Fiat Grande Punto (2006 - To Date)
4 16v T-Jet petrol, 1.3 75bhp, 1.3 90bhp, 1.9 diesel [Active, Active Sport, Dynamic, Sporting, Eleganza] )
BY ANDY ENRIGHT
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Studies of car buying behaviour have shown that many customers dont need the hard sell. All they need is a picture and the buying decision is made. Of course, it helps if the picture being shown is of something sleek and sexy, rather than a car with a face like a bucket of smashed crabs, and that sort of thing is a whole lot easier with coupes and sports cars. Superminis are, by their very nature, short, tall and rather dumpy looking.
Fiat, it seems, have decided to disagree with that received wisdom and, against all odds, their Grande Punto has that instantaneous want one factor. Look at those teardrop-shaped headlamps and chromed air intake. If you saw that appearing in your rear view mirror, youd be forgiven for thinking a Maserati Coupe had sliced through the traffic and was sitting on your back bumper. Styled by Italdesign-Giugiaro in partnership with Centro Stile Fiat, the Grande Punto is one of those rare cars that looks good from every angle.
Five-door or three-door version, it makes no difference. The shape just works. What has helped the cars proportioning is a subtle letting out of the cars belt. As its name suggests, this model is significantly bigger than the Punto it replaced, helping the stylists create a sleeker profile.
In fact its fully 23cm longer than the old car, but only 2cm wider and a mere centimetre taller. These proportions lengthen the look and the sleek styling is aided with neat detailing such as the Formula One-style door mirrors and the neat badging. Upgraded interior trim materials were put in place across the range from launch and the trim level hierarchy was split into Elegance, Comfort and Sport sections. Buyers preferring to take it easy could select from Active, Dynamic and Eleganza with Active customers also offered the self-explanatory AirCon pack.
The Sport side of things yielded Active Sport, Dynamic Sport and range-topping Sporting versions which highlighted the Puntos more aggressive side. Interior space - as you would expect from a car this generously endowed in the wheelbase department is a standout feature. The 275-litre boot is about average for the class but rear leg and headroom is very good indeed. Fiat claim the interior represents the epitome of Italian style, although that may be stretching the point a little.
Its rather minimalist in fact, the main dials being housed in a curiously flat-topped binnacle with an unexceptional centre console that, from a purely aesthetic perspective, is probably the cars weakest point. Still, its undoubtedly functional, and if you get confused by the big buttons, self explanatory ventilation controls and stereo controls, then modern life has really got on top of you. One particularly smart touch is the extension of body colour to the soft trims and dash inserts. If the dashboard in the car youre looking at is finished in grey or black, it can look a little dull, but find one trimmed in red and youll find the coloured touches really lift the cabin.
In sharp contrast to the used markets reception to the facelifted old Punto, the Grande Puntos pricing seems to be holding firm. Industry experts predict a 43% retention of value after three years for the entry-level 1.2-litre car which compares favourably to the 36 per cent for a Ford Fiesta or the 39 per cent for the Renault Clio. In real terms, this means that bargains are hard to come by for used customers with a 1.
2-litre Active five-door available from around £5,400 on the 06 plate or £5,600 on the later 56 plate. Opt instead for a diesel and a three-door 1.3 Multijet Dynamic with the 75bhp engine will retail at around £7,700.
Though there are still a few places where its obvious that Fiat have built down to a price, the Grande Punto feels very well screwed together. The cabin is well appointed but not without the odd squeak here and there; its still not quite on a par with Volkswagen. Still, used values for this car are only a little below Volkswagens and in terms of value for money, its tough to fault this Italian take on supermini motoring. Diesel-engined variants are especially rugged mechanically.
Ensure that you check all of the electronic systems as electric windows have been known to freeze.
(approx based on an 1.2 Active inc VAT) An alternator is around £78, front brake pads are around £35 for a set, a rear exhaust section should be about £61 and a headlamp is around £82. Expect to pay around £7 for an air filter and about £15 for a fuel filter, about £6 for an oil filter and about £4 for spark plugs.
From launch, there were three petrol engine options - a 1.2-litre 8v with 65bhp, a 1.4-ltre 8v with 77bhp and a 1.4-litre 16v with 95bhp.
A turbocharged petrol-powered 1.4-litre T-Jet 120 variant was added to the range in August 2007. Fiat offered three turbodiesels. These comprised a 1.
3-litre 16v MultiJet (75bhp or 90bhp) plus a 1.9-litre MultiJet with 130bhp. To be frank, the two less powerful petrol engines dont really have the torque to move the Grande Punto really quickly and the diesels are by far the more satisfying choice. To put this into perspective, the 1.
4-litre 8v petrol will need over 13 seconds to get the car to 60mph. There are some downsides to being Grande, you see. Like the MK2 Punto, the Grande version features the City button which reduces steering effort when parking to fingertip levels. With the City mode disabled, the steering gains a bit more feel although the Punto has never been a car with a particularly natural and feelsome helm.
Refinement however, represents a big improvement on previous Puntos, Fiat having added a significant amount of sound deadening material to the Grande and worked on reducing vibration in the engine bay. The result is that the car is far more hushed at motorway speeds, helping to reinforce that all-important perception of quality. It also scores well in terms of safety. Fiat claimed at launch that it was one of the three safest cars it was then possible to buy and the Grande was designed from the outset to bag a prestigious (and almost mandatory these days) Euro NCAP five-star award.
With a massively rigid chassis and airbags that seem able to sprout from any compass bearing, the Grande Punto will look after you if you drive it into the scenery.
Recommending a used Fiat was once a sure fire way to surrender credibility as a motoring journalist. Thankfully thats no longer the case and the Grand Punto is a constituent part of the reason why. Successfully blending classic Italian style with some tried and tested mechanicals, its well worth a punt.
