full benefit of the not so great torque you need to keep the rpm hovering around 4000 which can be quite a task as you need to shift to lower gears quite frequently especially in the city. The drive doesnt really excite you. You feel the vehicle cannot keep up with the pace that you want. It is slow. Period. I dread to think about the 1.2 petrol.

The diesel on the other hand displays far better characteristics, especially in the higher gears and Is more satisfying to drive. You feel the very linear power delivery unlike the swift 1.3. The swift literally flies as the needle touch 2K rpm.

But having said this these cars are adequately powered, but while driving you always feel that there should have been a bit more power available. You cannot be blamed for getting these thoughts as the cars are built to handle far bigger engines delivering very high power indeed. In many countries the Punto sells with the 1.6 multijet delivering power in execess of 120 bhp and 320 NM torque. Not to mention the Abarath Grande Punto.

The Interiors: With 3987mm lenght and wheelbase of 2510mm, the Punto appears to be very spacious(at least on paper). But the internal space is decent at best. The legroom surprisingly is very less at least considering the long wheel base and length of the car. I may be wrong but clearly this is another thing that can disaapoint you. Many reviews proclaim that the Punto has'acres of space'. This is clearly going overboard. Please donot go with the expectations after reading reviews on the net. The Punto can accomodate 5 average sized adults( 3 in the rear can be a bit cramped though). I suspect that if one changes the interiors to beige it might look a lot more spacious. Seating comfort at the rear is Average. Seating comfort in driver and passenger seats - very good. Head room - Good.

Build, Ride and handling: This is a familiar turf for Fiat. The cars are solid to look and also fell very solid on the move. The build quality of these vehicles is something that negates all the above minor irritants of perfromance and space:). The 15 inch wheel with 195 tyres and superb suspension setup ensures that this car moves and behaves superbly in the road( the 15inch is given only on the emotion pack - very unfair on Fiat's part). Though I could not test it at high speeds or on very bad roads, I could easily sense that this car can take all that the indian raods can throw at it with aplomb and emerge unscathed( a la James Bond). Remember this car has a NCAP rating of 5 THis itself is convincing enough for you to write the cheque.

Value for money: Yes, Yes and another Yes. You get a fabulous looking solid and safe car with good equipment on board and decent performace and space. The diesel I am sure would give around 14 Kmpl which is very good

How many times do you think you want to beat the other car when the light turns green. How many times do you think you need to burn rubber. You may not have a stupid grin on your face everytime you drive this vehicle but you will nevertheless feel happy that your head was more convinced than your heart.

Sorry for the lengthy review. Couldnot stop midway.

Planning to book the 1.3 multijet Emotion soon. Want to see all the colours before I book. Heard the white looks fab.

Will post feedback subsequently