Team-BHP - Fiat Grande Punto : Test Drive & Review

hi folks!
Booked my First Car Finally! EXOTICA RED MJD - ACTIVE.
The delivery is promised in the last week of July!
Freebies promised after some real hard negotiation ( still wondering if that was good enough ;) ) was floor mats, mud flaps, perfume, and body colored doorhandles and mirrors ( using the same paint formula as of the original paint, any suggestions how one can verify the same ??)

though i shall be going through the pre-delivery inspection thread again, any suggestions specifically wrt GP- Active/ Diesel? , also any references for whom to contact in Thane for accessories ( m only looking for sunfilm and a GOOD music system )

Cheers

Ameet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO (Post 1377235)

Spot on with the review. You planning to bite?

Would have been on the top of my list for a new 2nd car for the family. Fortunately (for my pocket!), the Baleno is still taking care of all needs. And I sure won't sell/replace the Baleno soon. 51K+ and 3.5yrs young and a FTD factor that's hard to find :)

But the GP did make me wish I needed a 2nd car. It's a car that your heart wants to buy and the head agrees too. Rare combination.

The front windshield wipers of GP /Linea are completely different than the other cars.
1. What are they called?
2. How are they better than the conventional wipers?
3. Knowing the manace of wiper blade thefts, I would be intersted in knowing the replacement cost. Does anyone have an idea?

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamtheLeo (Post 1378847)

clap:Finally booked a Red MJD Emotion Pack Grande Punto... Delivery on 15th July....

Hopefully it proves to be a right deciscion (as we changed our mind from swift)

Congratsclap:
IMO- Yes its the right decision as Punto is better than Swift in most of the ways(i had driven both),

Can’t figure out why the Indian G.Punto MJD is so slow (0-100kmph in around 17.84 secs for MJD as per ACI) as compared to the one sold in the UK (see specs below).

Although the cars tested by ACI were not fully run-in and manufacturers tend to detune vehicles to suit Indian fuel and conditions - it is still unfathomable that the same car with the same engine and state of tune* does 0-100kmph sprint in 13.6 secs which is more than 4 secs less. This is relatively speaking a huge difference.

*UK version Euro-IV compliant also – which implies more restrictions on the engine to control exhaust gases – don’t know if the Indian version is Euro-IV compliant or maybe Fiat will do it by April 2010 only.

Figures from Fiat G.P. UK brochure

I agree with @jessie007
I was absolutely in love with Punto. But the fact that the engine is slow compared to other diesel hatchbacks like Swift, Ritz, Fabia, i20(its got 90bhp, so its obvious) has become a turnoff for me. I cannot fathom that how come the same engine tuned by Maruti is quicker and more fuel efficient than Punto. I am aware that fuel efficiency is only marginally lesser than Swift, but still whats the point in tuning the engine if it does not give higher mileage than all the other MJD setups doing duty in other cars.

I seriously wish Fiat launches the Punto with Linea's MJD engine by this year end - well, that shud give some performance boost and even if it offers the same mileage I wouldnt mind cuz I believe its giving pretty gud mileage in Linea.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rajivn (Post 1379111)

I agree with @jessie007
I cannot fathom that how come the same engine tuned by Maruti is quicker and more fuel efficient than Punto. I am aware that fuel efficiency is only marginally lesser than Swift, but still whats the point in tuning the engine if it does not give higher mileage than all the other MJD setups doing duty in other cars.

Well the primary reason is a bit more electronic.

Fiat ECUs are Bosch made while those in Suzukis belong to Denso.So, although it is the same engine, the power output can be vastly varied by the ECU manufacturers.
This of course doesn't mean that Bosch folks are utter dimwits at their jobs. At Bosch, the primary factor is consistent performance over a period of time i.e. to maximise engine life. They caliberate the ECUs to run at a much safer level.Thus, recaliberation/remapping ECUs is more easier(where facilities are available)(remapped Mercs :D).
Due to the lack of too many remappers out here, we are in a weak spot here.But I guess a Fiat engine will definitely have a longer life in those terms. Do we have anyone complaining about engine issues with the Palio MJDs? (I know, so does the Swift owners, but the matter of fact is, Bosch just plays a lil bit more safer than Denso)

Apart from ECU the difference in performance is due to the shorter gearing of the Indian Punto. This has been tuned for indian city conditions and better driveability will reduce the acceleration by a lot. That coupled with the lower diesel quality is what causes the large difference in performance.

ECU will not play as much as a role since both engines are rated at same power. If the ECU was calibrated conservatively the power output would be lesser as well. This can be seen in the Linea. Internationally the engine gives out 90PS but in india it is detuned to 85PS. This detuning is via the ECU.

ECU, gear ratios are all programmables, at this stage Punto has to please the enthusiasts more then the normal guy, only by doing this can word of mouth get generated and normal public will come (hoping that A.S.S is at minimal acceptable levels), what this is doing is that the enthusiasts are getting turned off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ada (Post 1379205)

ECU, gear ratios are all programmables, at this stage Punto has to please the enthusiasts more then the normal guy, only by doing this can word of mouth get generated and normal public will come (hoping that A.S.S is at minimal acceptable levels), what this is doing is that the enthusiasts are getting turned off.

How is that possible :eek:?

I do agree that the so called "enthusiasts" are getting turned off. But how many are buying the Fiesta S, Magnum and Cedia?

I think it is a good starting strategy by Fiat to bring out very fuel efficient cars and feature packed.

More power can come later. How much does it take to convert the NA 1.4 to T-Jet 1.4 or fit the already existing VGT in linea?