Fiat Punto [2011-2014] User Reviews

 I had purchased a Grande Punto DI Emotion  from B U Bhandari Pune, got the delivery of the vehicle on 19th July 2009. After driving the vehicle for 8 days I felt a drag towards left and contacted the dealer at their Pashaan showroom on 26th July 2009. I was told to go to their work shop at Wakad for the same. I went to Wakad work shop on 27th July 2009, my vehicle was test driven by the staff at the work shop and was told that there was no problems in the vehicle.

·         I drove the vehicle for another 10-12 days but could feel the drag and at the time of 1st Free servicing on 10th August 2009 told the service advisor at the B U Bhandari work shop Wakad about the same. Again while delivering the vehicle after the servicing I was told that there was no problem in the vehicle.

·         Then after driving 5500 Kms in total I noticed that the tyres were completely weared and went to the Showroom on 26th August 2009 and met Mr. Gopal and he cordially requested me to leave the vehicle for thorough inspection at their Wakad work shop. Then on 31st August 2009 the vehicle was picked up from my home by the staff of B U Bhandari for necessary repairs. On 4th September 2009 the vehicle was returned to me with all 4 tyres been changed at no cost by the dealer and was told that the Engineers from FIAT have thoroughly inspected the vehicle and the fault is been rectified and also that they have test driven the vehicle.

·         After driving another 500 Kms I felt the problem still very much there and the vehicle was still dragging me towards Left, I called Mr. Gopal and informed about this to him, he replied and asked me to drive for another 1000 – 1500 Kms and then come for inspection. Following the suggestion given by him I drove the vehicle for 1800 Kms in total after the tyres changed and went to the Work shop for inspection on 21st September 2009. At the work shop the wheel alignment was thoroughly checked and even was checked at 3 other different location for wheel alignment. They found the wheel alignment absolutely alright and so they said that as they have limited expertise in this case the vehicle needs to be sent to FIAT plant at Ranjangaon Pune. I agreed to this and on 1st October 2009 I was given a Loaner car and my vehicle was sent to the FIAT Plant at Ranjangaon. I received my vehicle on 9th Oct, and Mr. Gopal told me that the problem is been taken care of at the FIAT PLANT at Ranjangaon. I was asked to drive the vehicle as a trial for another 1500 - 2000 Kms

·         I was feeling the same drag even after the vehicle been repaired at the FIAT Plant, I immediately informed about this to Mr. Gopal on the very same day on which I had received the vehicle. Mr. Gopal told me to drive the vehicle for 1000 – 1500 Kms and then it would be inspected. After driving about 1500 Kms on 24th October 2009 I went to the show room at Pashaan and had a meeting with Mr. Shailesh Bhandari & Mr. Gopal and showed them the vehicle. They were very cordial and courteous in listening and understanding the problem and inspected the vehicle and found the problem still very much there. They even clicked the photographs and said that they will contact the concerned person from FIAT regarding the problem and get back to me soon.

On   29th October 2009 Mr. Gopal called me and asked me to come along with the vehicle for Inspection on 31st October 2009 i.e. Saturday I told him that I have to go on duty as it was a working day at my office but as requested by him I applied for a leave and agreed to come to the vehicle for inspection. On 30th October 2009 Mr. Gopal again called me and told me that the inspection is been reschedule to 3rd November 2009, I hesitantly agreed for the same.

Good Before salesBad After Sales

Fiat Punto = Fiat Premier Padmini?

How is this possible? Can a 2012 car really be compared to a 1970 car? Unfortunately, Fiat has made this resemblance very, very real.

Last year, I decided to buy a new car to celebrate my birthday on 10 September. Being an Engineer, I tried all the diesel hatchbacks, and was delighted with Fiat Punto’s lovely, powerful engine and unbelievably affordable price.

Sadly, I did not know that this lower price came with a corresponding slump in quality. I still cannot get over the shock.

