[khoj]

So 1 lakh is the buy back price, then what about the exchange bonus? Not too long ago there was a Rs. 1 lakh of exchange bonus on the Punto and 1.5 L on the Linea.

Originally Posted by Abh1nav

Here's the quote offered: 5.38 lakhs on road, Delhi and I'll exchange my 2007 Estillo Vxi for 1 lakh, so the effective price comes to 4.38 Lakhs. They're throwing in the some freebies as well, like the autocop central locking, door visors and parking sensors. I'll try and push them for more.

Tuli Fiat has some nice accessories, last weekend I picked up a a Fiat branded laptop bag and Tshirt from them, try and get stuff like these included or better get them to throw in the OE carpet foot mats with rubberised bottoms and Absolute edition mud flaps. Do not fall for the Teflon coating etc.

[namit]

Originally Posted by Abh1nav

I'm looking to buy a diesel hatch, and have already posted my query here:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/hatchb...ml#post3422034

However, my heart is with the Punto ever since I thought of buying a new car. The variant I'm looking for, is the 1.3 MJD Active.

Went to the FIAT showroom today and checked out the car, TD car wasn't available then, so they sent me a TD car at my home just a short while back. It was a dynamic variant. I simply loved it! Drove the Figo as well today, but the Punto just made me jump like a kid! Maybe because it had my heart even before the TD!

Here's the quote offered: 5.38 lakhs on road, Delhi and I'll exchange my 2007 Estillo Vxi for 1 lakh, so the effective price comes to 4.38 Lakhs. They're throwing in the some freebies as well, like the autocop central locking, door visors and parking sensors. I'll try and push them for more.

So, just want some advise about my decision of going with Punto 1.3 Active. Also, any thoughts about the deal being offered? How far can I push them?

---------------------------------

Punto is a charmer .... the price being quoted seems alright but ask them first what accessories they intend to give and insist on some more .... probably go for alloys if you intend to upgrade tyres to R15 size and ask 50% discount on alloys (10000/- for 4 alloys after discount).
Go ahead with Punto and you shall never repent.

[Abh1nav]

Originally Posted by khoj

So 1 lakh is the buy back price, then what about the exchange bonus? Not too long ago there was a Rs. 1 lakh of exchange bonus on the Punto and 1.5 L on the Linea.


Tuli Fiat has some nice accessories, last weekend I picked up a a Fiat branded laptop bag and Tshirt from them, try and get stuff like these included or better get them to throw in the OE carpet foot mats with rubberised bottoms and Absolute edition mud flaps. Do not fall for the Teflon coating etc.

Yes, 1 lakh is the buyback price, while the rest of the discounts amount to Rs. 91,500, which include the exchange bonus of 50K, free insurance 21 K (Non Zero Dep) and another 20K off.

I checked FIAT's website for the accessories and thought about asking for FIAT's own central locking and parking sensors as freebies. Will try and negotiate for more and get the stuff which you've suggested!

Originally Posted by namit

---------------------------------

Punto is a charmer .... the price being quoted seems alright but ask them first what accessories they intend to give and insist on some more .... probably go for alloys if you intend to upgrade tyres to R15 size and ask 50% discount on alloys (10000/- for 4 alloys after discount).
Go ahead with Punto and you shall never repent.

The accessories which they're offering as of now are remote central locking, reverse parking sensors and door visors. Let's see how much more they offer (if they do)!

About the tyres, a friend of mine was also suggesting the same, but since I'm on a tight budget, don't know if that would be possible.

Still, if I do, any specific brand I should change to? Also, do you have an idea as to how much would be the difference if I swap the stock ones for 15-inch ones?

[vibbs]

You will love it unless there are any major surprises. However my suggestion, go for the dynamic.

Cheers :thumbup:

[Abh1nav]

I booked my Fiat Punto Active 1.3 MJD today. The current offer was ending today and the next one could have been better or worse, so didn't take a chance. Even the dealership was pushing to book the car today and hence, was able to negotiate further and got an on road price of 4.10 lakhs after exchanging my current car.

Have given White and Blue as my color choices, and will most likely go with the Blue!

Once done finalizing the color, will ask them for the VIN and the PDI!

To everyone who helped me with this, THANK YOU!

[AbhishekE]

I recently did a short test drive of the Punto Diesel(wanted to TD the 90HP version but they didn't have a TD vehicle).

