Fiat Punto (2003 - to 2006)
4, 1.8, petrol, 1.3, 1.9 diesel [Active, Active Sport, Dynamic, Sporting, HGT] )
BY ANDY ENRIGHT
| Build |  |
| Comfort |  |
| Depreciation | |
| Economy | |
| Equipment | |
| Handling | |
| Insurance | |
| Performance | |
| Styling |  |
| Value | |
Into the latter category we can probably put Fiats facelifted MK2 Punto, launched in 2003. The sharp styling of its predecessor was rounded off but there were a whole host of other changes that were far more agreeable. Buying a used Fiat isnt the gamble it used to be and the MK2 Punto has gained a reputation as one of the better built superminis, an impression the post-2003 cars bolstered.
Most will notice the larger clear-lensed headlamps, the three-part under-bumper grille that received mixed reviews and the rather neater treatment to the rear end. Of more consequence are a trio of engines that merit closer investigation. First up is a 95bhp 16-valve 1.4-litre petrol powerplant offered with the Sporting model that plugged the yawning gap between the 80bhp and 130bhp petrol engines existing in the original post-2000 Punto line-up.
Of more interest to British motorists were the Multijet diesel engines of either 70bhp or 100bhp output. Its worth remembering at this point that it was Fiat who popularised the notion of common-rail diesel engines and here, the concept was taken a step further. Whereas conventional Fiat common-rail diesel engines fire two squirts of fuel into the combustion chamber for each cycle of the cylinder - a small pilot shot followed by the full injection of fuel - Multijet adopts an altogether more sophisticated approach. Depending on variables such as engine temperature and throttle opening, Multijet can fire anything up to five injections per cycle.
The amount of fuel entering the engine doesnt exceed first generation common-rail, but it can be tailored to burn more efficiently which in turn purports to decrease noise, vibration, carbon dioxide emissions and overall fuel economy. Impressive stuff. The interior benefits from Fiats post-2003 drive to endow the Punto with a more upmarket look and feel. Two tone dashboards give the car an airier feel than its predecessor and dual-zone climate control will be fitted to many cars youll find.
A fascinating piece of electronics is the Connect OBN system, an optional off-board navigation system. Rather than rely on the more usual CD-ROM of information that invariably fails to mention a newly-built motorway or terminates as you cross a national border, Connect OBN instead uses information stored centrally. Users pay a nominal fee every time they download a route and it keeps costs down.
Although existing owners may not like to hear it, a combination of a ferociously competitive supermini market, a mixed reception to the facelift and the general impression that the Punto was an ageing platform even when new have combined to depress this cars residuals. You should be able to pick up a 1.2-litre Active three-door for around £3,700 on a 2003 53 plate and an Active Sport should fetch around £4,000. Theres little doubt that post-2003 cars are better than the early second generation Punto models launched in 2000, but that said, those early cars hang onto their value comparatively well.
Still, if you like the styling job of a post-2003 example, you should be able to snap up some real bargains.
Though build quality was much improved in post-2003 Puntos, it still wasnt quite up to VW standards. Still, used values for this car are quite a way below Volkswagens and in terms of value for money, its tough to fault this Italian take on Supermini motoring. Later models never attracted lunatic drivers and the interior quality is significantly better than Puntos of yore. Diesel-engined variants are especially rugged mechanically.
(approx based on an 1.2 Active Sport 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.
Even the 70bhp 1.3-litre Multijet feels keen to rev whilst offering class competitive refinement at idle. Itll notch a sprint to 60mph off in just over 13 seconds and you wont need to furiously work the gearlever either, the powerband being wider than the modest output would lead you to believe. With an overall fuel consumption figure of 63mpg and miserly emissions of just 119g/km, its proven popular, especially when you factor in Euro4 compliance which slashed another 3% off Benefit In Kind taxation for company car users.
Those looking for a little more zip will prefer the HGT-badged 1.9-litre 100bhp car that features more torque than a 180bhp Audi TT. The Puntos ride and handling also came in for a little attention in the post-2003 improvements, Fiats chassis engineers keen to improve the high-speed ride of the car without compromising its essential perkiness. Tweaks to the dampers and the torsion beam rear suspension can be felt over motorway expansion joints, this car swallowing up such intrusions with far more panache than its predecessor.
The post-2003 Punto is an intriguing proposition. Serious depreciation has eaten into its valuation and a used example can be had for less than you may think. Get over the fact that it is possibly not as pretty as the car it replaced and youll end up with a supermini thats still got plenty of life left in it.
