Fiat Punto [2011-2014] User Reviews

Exterior In short Simply Splendid. No matter how much you look at it, it just doesnt fit in completely. The detailing and the design is simply awesome.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) The features provided by this car are again simply a step ahead of all the cars in its caegory and also many sedans in India.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Due to the exorbitant fuel prices in India, one hiccup owners may feel about this car will be the relatively low fuel economy on the petrol version of the car. If we discount that, the car is a superb pleasure to drive and the handling is great. The gear throw is a bit long for some but then again, it doesnt matter much after you get used to it.

Ride Quality & Handling Splendid!! All hands down. the Swift owners can sing all the praises they want for their car.. but Punto is in a league of its own and no less enjoyable.

Final Words Highly Recommended if Mileage is not your most important consideration. Wonderful car overall. I have also come across many comments on various sites about the available of Spares and After Sales Service. All i can say is that these are location specific issues and not universal. The attitude and behaviour of Individuals in the Service Centres shouldnt be reflected upon the parent company. You can inquire with owners in your area about the local dealers and their performance. I havent faced any issues at all with dealers in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane, not even for parts availability.

Areas of improvement  cant think of anything. It really is a great car to own and drive.

EverythingMileage is a bit less but the features and performance make up for it.

Exterior The car has a Macho look and feels like a hulk and if you have a good set of wheels then it is just excellent.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) The boot space is the biggest in the segment along with the legroom.It is quite good for average hieght people not for tall people.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox The engine is just soundless.The first gear is a bit sluggish but after that it picks up very well. The fuel economy is very good and I ahve driven about 35 K and have normaly got 15kmpl with A/C.The gear shifting is very smooth.

Ride Quality & Handling The ride quality is superb and I have driven at 150kmph and the handiling is too good.The nose is a bit long (not a negative point) and has to be taken care in bumper to bumper traffic.

Final Words I have booked a 1.3 Emotion just because of the pros of the Punto but had to sell this one due to the contunuous increase in petrol prices as my running is very high.Last word for a hatchback and value for money in all aspects just go for the Punto.

Areas of improvement NA.

Macho looks, build quality, features,fuel economy, interior cockpit look, boot space...None

Exterior VERY GOOD. THE BEST IN ITS CLASS.EYE CATCHING DESIGN.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) VERY GOOD COMFORT, REAR LEG ROOM LESS SPACE.SEAT QUALITY NOT GOOD.THE DOOR PROTRUDING INISDE MAKES IT DIFFICUKT TO KEEEP THREE AULTS IN THE REAR SEATS.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox THE BEST ENGINE . SMOOTH GEAR SHIT.VERY LESS CABIN NOISE.

Ride Quality & Handling EVEN AT 3 OR 4 TH GEAR THE CAR MOVES AT 20 KM WITHOUT PROBLEM. EXCELLENT. TAKE THE POT HOLES WITH CONFIDENCE. WHEN WERE INSIDE FEEL THAT WE ARE IN SAFE PLACE.

Final Words GO FOR PUNTO. AGRESSIVE MARKETTING BIS NOT THERE CUSTOMER HAS TO FOLLOW UP WITH THE DEALER FOR EVERY THING NEED IMPROVEMENT.

Areas of improvement INTERIOR. THE DEALEAR IS HAVING VERY OLD  STOCK ( 7 MONTH ) WILL IT AFFECT PERFORMANCE. CENTRAL LOCKING SHOULD BE PROVIDED FOR THE BASOIC MODEL. REAR VIEW NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.THEY CAN USE GOOD YEAR OR ANY GOOD BRAND TYRE INSTEAD OF JK TYRE.

LOOK,ENGINE PERFORMANCE,BUILD QUALITYREAR LEG ROOM,NO CENTRAL LOCK

I bough Active1.3 in Dec2011

Driving happly. I have test drive Tata Vista which was my first preferance then test drive punto, i dont have the second thought after the test drive, buysing punto.

Exterior Good in shape.

Interior (Features, Sapce & Comfort) Good features, space and comfort. Great leg front room. Good AC. nice streering.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Performance is good. fuel economy is awasome, i am getting 23.5 in highways and 15+ in city. Some what hard gear box.

Ride Quality & Handling Good.

Final Words Best in the quality. Good grip on the road specifically on highways. Strong Body.

Areas of improvement Rearview mirror,plastic quality of interior. View from the driver seat is not much clear. Ground clearens. Engine noise. More boot space has given , they can reduce the boot space and can accomidate the leg room for rear seats. Floding of rear single seat is not possible. No Attractive interior they can have the nice attractive interior as like i10 / i20. Can increase hight to accomidate 6feet guys. Simply great, great.