How can a huge, intelligent, international company like Fiat re-enterIndia with this shockingly disappointing product? They dare to advertise it, expecting all Indians to be as stupid as me? How long can the smart Indian consumers not discover the truth?

When I first drove my new Punto home, the left-hand side sun-visor was found to be broken. Two days later, I found that the turning indicator would not switch off automatically after the turn. And I found that the plastic parts inside were as light as a child’s toy. Sometime later, the left-hand side front passenger window fell down. Then the car started pulling to the left even on a flat road. Then my friend following me in his car told me that my Punto’s wheel caps were rotating lopsidedly, and the wheels looked like drunk Jackie Chan. The car was giving me 12.5 km/litre of Diesel. (with AC), much less than the promised figure.

I reported the matters to them and requested repairs against their warranty.

When the car came back, it seemed fine, faulty parts replaced, and I was relieved. This relief lasted only 10 days.

The front left-hand side window fell down again. The car is started pulling to the left again. The radio antenna got faulty and stopped catching stations. And there was no spare antenna available for my car. The car’s fuel gauge would sometimes show empty even when the fuel tank was nice and full. The rear bottom right-hand side light was not working. The front wiper had a clamp missing, which would have scratched the windscreen beyond repair if I had not noticed it.

The car went back to the workshop for repairs again. Today, the front left-hand side window doesn't fall down, but the door makes a horrible noise of the glass rattling against metal whenever we close the door. The fuel gauge misbehaves at least twice a month. The rear bottom right-hand side light is still not working. The front wiper still has a clamp missing. The car still gives me between 11.9 and 12.8 Km/ltr. The car’s front left tubeless tyre has developed a crack on its sidewall that cannot be repaired (It shouldn’t happen!). I was advised to buy a new tyre or install a tube in the faulty ‘tubeless’ tyre!

Despite my calls, I haven’t got a satisfactory answer. I also asked for a complete refund of my money for the car. No answer.

But the Punto has a lovely powerful engine that I still love.

Maybe you should buy just this engine from Fiat, and install it in a Fiat Premier Padmini from Mumbai. It could be a good compromise.

The EngineEverything else!

Exterior

 shape  & style was appealing, but the biggest issue is  near to zero ground clearence

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

 bad interiors,poor ac effectiveness,space is ok.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

 worst and weekest engine i have noticed in my life. pickup on second gear is near to zero as you can climb on slope , mountains , car will come reverse , not fit for indian conditions.

fuel economy is actually less than /around 9 while they claim 15.

gear box  bad not effective

Ride Quality & Handling

 ground clearence very less hence you are everytime prone to damage and accident

Final Words

 never go for a fiat brand car ,this is my learning by buying a fiat punto.

Areas of improvement  

pickup on second gear, fuel efficiency , ground clearence to be improved other wise i would not recomment any body to buy this car ,as he will only weep and run after their dealers .

 

THE SHAPE ,THE STYLEvery very poor pickup on second gear ,poor average is less than 9 km/l,ac is very poor ,bad interior

Exterior I liked Punto bcos of the body style, but the roof top sheet was so thin that it goes completely inside just with small baby sitting on it. I got to know this within 2 months of purchase but Fiat dragged my issue for 5 months, accepted metal sheet was thin and this is happening only in my case. When you close the door it emits sound like the old ambasaddor used to make..Vista is really good in this aspect

Fule cap partially closes. so just with car key you can easliy tear the cap as it is non-metallic..

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Boot space is less so it is difficult for 3 people to sit at the rear seat.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox This is the only good factor in Punto but I don't see something special with them when compared with other manufacturers as all cars have decent engines.

Ride Quality & Handling Very Good, but when you switch on AC, performance comes down and you can see strange sound. Handling seems to be good so far [~4000KM]

Final Words Think multiple times before choosing Fiat. The only good thing you would hear from anyone would be the style and engine, but after spending 7.5lakh would you just expect these two pros with too many cons???

Areas of improvement Roof top sheet should be strong like other manufacturers have.

> make metallic fule cap and see it closes completely.

