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

Quote:

Originally Posted by roms (Post 1395947)

Top Gear also mentions that the tacho needle touches 4000rpm @ 100 km/h and that can adversely affect the fuel efficiency. That I believe is solely due to the short gearing.

Nice review Roms! This is very hard to believe... which gear? I can bet my life on it that its not in 5th.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Autocop (Post 1396066)

Experts,

Fiat Palio MJD SDX vs Fiat Punto Active (expensive than SDX by 25K).

what should be the choice?

Of course SDX would give much more convenience options than Punto with same engine.

Just trying to understand, What Punto Active offers that Palio SDX doesn't?

with punto you will get , cheaper spares , better resale , better interiors and superior looks.
It makes better sense to go for punto

Quote:

Originally Posted by ms001 (Post 1396160)

with punto you will get , cheaper spares , better resale , better interiors and superior looks.
It makes better sense to go for punto

Palio spares are reasonably priced too, and Palio hasn't lost its charm, still looks good!
Punto is a new car, looks fresh & nice classy interiors.

Thanks for the detailed review roms. The engine is really a stonker after it passes 2000rpm (as I've been experiencing).
Also referencing GTO's review of the 1.4 FIRE here. Many of your observations are similar to his.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO (Post 1355241)

The 1.4 liter DOHC 89 horsepower petrol needs to be worked to perform (115 nm @ 4,500 rpms), and it's a heck of a lot of fun to. The petrol is smooth and revvs freely all the way to its 6,600 rpm redline (ain't no Palio 1.6 100 BHP machine though). Driveability is better than in the Honda Jazz 1.2, the 2nd gear pulling clean from 10 kph (with 3 passengers & full luggage onboard) all the way to 80 kph, and proving to be a vital tool within the city. Even the 3rd pulls clean from in-town speeds. The engine sounds awesome at high rpms (classic Italian engine sound), however the noise gets unduly loud at speed and regular joes (non-enthusiasts) will find it very annoying. Don’t expect the 1.4 to be fuel efficient either. A 330 km highway run got the 45 liter tank well below the reserve marking while ARAI fuel efficiency rating is only 13.8 kpl (Ritz petrol 17.7 and Jazz 16.1). I love driving hatchbacks and thoroughly enjoyed putting the 1.4 petrol through her paces for 300 fast kms!! The revv-counter is metered till 7,000 rpms without any redline markings :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by hiren.mistry (Post 1394462)

Great! Thanks for the reply.
What abt the cooling efficiency of both these cars? I found that it took quite a while for the cabin to cool down (Same for the i20 as well).

Do people who own the Linea/GP feel the same? Somehow I need the car's AC to be really cool. :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by VahanPujari (Post 1396025)

Very goof review there Romil

And I agree - FIRE 1.4 is a good engine though I've Petrol Linea

Thanks VP. If anything, the 1.4 feels even more refined on the Linea.

Quote:

Originally Posted by extreme_torque (Post 1396126)

Nice review Roms! This is very hard to believe... which gear? I can bet my life on it that its not in 5th.

I missed out on mentioning that in my report. Yes E_T, it is indeed the 5th gear that they were talking about. Having said that, even I have doubts on the veracity of their claims about both - their 0-100 timing of 12.5 secs & about the tacho hovering at 4000 rpm @ 100 km/h in 5th. But my S10 1.6 does touch 3000 rpm in 5th @ 100km/h, and it has short ratios for 3rd & 4th gears. So I guess we would have to wait for more feedback from owners/td reports.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neotraveller (Post 1396373)

Thanks neotraveller. And good catch there. I am glad that my observations are in sync with those of GTO's:).

Good to know that you are happy with the 1.4 as well. If we are liking this motor in its current state of tune, imagine what the 120 PS 1.4 T-jet would be like to drive on a hatch.

Quote:

Originally Posted by roms (Post 1396399)

I don't think the AC should be a problem in any of the Fiats. The day I took the test drive it was very hot and sunny and the cars were kept out in the sun. Moreover the test drives were very short, so probably the AC did not get enough time to cool the vehicle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by roms (Post 1396399)

Though, I did not not find any problems with either, but yes there are other cars that have better cooling than the ones you mention. I somehow found the cooling better in the 1.4 petrol better than the MJD in the Punto and I had to reduce the fan speed on the ACC. But that could also be becasue I drove the 1.4 for the longest time.

Thanks VP. If anything, the 1.4 feels even more refined on the Linea.

I missed out on mentioning that in my report. Yes E_T, it is indeed the 5th gear that they were talking about. Having said that, even I have doubts on the veracity of their claims about both - their 0-100 timing of 12.5 secs & about the tacho hovering at 4000 rpm @ 100 km/h in 5th. But my S10 1.6 does touch 3000 rpm in 5th @ 100km/h, and it has short ratios for 3rd & 4th gears. So I guess we would have to wait for more feedback from owners/td reports.

Here's a pic that shows my S10 at just over 100kmph - notice the RPM!

Quote:

Originally Posted by vishwask82 (Post 1397197)

Thank you Roms for a Very nice and a detailed review on GP 1.4 Fire which has cleared few of my queries.

Can someone let me know the FE of GP 1.4 Fire when compared to Hyundai i20 1.2 Kappa? (City/Highway)
Thanks.

- Vish

Thanks vishwas82. Replied to your queries on your pm. Check your inbox.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gandhi (Post 1399687)

Roms, please share the details for everybody's benefit.

Absolutely! Please share information on the forum, to benefit other members as well as guests.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fireblade007 (Post 1400181)

@GTO
which would you prefer, the palio stile 1.3 multijet or the grande punto 1.3 multijet?

Of course the Punto. There simply isn't a comparison. The GP is modern, safer, has a better ride & handling package, superior interiors and is overall a giant leap ahead. The Palio may have been good for its time, but is pretty outdated by 2009 standards.

GTO & Roms. Thanks for such great reviews. This makes life simpler for the uninitiated like me.

OT. GTO, I was amazed to read parts of your review from here on Team, lifted by some guy and posted on mouthshut.com. Since I have not registered on mouthshut, i could not announce that the posted review was a case of plagiarism.