Fiat Punto Dynamic
Maxabout Review
Best Car In Its Segment
Monday, August 04, 2008
Design & Styling Of Fiat Punto
Designed by the famous Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign, Fiat Punto was given the Euro NCAP five-star rating for passenger safety. It is an attractive and spacious car which suits your personality. The styling of the Grande Punto stands out in the current automotive scene for the beauty of the exterior line, which is modern, elegant and distinctly 'Italian', a 'Mediterranean' stylistic language where the tapered rounded lines seem to be inspired by the sports cars of the 1950s and 1960s.
This is a car created to 'excite', but also to express the solidity that comes from superb quality standards. This is borne out by extremely high safety standards, attention to detail that is unusual in this market bracket, and exceptional comfort. The result is a car that embodies the passion, and the styling and construction capabilities of a brand that was founded over a century ago. Main styling elements of Fiat Punto are Sporty grill, Flared wheel arches, Muscular contours, Sporty dual tone interiors, Sporty wide profile 195/60 R15 - 15" alloys.
Interior & Comfort Features Of Fiat Punto
The Interiors of Fiat Punto are inspired from the Linea - many switches and controls have been picked from Linea to reduce production costs and price Punto very competitively. And it seems Fiat India has succeded to do so, Punto is a true value for money car in comparsion to its rivals. Inside, heavily bolstered sports seats provide plenty of support during cornering, and are comfortable on long journeys. The chunky leather steering wheel of Fiat Punto is a joy to hold, while the dashboard design is simple and well laid out. The punto is preceded with “Grande” to indicate its larger size. Fiat claim the interior represents the epitome of Italian style. It means being able to get in and out of the car easily and comfortably, and once you are sitting down, it means being surrounded by an airy environment, enjoying its generous space and greater visibility. The cabin of Fiat Punto has a few storage areas and a luggage organiser can be bought as an accessory which also raises the floor of the boot so it becomes flat with the rear seats folded and also acts as a box to hide valuables.
Fiat Punto feels well made and although the hard plastics aren't that nice to touch, they look quite attractive. Main comfort and convinience features of Grande Punto are Electrically adjustable outside rear view mirror, Automatic Climate Control, Blue & Me: unique technology developed jointly by Microsoft & Fiat. Unique technology to connect and sync mobile via blue tooth and voice dial / read SMS. Fiat Punto features customized instrument display setting with My Car, Remote foldable key, Intelligent rear defogger whichswitches off after 20 minutes to prevent damage to the glass, Convenient driver facing key slot, Intelligent Ignition prevents turning the key when the engine is running.
Engine Options Of Fiat Punto
Fiat Punto is available with 3 engine options:
- 1.2 litre petrol
- 1.4 litre petrol
- 1.3 litre diesel
The 1.2 litre petrol variant of Punto is available in Active and generates maximum power of 68 Bhp at 6500 rpm and maximum torque of 96 Nm at 2500 rpm. The 1.4 litre petrol engine is available in Dynamic, Emotion & Emotion Pack. This engine is same which is doing duty in Linea and generates 90 Bhp at 6000 rpm with maximum torque of 115 Nm at 4500 rpm. The 1.3 litre mutijet diesel engine is available in Punto Active, Dynamic, Emotion & Emotion Pack. This engine is also same doing duty in Linea and generates 76 Bhp at 4000 rpm with maximum torque of 197 Nm at 1750 rpm.
Variants & Shades Of Fiat Punto
Fiat Punto is available in 4 variants:
- Active
- Dynamic
- Emotion
- Emotion Pack
Fiat Punto Active is base model which comes with front power windows, power steering, body colored bumpers, remote boot release, remote fuel filler and Air Conditioning. Dynamic model comes with all the features of Active variant plus central locking and rear power windows.
The Emotion model comes with all the features of Dynamic variant plus MP3 player with 6 speakers, front fog lamps, rear washer, rear wiper, ABS, EBD and rear defogger. The top end emotion pack variant comes with alloys, automatic climate control system, Blue&Me system and dual front airbags in addition to all the features of Emotion variant. Grande Punto is available in 6 shades: Hip-hop black, Boscha Nova Red, Minimal grey, Metallic grey, Exotica red and Electric blue.
Price & Safety Features Of Fiat Punto
The petrol variants of Punto would cost Rs 3.99-5.61 lakh, while the diesel cars have been priced at Rs 4.85-6.11 lakh. These prices are Ex-showroom New Delhi. Punto's top model comes fully loaded with ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System), EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution), Dual stage front driver & passenger airbags with unique system that deploys the air-bags depending on the severity of the impact. It also comes with fire prevention system which cuts off fuel in case of an impact to reduce chances of fire, Fiat Code System rolling code, Load limiters and pre-tensioners.
Conclusion - Punto Is Best Hatchback/Car In Its Segment
Fiat India is working to improve the reliability of its cars and while engines have typically been fairly robust, problems in the past have tended to be niggling faults to do with electrics or build standards. Linea has done wonders for Fiat and it is expected that the company is not going to make any mistakes this time. Fiat Punto will set a new benchmark in terms of styling, comfort and value for money in its segment. They are keen to improve on its past reputation & revamping its total dealer network in India with the help of Tata Motors as they are the authorised dealers to sell Fiat cars in India.