Good Fuel EconomyNo Attractive interior, cabin noise

Exterior Looks like a mini maserati, gorgeous and timeless design by guigaro.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Very comfy front seats and decent rear space as well.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Gets better and better with kms piled on. Gaerbox a lil notchy but gets better with mileage. currently getting 18 to 19 in hihgway driving and 14 to 16 inside city with AC at 23 24 degrees C.

Ride Quality & Handling The best ride quality at the segment. Built like a rock and handles any road irregularity with ease. Handling absolutely phenomenal. No other car in the segment can hold 140 in corners and still speed off in mid corner without dramatics

Final Words The Ultimate hatch your money can buy. I absolutely love my punto 90 HP. If you love to drive, this can be very addictive. I bought my Punto 90 hP  last sept 2011 and so far have done 15000 km and it is flawless. Just pure driving pleasure and power. Highly recommend it, Go with concorde motors for hassle free after sales service experience.

Areas of improvement Can Improve the quality of interiors a bit and still give it more power,,1.6 Multijet with 105 HP drooling.

Great Dynamics and handling. Solid engine and powerful mid range. Decent fuel economy as wellQuality of interiors can be better

Exterior

 There is no doubt about it that it is one of the best looking hatchbacks in the market. Upon a closer look, you can feel the solid built of the car and also the quality of the paintjob. You would notice without fail the weight of the doors when you open them and the heavy thud with which they close. You just can't compare Ford Figo or Maruti cars with it. It says all about the good quality of the material which they have used to make the exterior body of the car. The thick sheet material increases the weight of the car making it a bit slower than Swift but you would appreciate the sense of security and the solid feel it provides much more than half a second you would have lost against Swift in drag race.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

This is a bit of a spoiler. I own Emotion 1.3 which has dual tone dashboard and fabric inlay on the doors at the arm rests which look and feel good. But it looks like they have ignored thiings like glove box and lining at the joints of the dashboards. The lid of the glove box keeps dropping after every bump or after a while does not close at all. I got this problem fixed 3 times but due to some loose screw, it keeps coming back. I've seen this problem in Linea as well. Also, if you dig deeper into the glove box and feel around a bit, you can get into car frame components which is obviously not nice. There is some mis-alignment at the joints of dashboard where the two tones meet i.e. around the middle. Since mine is not Emotion Pack, the stereo panel and AC controls bear old-sy looks. The panel looks good in Emotion Pack though. 

The seats are good though. Front seats are comfortable and there is reasonable space and legroom for the rear seats. Rear legroom can be a bit of a problem for a tall person but then, this problem is common to all the cars in A and B class. So you are not exactly shortchanged in this department if you compare Punto to other cars in the segment. In fact, you are reasonable well off as compared to, let's say, Swift. Overall, the cabin feels roomy and my friends appreciated the space and seating(None of them is taller than 5'9", so they did not complain about less legroom for the rear seats :-)).

AC is decent enough for Bangalore but I'm not sure how would it fare in hot climates like in Delhi.

Audio system is okey-tokey: nothing to write home about but definitely not bad either.

Really good thing about Punto: its huge boot which is I think the biggest amongst the hatchback in its segment.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

This engine being used by Swift, Ritz and Indica Vista is proof enough that it is the best diesel engine available in the market. It's tuned for a smoother ride in Punto as compared to Swift. This my friend has himself confirmed who owns Swift VDi. Suzuki has tuned the same engine for a bit better performance. So Swift feels a bit perkier which is also due to its lighter weight. But the difference is not much.

The drive quality is good. Pickup is okay which other people feel is good(I own a Ford Ikon 1.6 as well. So I'm still getting used to the cars in this segment. Perhaps this is wrong comparison). But the moment you switch on the AC, you feel a sudden drag on the engine and all that pep is lost. The max I could reach with 5 people and full luggage with AC on was 100-110 kmph. After that, engine begged for more power and I did not push it further. So I leave it upto you how do you rate this performance.

I've driven around 7000 Kms so far. I feel the car is frugal and it gives me approx 17 km/l in city and 23.5 km/l on highway without AC and 22 km/l with AC. So I'm pretty satisfied with the fuel economy.

I'm not very happy with the gearbox. It is still a little shifty and getting into 5th gear is not very smooth. It takes a little practice for getting used to it. Also, I've been having some problem with reverse gear. It would often not engage and would require a firm tug. I showed this problem at the service station. But the service engineer told that the gearbox would become smooth after some more driving. So I am banking on it. But there is nothing major.

Ride Quality & Handling

 Ride quality is good and it takes on the potholes and bumps pretty well. Handling is spot on and it goes where you intend it to go. Stability is good at high speeds. 

