Fiat PUNTO RANGE
The Changes
Fiat Have Made To Their Punto Go Way Beyond The Revised Front End. Andy Enright Charts The Progress
On the face of it, the changes to Fiats latest Punto dont look too striking. In changing a distinctive sharky front end into something rather generic, Fiat have robbed the Punto of much of its cheeky personality. For many, this will be an insurmountable deterrent, but bear with the Punto and the full extent of the changes will become apparent. Never let it be said that Europes best selling car errs on the superficial.
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.
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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. Of more consequence are a trio of engines that merit closer investigation. First up is a 95bhp 16-valve 1.4-litre petrol powerplant that plugs the yawning gap between the existing 80bhp and 130bhp petrol engines.
Guaranteed to be of more interest to British motorists are 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 now the concept is 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. Even the 70bhp 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 bound to prove popular, especially when you factor in Euro4 compliance which will slash another 3% off Benefit In Kind taxation for company car users. Those looking for a little more zip will prefer the HGT-badged 100bhp car that features more torque than a 180bhp
Audi TT. The Puntos ride and handling has also come in for a little attention, 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.
"The styling job is just one constituent part of a raft of changes"
The interior also 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. As for performance, it will depend on your choice between six engines and no fewer than four gearboxes. First up is a 60bhp 1.2-litre 8-valve unit, no ball of fire but acceptably rapid within the city limits.
Better however, if funds permit, to stretch to the more popular 80bhp 16-valve version of the same engine and then the 16-valve 1.4-litre. Aside from that, there's a choice of the two Multijet diesels. Real performance seekers however, will want the flagship 3-door HGT model, equipped with the same 1.8-litre 130bhp four-cylinder engine that powers the Barchetta roadster. This means a big performance hike, with sixty attainable in just 8.
6s en route to nearly 130mph. If you're urban-bound however, such reserves of performance may well be irrelevant. Trim levels open with Active and then step up through Active Plus, Active Sport, Dynamic, Eleganza, Sporting and HGT. Even the entry-level Active includes Dualdrive electric power steering, electric windows, driver and passenger front airbags, central locking, 'Follow Me Home' headlamps and electric child security locks. Gearboxes are something that Fiat seem to consider in a very lateral fashion and the Punto now features three different options. The five and six-speed manuals needs little introduction. Of a little more curiosity value is an optional CVT automatic system called Speedgear that offers no fewer than seven forward ratios and allows you to change up and down yourself 'Tiptronic'-style if you're in the mood. A six-speed version of the same auto 'box is available lower down the range. A clutchless manual is also offered in the form of the simple Dualogic gearbox that represents a cost-effective way to take the drudgery out of city motoring. With a range that spans 22 models, Fiat are banking on the Punto continuing its phenomenal success. Pitching the car into direct battle with cars like the
Ford Fiesta and
Skoda Fabia may look a risky strategy but it does undercut these rivals by a meaningful amount.
The Fiats design flare is another plus point and all things considered, its well in with a shout.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Fiat Punto range
PRICES: £7,195-£12,195 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 3-14
CO2 EMISSIONS: 119-197g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.2 16v] 0-60mph 11.4s / Max Speed 107mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.2 16v] (urban) 37.2mpg / (extra urban) 56.5mph / (combined) 47.1mpg
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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