Fiat Punto Grande
Does
Fiat's latest supermini have the substance to match its
Italian style?
What's
New
The new Grande Punto shares its basic underpinnings with
the new Opel Corsa. The common platform was developed when
General Motors and Fiat were still in partnership, but the
two cars look decidedly different.
Cover
up all the badges and there'd still be no question about
the Punto's provenance, trust the Italians to come up with
such a stylish shape. The nose bears plenty of resemblance
to the Maserati Coupe, and makes you wonder why other manufacturers
don't graft more sportscar faces on to hatchback bodies.
It's
far from a being mish-mash, too, the rear is where you'd
expect things to go belly up, but things at the back are
pretty well sorted. The rear lamps are neatly integrated
into the c-pillars, as with the last generation Punto, and
there's minimal adornment, leading to a very clean look.
There are two bodystyles available, the five-door shown
here, as well as a sportier-looking three-door version.
The five-door variant is already a handsome thing, but the
three-door is the real stunner.
The
interior doesn't have the same visual appeal as the exterior
though, which isn't really that surprising. It'd really
be something if the Punto was as good looking on the inside
as it is on the outside. Everything is neatly laid out,
but some of the minor controls, located on a panel to the
right of the steering wheel, can be fiddly to use. The rationale
behind the location of the electric lumbar support adjustment
for driver's seat - underneath the front armrest - is a
bit of a mystery, too.
Everything
seems well enough put together, but there are some fairly
iffy details and an inconsistency to the quality of the
plastics.
In
terms of practicality, the rear seats do tumble forwards
to form a flat load area, plus they can be operated in a
60:40 split.
How
it Performs
The Grande Punto is powered by a 1.4-litre in-line four-cylinder
engine that develops 77bhp. The model tested here comes
with a five-speed manual transmission. A five-speed semi-automatic
sequential 'box is understood to be available by the time
you read this if you prefer not to shift cogs by yourself.
The manual has a pretty rubbery shift action, and the clutch
is difficult to modulate, so the semi-auto might be a better
choice.
The
Punto's electrically-assisted steering has a 'City' mode
that lightens up the weighting considerably, handy if you're
a lady or if you find all that arm twirling in tight carparks
too much like hard work.
In
either mode, the steering offers up plenty of accuracy and
the rest of the Punto obliges with a very commendable degree
of body control. Bumps and ruts are pretty well smothered,
and there's a decent amount of grip in the corners.
The
1.4-litre engine might only serve up 77bhp, but it's happy
to have the nuts revved off it. Which probably suits the
Italian way to drive perfectly. It sounds suitably sporty
when you cane it, and even when it's stretched all the way
to the 6,500rpm redline, the engine never becomes harsh
or raucous.
How
it Stacks Up
At a list price of $73,071 with COE, the Grande Punto isn't
exactly cheap for a small hatchback. Especially when you
consider that some of its Japanese competitors offer more
in terms of versatility and practicality for less money.
That said, where your hard-earned dollars do end up is in
the looks.
Sure
there are better equipped, more practical hatchbacks on
the market, but arguably, you won't find one as good looking
as the Grande Punto.
| Technical Specifications |
|
MODEL
Fiat Grande Punto (M)
ENGINE
Engine: 1,368cc 8v in-line 4
Max Power: 77bhp at 6,000rpm
Max Torque: 115Nm at 3,000rpm
TRANSMISSION
5-speed manual
TOP SPEED
180 kmh
0-100km/h
10.7s
|