Pros:

1. Handling was great considering the fact that I have an i10
2. Rear Foot Level aircon vents made my accomplices happy
3. Looks - Giorgetto Giugiaro is a legend
4. MID with various functionalities
5. Aircon's cooling on a summer afternoon in Mumbai was awesome to say the least

Cons:

1. Performance - The pickup was extremely lethargic and this was the biggest turn off for me. I did a TD of the i20 CRDi shortly after this and found that to be way better than the Punto.

2. No AUX/USB - The salesperson told me that can be fitted for 1000/- from outside.

3. Lack of knowledge of the salesperson wrt to the less important features - I asked him the differences between the 76HP and 90HP diesels. Though extremely polite, the sales guy was unaware of stuff like Chrome door handles, leather stitch finish etc(all on the 90HP variant which was written on their brochure) and told me that the only difference between the two is the engine. :O

Since they don't have a 90HP vehicle on display either, it really leaves me in a confused state which brings the following queries:

1. Performance - The make or break factor for me. How is the 90HP's performance in comparison with the i20 CRDi? The salesperson told me that the 90HP will be marginally better than the 76HP at high speeds. He said the pickup will remain unchanged.

2. AUX/ USB - Can they be fitted externally as told by the salesperson?

3. Is he right or is the brochure right wrt to the differences between 90HP and 76HP Diesel top ends?

I have shortlisted the i20 and Punto having ruled out other diesels and answers to the above queries will really help me finalize soon. Thanks.

[gsurya]

@AbhishekE

I TDed both a Punto 90HP diesel, Liva Diesel & an i20 CRDI on the same day a couple of months ago.

I found low end torque & linearity best in i20, Liva next & then Punto. So in city stop-start traffic, going over speedbreakers in 2nd gear etc, i20 wins.

On the highway / stretch however, Punto 90HP is best, for surging ahead, overtaking etc.

NVH was best in the i20, next in Punto & noisiest in Liva.

Punto is of course better in looks, better handling than the other two. But the Punto refresh is coming soon...

[desdemona]

Hi Abhishek. The Punto is a different TYPE of car to the i20: it is like comparing apples and oranges. It is solider, safer, sexier, younger, more feelsome, more comfy, more controlled, less easily fussed by road conditions, has BIG tyres, has pedigree.

It is, though, better as a highway than as a stop-go-traffic car, and the current Punto's interiors can seem a bit drab to some, though it's very well equipped.

Methinks you should really be waiting for the june launch of the new Punto: it will have the new Linea interiors which, as an owner I can assure you, are just resonant and groovy, and ooze quality! Also, it MAY just come with a 1.2 version of the t-jet petrol engine, which is probably the best petrol engine in the market this side of 15-17 lakhs. And it's pretty efficient too, if driven well.

All the best with your choice!

[imranshks]

Originally Posted by AbhishekE

Since they don't have a 90HP vehicle on display either, it really leaves me in a confused state which brings the following queries:

1. Performance - The make or break factor for me. How is the 90HP's performance in comparison with the i20 CRDi? The salesperson told me that the 90HP will be marginally better than the 76HP at high speeds. He said the pickup will remain unchanged.

2. AUX/ USB - Can they be fitted externally as told by the salesperson?

3. Is he right or is the brochure right wrt to the differences between 90HP and 76HP Diesel top ends?

I have shortlisted the i20 and Punto having ruled out other diesels and answers to the above queries will really help me finalize soon. Thanks.

To answer your questions.

1. If you are going to drive the car mostly in city and rarely on highways, I would recommend Punto 76HP as it has considerably less turbo lag which makes effortless to drive in city. In comparison, Hyundai i20 wins over this version undoubtedly.

Now coming to highways, Punto 90HP is a real star on highways, the turbo lag is less felt on highways as you are in the right rpm range and to complement it, the chassis and suspension do a fantastic job during high speed cruising on highways. Whereas Hyundai i20's suspension and steering might not give you the same feel when you do some spirited driving on highway.

So the choice is yours, whether you are OK to sacrifice a bit on 0-100 speeds and go for a great handler, or you want to hit the 100 quick and compromise on handling front.

2. Changing the head unit will cost you a bit, but that's a safe bet.

3. Punto 90HP/Punto Sport comes in only single trim. That's fully loaded, unlike the 76HP which has 3 variants. You have all the features of top end 76HP variant and red stitches on seats and gear knob and chrome handles.