> Reduce luggage space and increase interior space so that 3 people can sit comfortably (rear side).

> Improve AC flow.

> Pat attention to Quality before releasing to market. Reduce price bcos of to many cons.

Style, color, performancePoor gauge metallic body, Bad interiors, performance drops with AC on, too much of luggage space

Exterior

good looking, "linea sans boot" but less smarter than polo (to me). more robust, little higher than polo.

rear light are placed high up, just like indica but not ugly like indica. should be a + point if the car behind bangs into punto, rear lights will not be damaged!!!

fog light & reverse light are on the lower part of the rear bumper BUT there is ONE "white" reverse light on the left side & ONE "YELLOW" "FOG" light on the right side...giving an appearance that they have been replaced by local substitute...post damage !! 

rest features are as given on this site

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

less "classy than polo. more flashy type. sharp edges less contouring.

rear leg space as less as in polo.

BUT rest is simply superb for a hatchback (emotion-pack)

it has everything a young person would want !!! music & other controls on the steering wheel, every possible display with trip, amount of fuel. distance travelled. fuel efficiency. distance the remaining fuel can last & what not?

& the best part was "Blue & ME". a USB port in the glove compartment for your own travel drive, & the blue-tooth of your mobile can be synchronized with that of the car & your mobile is HANDS FREE !!!

the phone book of the mobile can be transferred to that of the car pc...u get display of the calling party with name, if fed already & talk easily, hear loudly, without losing control on the car & focus on the road !!! i guess that is the best safety device in today's vehicles...where the driver is driving with one hand on the steering & the other with mobile on the ears. dialing can be voice activated too.

4 speakers with 2 tweeters (6)

"follow me home lights" are good too...where u can programme the headlights to be on for as many seconds as u want, before they switch off automatically...so if u have to open the house lock you can get down & lock the car with the follow me home lights programmed...open the house & need not return back to lock the car.

rear leg space is less as in all hatch backs (except NANO !!) BUT the rear seats are 60/40 split as in all PLUS they fold TWICE. so if needed the boot space becomes as large as in a sedan!

but off course at the cost of a passenger or two if that much space is needed. else there is enough for a city car with rear seats in place.

the spare is 15" but steel & not 14" as in polo!

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

Fiat is the biggest producer of engines & supplies engines to all moving vehicles. bikes, cars. planes. boats etc. so 1/3 cars have fiat engines.

diesel engine makes some noise which is heard inside too but i asked my relatives who run a maruti authorized workshop & workshop for all other cars too, since 30-40 yrs, said that the diesel engine sound becomes less as it runs & after a few 100 km its is negligible. m/b we get used to it or it actually happens, i donno.

 

Ride Quality & Handling

Good for a hatchback.

 

Final Words

GOOD BUY but 1.3D/1.4 P emotion pack only. safety should be 'the' prime importance & ABS & air bags more important than any other feature. this is in addition to the European cars which do not compromise on steel. punto is about 100 kg heavier than polo too !!!

 

Areas of improvement  

Space for water bottles, better contouring of interiors, addition of burglar alarm.

for the price one cannot expect more except a few thingssmall rear wind screen, no room for water bottles

Hi Friends,

I live in a small city named Rohtak in Haryana...just 75 km from Delhi. Though we have a TATA showroom in Rohtak but they do not have FIAT dealership so I had to buy my Punto from Delhi. After lot of online research and few reviews from first users I bought my dream car Grande Punto 1.4 Emotion on 25th Sept 2009. Last week while driving from Chandigarh to Rohtak I completed first 10,000 kms with my hatchback and I must say that I am a happy and proud Punto owner.

The best scoring point of this vehicle is it looks. Wherever I have gone with my car In last 10 months I've never been short of admiration...its truely a head turner. I myself can't stop admiring it when I look it from a distance. From front it gives a feel of big car and from sides and back it's sporty looks are worth a look. While sitting inside, we are never short of space and comfort. Adjustable driver seat and steering offers that extra driving comfort that one doesn't feel tired even after driving long hours. I never felt so comfortable with 3 people on back seat in a small car. And its inbuilt music system with 6 speakers is good enough for soft music.

