[Rahulkool]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

http://m.overdrive.in/reviews/afford...-punto-abarth/

Overdrive track test of the Punto Abarth.

That looks more like a rant than article.

Ford figo diesel is faster than abarth around the track.

http://overdrive.in/reviews/affordab...est-ford-figo/

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

http://m.overdrive.in/reviews/afford...-punto-abarth/

Overdrive track test of the Punto Abarth.

Originally Posted by Rahulkool

That looks more like a rant than article.

Ford figo diesel is faster than abarth around the track.

http://overdrive.in/reviews/affordab...est-ford-figo/

I read through all the reports. Feels very strange to read through all the cars tested. I'm surprised they found Jazz's brakes the best of the lot.

Figo diesel is faster, but not by much, I blame the excessive torque of Punto.

[anand_lukose]

Yeah. I would agree that torque steer and bad tyres would have caused the issue. But we also need to keep in mind that the Figo still has excellent handling and a much lighter weight.

Shifting gears, I can't wait for the May sales numbers. I was shocked and disappointed to see the Abarth sales for April . Really deserves more.

[Vik0728]

Overdrive track test of the Punto Abarth.

I think the following excerpt speaks volumes:

And then everyone else fought for the keys as the Figo diesel went on to surprise everyone by beating the Punto Abarth by 0.1 seconds! The even bigger surprise was that the diesel Figo matched the Fiat Punto Abarth’s 151kmph top-speed down the main straight.

Considering the fact that Punto Abarth trumps the Figo 1.5 TDCi in every aspect such as BHP, Power to Weight, Torque, etc, I don't see any other reason than the gearbox for the Scorpion's downfall here.


P.S - Irrespective of the expertise/accuracy of the tests, Figo 1.5 TDCI is a scintillating hatch back for the price and performance it offers.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Vik0728

The even bigger surprise was that the diesel Figo matched the Fiat Punto Abarth’s 151kmph top-speed down the main straight.

This is wrong as per the data uploaded on their own website-

[Waspune]

This is just not possible that the figo would trump Abarth on tracks, simply preposterous. The old figo handled well but the new figo is average at best.

Agreed, the 1.5 is a scorcher but there are other things that come into picture when it comes to track performance, for which the Abarth has been specially made.

Overdrive has been paid really well from Ford, it's more than clear, given the figo isn't doing numbers it was meant for.

[nehaagg]

The Figo turbo kicks in earlier than the Puntos--so it may be possible that the quick, immediate burst required helped it in the sector where it was faster. Also, it has the better gearbox and well-sorted suspension (apparently). So it may be possible (but seems dubious) that on this particular track, it managed a faster lap time.

That said, it seems really strange that the TSI did not perform, given that the turbo kicks in at 1500! I refuse to believe that the GT TSI was only faster than the Baleno by fractions of a second!

Also, both the Abbie and the TSI are highway stars, methinks. So on a decent highway stretch, 151 kmph is not the limit for either these cars. And in the real world, this speed comes in, for a lack of a better comparison, 'lefty' (I may or may not have taken it to 180). I, myself have made light work Balenos and (new) Figos on highway stretches. Abbie feels composed, even boring, till you glance and realise, terrified, that you that you have already strolled past this speed. I am pretty sure both the Abbie and the TSI are much faster than any of these hatches in the 'real' world.

[karan561]

Those Overdrive test results have got me thinking. How is it possible that the Abarth Punto got beaten by the Figo diesel ?

Having driven Abarth Punto for a few days & having owned the Figo diesel for a few months now, here are my views;

1) Stock MRF's are really bad on the Figo, so the JK tyres would have helped Figo perform better than OE, likewise the OE Apollo Alnacs are really decent but after they changed to JK it killed the Abarths grip.

2) Steering, chassis & suspension is better in the Abarth compared to Figo's hands down.

3) Figo is lighter, so may be more chuckable. Also note the Electronic power steering in Figo may be easier to change directions quicker than the more heavy Hydraulic unit of Abarths.

4) Wrestling with gears - Abarth manual tranny is really not adaptable for driving fast, so im sure the driver would have been struggling there, where as the Figo's gears slot better anyday.

5) Engine capabilities are equally good of both cars, Figo being low on HP but equalling Abarths torque will make it tough to pick. But in track environments i'd pick the one with more HP.

6) Poor fuel quality (petrol) in Abarth may have resulted it underperforming on an already hot day ?

7) Lastly may be the results are rigged

[nehaagg]

Another observation that can be made is about the track size and car type. Consider, for a moment that the results are fair.

