FIAT PUNTO 1.4-LITRE RANGE
Fiats 1.4-Litre Punto Is A Fresh Face With A Few Hidden Extras. Andy Enright Reports
What do you think of the Puntos face? Despite investing millions in revising the car, many buying decisions will boil down to exactly that question. The more aggressive front end with the big lamps has divided opinion but when viewed objectively, the latest Punto is a far better car than its predecessor. The 1.4-litre engine that also makes its debut is an impressive turn and looks set to attract a decent proportion of Punto punters.
Designed to plug the hole in the petrol engine range between the 80bhp 1.2-litre 16v powerplant and the punchy 130bhp 1.8-litre unit, the 16-valve 1.4-litre engine manages a respectable 95bhp and posts some very impressive figures.
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Itll accelerate to 60mph in just 9.7 seconds, making it much quicker over the benchmark sprint than a
Ford Fiesta 1.6. With a top speed of 111mph, motorway cruising isnt overly buzzy.
Opt for the Sporting trim level and youll get a six-speed gearbox to allow you yet more fun. A bored out version of the 1.2-litre FIRE powerplant, the 1.4-litre replicates that engines lively feel and the combined fuel economy figure of 46.
3mpg will require a restrained right foot.
Fiat have put another one over on their rival from Ford, the 1.4-litre Punto returning better economy and emissions figures than the smaller-engined Fiesta 1.25.
Plus, with a CO2 showing of 145g/km, the Punto 1.4-litre makes a very worthwhile first step on the company car ladder. Why the brazen comparisons? Partly to underline the Puntos continuing relevance and also to show that this car is more than just a revised nose cone. Fiat have been particularly stung by accusations that the latest Punto was a mere makeover to prolong the life of an ageing car and the facts and figures speak for themselves.
The Punto can still cut it even up against some of the best cars in the class. The 1.4-litre version finds itself up against some notable contenders in the shape of the
Honda Jazz, the
Citroen C3 and the Fiesta but it still offers probably the liveliest drive of the lot and still feels suffused with enough Spirito di Punto to paint a big grin across your face. Three trim levels are offered.
In three-door guise theres a choice between Eleganza and Sporting while five-door buyers choose either the slightly sporty Dynamic Plus or the plush Eleganza. With prices opening at £10,495 and running up to a modest £11,095, theres a fair amount of variation in that narrow price band. Unfortunately the interesting Dualogic and Speedgear transmissions arent offered with this 1.4-litre engine, buyers instead making do with a five-speed manual box in the Eleganza and Dynamic Plus or the six-speed in the Sporting.
"This car is a lot more than just a revised nose cone"
The Dynamic Plus features anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, split/fold rear seats, 14-inch alloy wheels and a CD-based stereo. To this the Eleganza adds refinements such as side and side curtain airbags, dual zone automatic climate control, six button steering wheel controls and other big car features like one-touch electric windows and four-speed intermittent wipers. The Sporting instead adopts a more purposeful mien and features a leather trimmed sports steering wheel and gear knob, 15-inch alloys, as well as the sports styling features which include skirts, bumper trims and spoilers. It too gets the additional airbags plumbed in.
A JATO-sourced index of competitiveness that takes into account price and equipment has placed the Punto way ahead of rivals from
Peugeot, Citroen,
Renault, Ford and
Vauxhall. Although the Sporting can rely on a taut ride, the rest of the Punto line-up has also come in for some dynamic recalibration, 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, the latest car swallowing up such intrusions with far more panache than its predecessor. After all, the Punto isnt a car that Fiat can afford to gamble on.
The Barchetta yes, the Multipla maybe but the Punto represents the financial lifeblood of the company. Its been a success story to date with over 375,000 pounding our streets, but in order to keep pace with the latest generation of supermini challengers, a number of changes were necessary. The styling job is just one constituent part of a raft of changes designed to bring the Punto right up to speed. Most will notice the larger clear-lensed headlamps and the three-part under-bumper grille that have received mixed reviews and the rather neater treatment to the rear end.
The cabin has also come in for some attention. The interior benefits from the 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 is now available. 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. The Punto 1.4-litre is a car with the power and the poise to silence the critics who carped that the little Fiat was a little long in the tooth.
With superior build quality and equipment inside and a revised suspension setup all backed up by a box-fresh engine, its difficult not to give the Punto 1.4-litre a big thumbs up. The Sporting model should come in for special commendation, being at the same time agreeably modern but with an old-school attitude. Whatever you think of the cars face, you cant fault its personality.
And personality, as we all know, goes a long way.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Fiat Punto 1.4-litre range
PRICES: £10,495-£11,095 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 7
CO2 EMISSIONS: 145g/km
PERFORMANCE: [Sporting] 0-60mph 9.6s / Max Speed 111mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 36.2mpg / (extra urban) 55.4mpg / (combined) 46.3mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags / seatbelt pre-tensioners
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height [3dr] 3800/1660/1480mm
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