Driving Grande Punto on a highway is a real pleasure though city drive is also equally good. Such a firm road grip, very smooth handling, superior ride quality and the speed which always feels 10-20 km less than the actual...all this makes Punto a good solid hatchback sailing on the road. I got a speed of 160-165 on G T Road several times and it was rock solid. The quality of ride is equally good on even not so good roads. This has been tested by me and proved by punto time and again as I had 3 long trips to hills with this car . It was Dharamshala last December, Rishikesh and Gangotri (yes!!!) in March and Kullu-Manali last month..each time with family and lots of luggage. No problems whatsoever.

Before buying Punto I was sceptical about its mileage and mentally prepared for a mileage of 10-11km/l. But after 10,000 km Punto has given an overall average of 14.2 km/l which I feel is decent enough. In city it gives a mileage of 13-14 km and on highway 18-20 km with a/c on.(Punto has digital mileage meter which tells you instant, trip and long term averages). Also service is not an issue as service intervals are large like 5,000...15,000....30,000 km.

But as you say - nothing is perfect in this world so is this car. Once you brake the speed its little pain to get that speed again as its very sluggish in lower gears. In 1st and 2nd gears it feels like it doesn't want to move and its going to sleep. 2nd gear sometime gives unusual jerks. But once you are into 3rd gear it feels like it has broken all shackels and its raring to go. Another problem I faced was with air conditioning system which failed to start at several occasions. But later it got rectified with change of blower. Joshi Auto Zone in Chandigarh were very prompt and gave my vehicle back in one and half hour after repairing.

Overall, I am highly satisfied with the car and I really feel proud that I own a Grande Punto. If you don't want to get lost in crowd and you are young and sporty at heart, Punto is right choice for you.

Best looks, style, space, safety, handlingSlow start, A/c

I waited for this car for more than a year and prayed for Fiat to get it's pricing right.
Ant thank god - they seem to have heard me. The Fiat flagship car which has stormed the Europe is finally in India with the right pricing.

Lets discover the little baby pint by pint

Engine (Diesel one)
The most tested engine on the Indian roads- installed in 7 cars. Fuel efficient with the racy pickup to zoom ahead at the lights. Just right mix of power and efficiency. High torque at 1750 rpm gives you all the power to race ahead of the biggies.

Ride
Whatever one might say, but the weight of a European car always feels more comforting than the light Korean and Japanese counterparts. This is very much a Fiat with the weight and coziness to tuck you in. Solid suspension insulates you from the outside world.

Safety
ABS and Air bags to make you feel safe on the road with the added weight of  fat rubber and alloy wheels.

Comfort
I always thought of things in the car which I would like to have - Climate control, Audi controls on steering, fat alloy wheels. This little baby has all that. Comes with a Blaunpunkt system with 6 speakers.

Blue and Me
Technology only available in BMW to take calls while driving in here in this car.

All in all for 6.11 lacs. Beats the competition hands down - Skoda Fabia , i20 , Honda Jazz - this is the best value proposition.

I am the first person to book this car in Gurgaon - booked in without even a test ride. Waited for a year for a good solid hatchback with diesel and fun.

It has excellent front seats but the rear seats are cramped. They have gone for a huge boot but is not great on the interior space. Also the headroom on the rear seat is inadequate for tall men - which is also a problem for Linea.

