Great Car - It is here to stay!

I bought this car on 28th August. In the last 10 days i have driven the car almost 700 kms. I recommend this car to everyone who is planning to buy a car in the range of 5-6 lakh. The features given by Fiat are very practical. the blue and me is a feature which should be made standard in all cars as it is very helpful while driving. Apart from this the build quatlity of the car is very good. The moment you get into the car you feel secured. It feels like an armoured car. The quality of plastics used is good if not great. The car has an excellent music system. The sound quality is amazing. I am getting an average of around 12.8. I think it should go up to 14 once i get the first service done. I have driving the car to get the best mileage so even if we drive the way we Delhi-ites do i think we should be able to manage 11. The ride quality of the car is excellent and i would say much better than the 8-10 lakh range sedans. And i am in a situation to say this because i own a Honda City as well, and i felt the Punto rides better than the City (Ofcourse the city has better refinement and more driving pleasure cuz its Honda). The punto has really good handling and i think all those who haven't driven or bought a European car would notice the ride quality and the handling immediately.

I think i have painted a very rosy picture above but Fiat is no Honda and it comes with classic Fiat problems. Fiat and only Fiat alone can stop the Punto from challenging for the top alot of the premium hatch back segment currently held by Swift. Fiat needs to be very strict with quality control. When I got my car, i noticed there was a paint defect on the rear right door handle. It was a minor defect and only a close look made it possible for us to notice it. Then in the boot the parcel tray rests on a plastic platform attached to the body of the car on both sides. The holder of the platform was broken. The dealer promptly agreed to replace it and gave us in writing that he would change it once he gets the parts from Fiat. Then when i drove the car I found that the wheel alignment was not right and the car was drifting towards left. The dealer fixed this problem without any hassle. The point i am trying to get across is that these are small problems but will definately spoil Fiat's and the car's image. Not that these are big issues but Fiat needs to take care of these because when someone buys something as big and important as a car (which normal middle class people buy once in 5-6 years) people like to buy something which is perfect and without any niggles. I would suggest prospective customers / buyers to go the showroom and ask the dealer to show you car before you accept it. Have a close look at the car, try out all the functions provided  in the car and stress for a test drive. Accept the car only and only if you are happy with the peice. Make sure you note down the chassis number and the engine number before letting the dealer to get it registered in your name.

Apart from the above issue there are only couple of cons. The rear seat leg room is not great. The second point is that the pick up of the car in lower gear is average.

VERDICT
I would suggest people to go for the car and not worry about the fiat dealership or the above quality control issue--these are small niggles and shouldn;t deter you from buying the car...just have a close look at the car and it should be good--The car is build solidly and it is a great Italian car. The dealer (Rama Motors in Okhla, Delhi) was very cordial and adjusting. Ofcourse they are not on par with Honda but they are making efforts and they should be fine in a couple of years. The car is too good and i would suggest people to go for it

Good buils quality, Best in class handling, Good ride quality, features, Music systemAverage pick up in 2nd gear, Poor Quality control by Fiat, Leg room on rear seats