Fiat launched the Abarth brand in the Indian market with an aim to offer performance-oriented vehicles in the country. The brand made its debut with the Abarth Punto which one of the most powerful, capable, and best looking hot hatch in the market. The sales figures for this car were not very impressive and sadly, the Italian carmaker and to discontinue it from the market very soon. With this being said, here is a detailed Fiat Abarth Punto ownership review shared with us by one of the owners who is highly satisfied with his purchase so far. Before we start, let me give some brief information about the car:
Owner's name: Sidharth Shankar
City: Delhi
Year of Registration: 2018
With this being sorted, here is a detailed onwership review shared with us by the owner:-
Pros
- It has vast reserves of power. Power on demand, power on supply... power, and more power.
- Its a hoon machine. The graffiti brings out the college boy in you.
- It's a large-hearted flying machine, free of all the rules of taxation.
- Its safe, secure and stable.
- Its ride and handling, with the old school hydraulic power steering, is unparalleled.
- It has many intelligent features and smart utility laden equipment lines.
- It's mod-friendly. You don't need to spend an insane amount to have fun.
- I am a happy customer with the after-sales service quality. Also, the regular service parts and service labour is value priced.
- I Love her anchors. Surestop stopping power.
- I adore its sporty black interiors, with contrast needle stitching in red and yellow and unconventional seat fabric.
- Splash and dash of practical mods have improved the package to just what I wanted, with more to come.
- The exclusivity in Delhi Roads... turns heads like crazy... it's kinda also insecure.
- The feeling of invincibility.
Read Also: Toyota Fortuner Ownership Review - A Car Which Gives Pride With Ride!
Cons
- The stock gearshift quality is vague and rubbery. With the short shifter, it is only the throws that have reduced.
- The ergonomics. Oh man, its a car built for Orangutans. Just look at that inclination of that dead pedal and those window switches and that in your face steering position.
- The build precision. Ranjangaon plant of FCA is a QC Joke. Too many warranty claims make me feel like a useless fellow with no ambitions. Some cosmetics are brittle, some are worse, some are well....just well.
- The Abarth brand is gone. It came and went. Who remembers what it was?
- You don't feel good when your other car is a Fiat and you scout for your nearest service centre and it requires you to travel to the moon and back. FCA, are you kidding?
- Just a 3-year warranty while 5-6 year extended warranties are a new norm. talk about the stone age, are we?
- Expensive brake pads, turbocharger, discs and spark plugs. Performance comes at a price. But then, you live only once.
- Potential gremlins to be mentally prepared for associated with T jets. Examples... Alternator/AC etc.
- The stock GC of the car is a joke. It begs for lowering. Trust me, its the best thing to happen.
- The red highlights look loud. It screams "ricer". But then, who cares?
- LED projectors? No. Keyless go? Naah. Apple carplay and Android auto? No man. Auto folding mirrors? Naah. Parking sensors? What's that? Auto headlamps? Rain-sensing wipers? Are you kidding bro?
Looks
The Fiat Abarth Punto was available only in two colour options - White and Black. This Abarth Punto here is a black coloured car and gets red coloured decals which makes it look sporty and attention seeking. However, the designers in my opinion have gone a bit overboard with the whole concept making it look like something which has been done as an after thought. With that being said, the Punto looks good and at the same time, has an extremely strong and imposing character.
Interiors
Step inside the cabin of the Abarth Punto and you will we be welcomed by a subtle and an elegant all-black cabin. The plastics are hard but the fit and finish levels are top-notch. The leather-wrapped steering wheel feels bulky to hold while the seats are supportive and are comfortable. The low-seating does hamper the overall visibility, but in all, it's a great cabin to be in.
Powertrain
Powering the Punto Abarth is a 1.4-L T-Jet engine. This turbocharged petrol engine is one of the most famous Fiat engines and is used worldwide. In its stock form, this engine churns out 14 bhp and 212 Nm of peak torque output and comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. With this being said, this car has been tuned and upgraded to deliver a claimed power output of 177 bhp and 280 Nm of maximum torque. Driving this car in the city traffic is not stressful and the overall performance too has been impressive so far. Being a hot hatch, this car can now do a 0-100 kmph run in around 7 secs after the remap!
Kitna Deti Hai?
The fuel economy from this car starts at around 11-13 kmpl during daily driving conditions while on the highways, it can deliver up to 17-18 kmpl. In dense city traffic, the car has also returned around 6 kmpl with AC. However, it is worth noting that the car delivers up to 10% better fuel economy when run on 99 octane fuel.
With that being said, we come to the end of this ownership review of the Fiat Abarth Punto. It is also worth noting the fact that the owner reports that the after-sales support from the brand has been great so far and there have been no issues during warranty claims and replacements.
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