All in all, a middle class guy's sports car with loads of equipment and fun to drive maintaining fuel efficiency. 6.25 lacs is definitely expensive for a hatchback but then Grand Punto has all the things that I ever wanted in my car - and definitely more than my neighbor’s long sedan

 

Equipment, Engine, EconomyRear seat is cramped

Very good VFM FIAT cars LINEA and PUNTO deserve to be the best sellers (LINEA is 2 largest seller in catagory, Punto just launched 2 weeks back). However, FIAT is haunted by the past. Dubious working by PREMIER group, after Indian Auto industry opened up, almost killed FIAT. UNO that was selling well in Europe in 1990s got Indian record holding (not yet beaten) 2.95 Lakhs initial booking..!! But Premier, got into JV with French Peugeot-Citroen Group in PAL-PEUGEOT. Collected huge money from Uno buyers, also from French co and invested for personal gains. By the time FIAT took over Indian operations in 1999-2000, it had long court cases for UNO refunds, network that was in shambles etc. Above all management that was legacy from Premier top to bottom plauged by Premier style working. Poor service etc.

As a result Uno, Siena, weekend etc. got hatred from buyers.For Palio Diesel they opted for very heavy 1.9 that damaged front suspension, lacked mileage nad power (just 65 Bhp). 1.6 Palio could beat many of "D" segment cars in cruising but was never properly marketed.Very good car got killed.

Then came financial troubles for FIAT, Italy in early 2000s. FIAT India was put to back seat. Then in 2006 present management took control of FIAT Group. FIAT is among the best turn around story in global auto industry, may be in last 50 years or so. Came Grand Punto, Linea, new Alfa models. Today, it is the only auto maker making higher sales in Europe, when the market is sinking. Grand Punto is leading FIAT on slaught from front.

In India, FIAT is with "Jewel of Indian business" Tata group. There are short term issues with tata group. Things are getting better. 1.3 MJD engine is wonder. Its small only on papers. Practically, its a giant killer. Maruti buys engine from FIAT India for SWIFT, D Zire, in Maruti emphasis is on mileage. Performance, A/C, Comfort featues  etc. are not given sufficient power from the engine. 1.3 MJD best value you get in Tata VISTA, best driving pleasure in heavy, good ground handling and road grip Punto and Linea.

FIAT Punto..Honda (Jazz) must learn lesson. Very honest pricing for this mini LINEA. Power, style, comfort, no match from competition at this price. (click link below)

http://www.carwale.com/research/comparecars/carcomparison.aspx?car1=1566&car2=1450&car3=1549&car4=1335

MILEAGE should not be a worry (compared to competition in Rs.4-6 Lakhs) as TORQUE comes at very low RPM. That is, Less load on engine. However, Network is still a concern. Tata must be more serious with FIAT. There should be exclusive Tata ouitlets for FIAT, Alfa, Jaguar, Land Rover, Maserati, later Cryseller can alsojoin the elite club.

The niche features like Service reminders (although service intervals are long, so its hassle free), BLUE & ME are first in segment, even cars with double the price do not have such features.

But this car has a very risky COST CUT. There is only 1 side Reverse Gear lamp,that too very low placed, not visible. GP tail lamp cluster is big enough for Reverse gear lamps on both sides. Hope FIAT India will see to this.

Overall Grand Punto will be grand killer in the segment, be it powerful 1.4 Petrol or tried and well accepted 1.3 MJD

Happy Driving

Saurabh KG @ 9211668878

Comfort, Styling,Power, Pricing. Its Mini LINEA. Just ExcellentReverse Gear lamp not visible,. Tata-FIAT Network needs a lot to do

It is the best hatch back i have driven till date. I have a swift with me and have also test driven i20, Uva and many more but this is really different. Look at the BHP, Torque and above all CC, there is no vehicle in this segment which can beat these specifications. Noticeable thing is all this come for a price that is unbelievable. Lets keep the misconception beside ....fiat is no more the old modeled vehicle today it can compete with all its competetors. The features included in this car wrt safety, comfort, entertainment, etc are well advanced and are one step ahead of all the competetors. Also this car has come to India after receiving several accolades across the world.
Friends just test drive this and you will definately agree with me.
Also it was told to me by the dealer that TATA has clearly instructed servicing wing that any complaint from customer on punto servicing will be taken seriously.
superb style, sharp features, good interiorscan include parking sensors