Track day cars usually require light weight and good chuckability. Coupled with a great P/W ratio, it can result in a 'go cart' effect; that is, smaller, nimbler cars with just adequate power can best the beasts, since there isn't enough room. An example could be a velociraptor fighting with a T-Rex in a room barely enough to contain the 'rex.

So the track itself was in favour of the 'surprise' packages. The Kari speedway is about 2.5 kms, so it is smaller (and less wide) than compared to, say, the Buddh circuit, which is around 5 kms. So on a wider, longer track, the beastly horses could really shine, beating the mingers outright.

Lastly, as I opined earlier in my review, the Abbie is much closer to an Indian 'muscle' car, so it isn't necessarily a good track car by spirit. If given space to thunder, both the TSI and the Abbie both could beat the others by the proverbial and literal 'mile'.

[blackwasp]

I'm interested to get my Abarth dyno-ed to better understand her characteristics. Anyone knows a dyno in/around Mumbai? Or has a dyno report for Abarth?

Originally Posted by nehaagg

Lastly, as I opined earlier in my review, the Abbie is much closer to an Indian 'muscle' car, so it isn't necessarily a good track car by spirit. If given space to thunder, both the TSI and the Abbie both could beat the others by the proverbial and literal 'mile'.

Agree. The Figo was simply the more suitable Car for that track.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Waspune

This is just not possible that the figo would trump Abarth on tracks, simply preposterous.

My guess is that the track is probably diesel friendly due to the a lot of small tight turns and only one proper straight.

Diesels did better overall if you see the results.



When it comes to the petrols- Nothing else came close, as expected. GT TSI is still the closest, but it is still too slow, thanks to the gearbox not allowing full control over downshifts.

1. Punto Abarth - 1:21.3
2. Polo GT TSI - 1:24.1
3. Baleno petrol - 1:24.4
4. Figo DCT - 1:25.3
5. Elite i20 Petrol - 1:25.7
6. Jazz Petrol - 1:26.7

[anand_lukose]

Interesting analysis from fellow members. I guess at the end of the day, putting these cars on slicks would have helped us arrive at a better conclusion.

Moving on, Any idea if the Abarth is planning to bring a better gearbox ? I'll be seriously considering this car if it came with a better gearbox.

And dear owners. How are your cars behaving long term ? Any niggles or issues with service experiences ?

[GT145]

Originally Posted by karan561

Those Overdrive test results have got me thinking. How is it possible that the Abarth Punto got beaten by the Figo diesel ?

They state Honda Jazz brakes are better than Abarth's, that really looks like a joke. If I remeber correctly you were comparing Abarth's brake against those machines in 15-20 lakhs range. Well at-least two dozen of people on TBHP agreed to this after a test drive, and most of those members are used to more costlier and powerful machines. That alone make me feel their attitude on the track could be like "ahh Abarth, we will drive this a bit safe, this has got a shaky braking system so just make sure we finish the lap and not endup crashing".

Originally Posted by anand_lukose

Moving on, Any idea if the Abarth is planning to bring a better gearbox ? I'll be seriously considering this car if it came with a better gearbox.

There were rumours about 180BHP version, if we can expect a new gearbox then it's going to come only in this version. But this looks very unlikely as Abarth sales are already on the lower side. Practical option is to look at Abarth version of Linea which is rumoured to come with better gear setup but considering FIAT's history they will just tweak the current one and not going to give us a new and better manual box.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by GT145

They state Honda Jazz brakes are better than Abarth's, that really looks like a joke. If I remeber correctly you were comparing Abarth's brake against those machines in 15-20 lakhs range. Well at-least two dozen of people on TBHP agreed to this after a test drive, and most of those members are used to more costlier and powerful machines. That alone make me feel their attitude on the track could be like "ahh Abarth, we will drive this a bit safe, this has got a shaky braking system so just make sure we finish the lap and not endup crashing".

Do see their TV show in which Aditya Patel elaborated on the brakes. He said, the car carries more speed into the corner especially C1 and the brakes are very good as he can brake at the same point as other cars even though the entry speed is higher. The brakes don't have the feedback but are the strongest of the entire group.

[GT145]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Do see their TV show in which Aditya Patel elaborated on the brakes. He said, the car carries more speed into the corner especially C1 and the brakes are very good as he can brake at the same point as other cars even though the entry speed is higher. The brakes don't have the feedback but are the strongest of the entire group.

"Braking is respectable but not in the same league as the Honda Jazz", that statment is a totally misleading one in a real world scenario. I have never been on a Jazz, but from my experince Honda City's braking power is miles behind Abarth, so not expecting Jazz to be a winner here at any means. :(