Cheers

[AbhishekE]

@gsurya

Thanks for your inputs. I'm still contemplating if I should wait for the new Punto or not. Plus the existing Punto has a lot of offers which is very tempting.

@desdemona

I completely agree, and contrary to what people think, I have no qualms with the Punto's interiors. It provides all the safety features and the basics are covered so I'm totally fine with that.

Petrol is ruled out for me due to the fact that this car will be extensively used.

@imranshks

Thanks for answering my queries.

1. I'll be driving it in the City for 5 days a week. Will that be a concern if I go with the 90HP one?

I don't expect it to be as effortless as my i10 but I hope it isn't too much of a strain either.

2. Changing the HU will invariably bring in some rattles which I do not want hence the query.

3. Ah solves my query.

[hemanth.anand]

Last weekend, My car along with another Punto and a Beat had been to a short trip. While returning, we stopped at a highway restaurant for some snacks.
After having our snacks, while removing the vehicles out of a highway restaurant parking lot, the driver (my colleague) released the handbrakes and unknowingly he also had the clutch depressed. Before he could realize, the beat slowly went into a small gutter

Both the front wheels were badly stuck. No reversing or pushing helped.
So we brought a rope and planned to pull it out with one of the Puntos.
Both the cars were lined parallel with both the boots facing each other.

One end was tied to the rear tow hook of the Beat and when we came to the Punto, there was no rear tow hook in the Punto! It was already 7PM and was dark so we didn't search for it and we turned the Punto around and tied it to the front tow hook and pulled the beat out of the Gutter.

Apart from some scratches, beat was fine. We all drove home without any problems to any vehicles. Photos attached below





But after this incident, we were wondering what would have happened if any of the two Puntos were stuck. There was no rear tow hook and there was no space in front of the car.
I checked a 2009 Punto, 2010 Punto, A 2011 Linea, 2013 Linea and a 2013 Punto. None of them have a rear tow hook. I also checked all the cars in our office parking and every car has it except Fiats
This a serious omission IMO. What can I do now to have it on my car? Can I just get a hook welded onto my car's chassis?

[desdemona]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

But after this incident, we were wondering what would have happened if any of the two Puntos were stuck. There was no rear tow hook and there was no space in front of the car.
I checked a 2009 Punto, 2010 Punto, A 2011 Linea, 2013 Linea and a 2013 Punto. None of them have a rear tow hook. I also checked all the cars in our office parking and every car has it except Fiats
This a serious omission IMO. What can I do now to have it on my car? Can I just get a hook welded onto my car's chassis?

Hi. I think you may be mistaken: my new Linea T-jet 2014 has a rear tow hook screw located to the right of the rear bumper. I think it may be hidden under the rear bumper: please check. Let us know what you find. Thanks.

[imranshks]

Originally Posted by AbhishekE

1. I'll be driving it in the City for 5 days a week. Will that be a concern if I go with the 90HP one?

I don't expect it to be as effortless as my i10 but I hope it isn't too much of a strain either.

Its about getting used to the diesel engine. I used to find turbo lag a bit annoying in the beginning, now I am just accustomed to it and I hardly face any difficulty. Keep the car in the right rpm range and you are good.

Since you want a city + highway commuter, I would suggest go with Punto 90HP, you wouldn't regret having those 14 extra horses under the hood.

[AbhishekE]

Originally Posted by imranshks

Its about getting used to the diesel engine. I used to find turbo lag a bit annoying in the beginning, now I am just accustomed to it and I hardly face any difficulty. Keep the car in the right rpm range and you are good.

Since you want a city + highway commuter, I would suggest go with Punto 90HP, you wouldn't regret having those 14 extra horses under the hood.

Actually I didn't consider the 76HP Punto at all, it is just a shoot out between the i20 and the 90HP Punto.

The better performer(acceleration, speed, handling, stability) wins.

I'll need a TD of the 90HP one from somewhere before arriving at a conclusion.

[vibbs]

Hi AbhishekE,

I own a diesel Punto. We also have a Swift Petrol at home.

See, the Punto will never be a pocket rocket in the city. However, the short 1 and 2 gears mask the turbolag to some extent. It is just a matter of getting used to it. Once you learn to work your gears around the lag, it will not be that much of a bother, though you still won't be setting traffic signals on fire.

The 90 Hp has a tad bit more lag than the 75 Hp, but is a different being out on the highway.