Fiat Grande Punto 1.3 Multijet Active. Review on Fiat Grande Punto

I bought my Medium Gray Fiat Grande Punto diesel in November 2009. I have clocked 6000 Kms on it now. Before this car, I had a second-hand Fiat Uno Diesel for a couple of years, had a succession of second-hand Maruti 800s before them (3). There is also a Hyundai Santro at home.

I test drove all the diesel cars in this segment before deciding on this one.

Why Punto

I feel the Swift's rear space and boot are a bit cramped and the ride is bouncy. The salesman was impatient and pushy and just wanted to close the deal and was not knowledgeable about the product. The Ritz had a good soft ride for the city but absolutely no boot space. I liked the colors though. The fit and finish on the Indica Vista test-drive car was not up to mark. The test-drive car's indicators were not working!! The boot space is "vertical" and not luggage friendly, though the overall space may be just enough. I looked at the Indigo CS but the engine sounded very harsh on the test car.

The The diesel Hyundai i20 and the Skoda Fabia were beyond my budget and I almost bought the petrol Fabia. The diesel Fabia has a big turbo-lag and you have to count to three before the car starts moving in any gear. I considered the Hyundai Getz too but the diesel model was no longer available in November 2009.

So I decided to go for the Fiat Punto diesel Active (base model). The sales experience was not hassle free. Anyway, I am extremely pleased with my decision to go for the Punto.

Pros

I regularly check the mileage and I get 15 kmpl overall with mostly city driving in peak-hour traffic (tankful-to-tankful method). I got 21 kmpl when I drove to Chennai and back once. Fiat recommends normal diesel (not the premium ones like HP Turbo Jet, etc.). I am 5 feet 11 inches tall and the seats are extremely comfortable for me, both front and rear. The ride and high-speed stability are out of this world. Absolutely nothing fazes this car and it can take most corners in whatever speed you dare, the only limiting factor being the skinny tyres. This is a very quiet car for a diesel and I have been asked quite a few times by my friends as well as in petrol bunks whether this is a petrol car. The AC is reasonably good and could keep out the heat even on my Chennai trip without a problem. Three people can sit comfortably at the rear. The car feels very solid and the door shut with a "thunk". I love the car's looks and feel that Giorgetto Giugiaro outdid himself with this design. There is very little turbo lag compared to the other diesels but I do sometimes miss the noisy, naturally aspirated diesel engine of the Uno which had no lag whatsoever. Above 2000 rpm, the car can really move and overtaking has never been a problem. With good roads, the car easily goes to speeds of 130kmph without the driver realizing it. In slow speeds, small potholes and speed breakers are no problem at all and you dont even feel them. The servicing is once is 15, 000 Kms!! or once a year whichever is earlier and I got 4 years free servicing without additional payment.

Cons

Short people will find it difficult to get a good view of the road (the top-end model has seat height adjustment). Compared to the Santro, ingress and egress for older people may be a bit of a bother. Turning circle is like that of a truck. Reversing can be a bit of a bother too with large "C" pillars. The big, swooping "A" pillar needs you to peek around it when making right turns, especially in crowed places. The long (and invisible from inside) bonnet and considerable width (widest in class) makes it quite a handful in traffic for somebody new to the car. The skinny tyres on the base model are a problem and I skidded when I braked at high speed on a highway once. I strongly recommend that you go for the ABS model (a lakh dearer) or upgrade to wider tyres on the base model if you go speeds more than 100 kmph on highways. In the base model, the cabin light comes on only when the driver's door is opened.

Another strange problem I encountered that I am told is common is that even after the door is closed, the door closed indicator does not go off. This caused issues with the remote locking that I added on as well as the cabin light not going off. This was rectified by sticking a piece of plastic on the door frame!! I also had a problem with the fuel flap not opening remotely (you can open the boot and pull on a string above the right wheel arch to open the flap in case of emergencies). Another problem I encountered is that the reversing light (embedded in the rear bumper) had partially come loose and kept making sounds whenever I encountered potholes. I got this rectified recently.

Finally

To me, the decision to buy the Punto was as emotional as it is practical. I certainly feel very good when I drive my car and like its looks a lot. The "feel" of the car when driving it is very much like a big car and the build feels solid. There are a few things which could have been better but I feel that is the case with most things in life. I strongly recommend this car as I feel this has the best compromise between emotional and practical in its segment.

Now that we have Ford Figo, VW Polo, and Nissan Micra to come, all with diesel engines, you may want to look at them too before you decide.

Update

Almost 9000 kms done now. I did another trip to Chennai. Got 20 kmpl this time. Kept the car between 80 and 100 kmph. City mileage has stayed in the 15 kmpl range. The reversing light issue cropped up again. I will write to Fiat like recommended. I also want to mention that I took the car for a checkup to Prerana Motors service center in Bangalore and I had a very pleasant experience and they topped up engine and gearbox oils, coolant, and brake fluid for free and quickly. I also got 4 free tickets to a movie. My cousin tried my car and bought a Bossa Nova White Punto for himself.

Thank you all for the comments and encouragement. This is a wonderful forum for us to share and learn from each others' experiences. Thank you Mouthshut!