But I feel turning radius is a bit more for its size. It is at least as much as my Ford Ikon. Also, ground clearance is low and if you are not careful, you will surely hit the bump with underbody if your car is loaded.

Servicing

As for servicing itself, I've not encountered anything major yet and KHT Motors, Whitefield, Bangalore have addressed to small concerns like wheel alignment and glove box problems (phew! it keeps coming back, maybe due to improper design) immediately.

Final Words

 Overall, it is a very good car and a good value for money. People still don't have very good impression of FIAT (FIAT= Fix It Again Tony :)) but this car is a quality product and you would not regret purchasing it. Let people say whatever they do, but go for it if your first reaction after first look and TD is admiration as it comes straight from your heart. Rest all is drummed in by other people who are not going to own it. It has a proven engine which other car makers use and it is a very secure car. These are the two things which matter the most for the driver.

Areas of improvement  

 Engine can be a bit more powerful though this would mean an improvement for Swift and the likes as well which use the same engine and more for Ford Figo which is even less powerful. But this engine is no laggard.

Ground clearance.

Turning radius

Fit and finish of dashboard components like Glove Box.

 

Very Good Looking, Cabin Space, Fuel Economy, Solid Built, Value for MoneyQuality of Interiors, Turning Radius, Low Ground Clearance, Engine needs to be a bit more powerful

I bought my Fiat Grande Punto 1.3 Emotion Pack in Sept 2009. Since then I have driven the car for 76000kms till date and I would like to tell you all that the car still performs the same as it was on day one. Its a car made for those who have a passion for driving. Its safe, powerful, and comfortable. I'd say its value for every rupee you spend to buy this mean machine.

Exterior Car with a sporty and macho look

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Insufficient legroom for passengers in the rear seat. Comfort in the front seats is excellent. Very good lumbar support, you can drive this car continiously 3 to 4 hours without taking a break and you still wont feel exhausted. Sufficient space for luggage in the boot. Very good audio system with blue & me

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Smooth gearbox. Consistent performance since I bought the car, with a mileage of 16 to 17km/ltr in city and 18.5 on highways @ speeds exceeding 110km/hr and 21km/ltr on highways @ 80 to 90 km/hr speed

Ride Quality & Handling Great suspension, excellent road gripping and stability even @ 160km/hr. ABS with EBD gives you a safety at high speeds. The clutch lever is butter smooth, practically effortless and comfortable in city traffic.

Manuvering in bumper to bumper traffic is a tough job as the steering feels heavy with a big turning radius of 5.5mtrs. 

Final Words As said apart from a couple of cons the Fiat Grande Punto is stylish, comfortable and great value for money

Areas of improvement Committed dealership with More service centres and timely availability of consumables & spares at the service centres.

Improve the fit and finish of plastic components

Inbuilt reverse parking sensors with camera would be appreciated.

Proper placement of drivers seat height adjustment lever.

 

 

driving pleasure, low maintainance, good & consistent milage and performance, excellent suspensionInsufficient legroom for passengers on rear seat, inferior finish of plastics

Exterior Look is very good comparitive to other brands at same price.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Excellent Engine performance. Giving 13 KMPL in HYD condition where as on Highway giving 19 KMPL. I learned driving on my car started driving a six months back. Gearbox is very good and easy to handle.

Ride Quality & Handling Very good ride quality.

Final Words I definitely recommend to buy a Punto Diesel verison as its Very good looking, Excellent boot space, leg space and comfotably three persions can sit at back seats. Milleage is good. When compared to other cars Swift Diesel, Figo Diesel Punto is best coice to buy. But A/C is a little low in summer we need to put at level 4. Level1 seems like a fan in low speed.  Reverse sound provision is not there. With two breaks each 15 mins I drove 600 KM I did not felt tired.

Areas of improvement NA.

Driving comfort, Seating, Gear handling, Look and MilleageA/C little low, Reverse sound provision not there

Exterior GREAT LOOKING HATCHBACK DISIGN, DEFEATS VW POLO I20 IN EXTERIORS.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) SAFETY,SPACE,COMOFRT,2 AIRBAGS

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox 90 HP IS THE POWERFUL BHP IN DIESEL HATCHBACK IN INDIA

Ride Quality & Handling GREAT HANDING INITIAL RESONSE,GREAT RIDE QUALITY

Final Words THIS CAR STORMS IN THE HATCH BACK PART.

Areas of improvement Great features, space, features, safety, handling, cruise control. The Grande Punto is the third generation of the Punto (internal name Project 199) that was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2005. The Grande Punto however made its way into the Indian car market in June 2009. Fiat delayed the launch of the Grande Punto in India to strengthen its dealer network across the country before the launch as Fiat has always been highly optimistic about the sales of the Grande Punto. The Grande Punto has changed the fortune of Fiat worldwide and Fiat has launched it in India with a similar target.

Design The Fiat Grande Punto shares its platform with Fiat's already-on-sale saloon, the Linea. The Grande Punto is developed jointly by the legendary designer Giugiaro of Ital Design and Fiat Style Centre. The Grande Punto has been designed on the SCCS platform which was a project undertaken jointly by Fiat and Opel engineers in Turin. The hatch has a very aggressive design with lots of Italian flair reflecting in it, giving it a much better stance when compared to most of the other currenty sold hatches. The fascia of the car is dominated by the chrome-plated front grille with the red and silver Fiat badge at its centre and the leaf-shaped headlamps extending upto the front fenders. The Grande Punto has a wide windshield with a steep rake and its hood exhibits a gentle crown.The silhouette has a shallow greenhouse, overhung front end and flared wheelarches which adds bold character to the design.

Interiors The interiors of the Grande Punto are derived from that of its sibling the Fiat Linea. The inside of the Grande Punto is ergonomically designed with grey and black dual tone interiors in the Emotion and the Emotion Pack variants. Like the Linea, the interiors are clean with decent fit and finish of the plastics and the Punto logo stitched on the seats and the floor mats. The orange backlit instrument cluster of the Grande Punto has four dials with a digital odometer and trip meter which even reads out trip time, mileage, trip time for two trips. The Grande Punto has the same single CD Blaupunkt music system with 6 speakers which is present in the Fiat Linea with the Blue&Me package available in the Emotion Pack variant.

The tilt-adjustable steering and height adjustable driver's seat makes it possible to fine-tune a driver's seating for maximum comfort. The slim A-pillar and large windshield increases the front visibility, however the thick C-pillar and small rear windshield reduces rear-end visibility causing problems while parking in tight spots.

Engine, Transmission The Fiat Grande Punto is available with two petrol engines viz. 1.2-litre and the 1.4-litre and the diesel variant is the 1.3-litre mill which is based on the multijet technology (with 75bhp and a now even an option of 90bhp).

The 1.4-litre FIRE (Fully Integrated Robotised Engine) is a petrol driven engine which even powers the Fiat Linea. It is 1368cc, 16-valve engine which cranks up 90bhp@6000rpm and produces a maximum torque of 115Nm@4500rpm. This is a modern short-stroke high rpm engine which has lower torque and higher rpm. The engine is highly refined with very low NVH levels even while idling. The engine feels a bit sluggish at low rpm, however the engine comes on song after it crosses 3000rpm. Drive the car above 3000rpm and you will have no complaints about the engine's performance.

The turbo lag on the multijet engines is what most people have always had an issue with - be it the Fiat Grande Punto, Linea, or even the Tata's like the Indigo Manza or the Indica Vista which share this powerplant. Thanks to the additional sweet-15 horses, the 90bhp Grande Punto did feel a little better than the 75bhp multijet and will no doubt have better in-gear acceleration thanks to the extra torque. One won't find much of a difference over the 75bhp Grande Punto in city traffic, but this hatch will definitely shine on the highways, where the extra punch will kick in and making overtaking easier than before. Drive this car above 1800rpm and you will love the way the turbo spools and the engine propels you away.

Fiat has used the 8-valve 1172cc, 68bhp petrol engine, which is the same engine that powers the Tata Indica Vista SAFIRE which we recently tested. The Indica Vista even has the same Fiat gearbox, however due to the difference in the final drive, we found that the Grande Punto is far more driveable in the city. In our quarter mile run, the Grande Punto 1.2 took 21.4 seconds to hit the 402m mark and reached 100kph in 19.4 seconds. No doubt, a better figure could be achieved if the car was a tad lighter. It tips the scales at 1140kgs compared to the Indica Vista Drivetech4 SAFIRE which is 1035kgs, making the Grande Punto 1.2 Emotion a whole 105kgs heavier.

Driving Dynamics Fiat cars are known for their composed ride and agile handling. The Grande Punto is no different from the rest of its siblings in this segment. The Grande Punto has a firm and composed ride at low and high speeds.The steering of the Grande Punto is fairly accurate. It is light and easy to steer at lower speeds and the steering weighs up well at higher speeds.

Overall Evaluation The Fiat Grande Punto competes with premium hatchbacks like the Maruti Suzuki Swift and Ritz, Hyundai i20, Skoda Fabia and the Honda Jazz upto a certain extent considering the size and the fitments. The Grande Punto as an overall package is value for money with adequate space to accomodate four adults comfortably. The Grande Punto will easily attract driving enthusiasts and Fiat fans.

GOOD STYLE,FUEL ECONOMY,LOOKS,FEATURES,SAFETY,HANDLING,NOTHING