Fiat Punto Reviews

Italian carmaker Fiat is very big in Europe but had been quiet in the Australian passenger car scene for years before re-entering our market in July 2006 with the Punto, a small-medium hatchback. However, Punto was pretty expensive and didn't sell particularly well at the time, to the extent that it was pulled from

Though apparently a newcomer to Australia, the Fiat Punto was sold here between 2006 and 2010. It was expensive and not many changed hands before it was quietly slipped off the market downunder. Now the Punto is back with a bang. That's because Fiat Australia is now controlled by the Italian factory, not a private

.star {width:135px;}#article-corpus {width:100%; padding-right: 0;}Toyota Yaris YR and Fiat Punto Pop go head-to-head in this comparative review. 

Fresh from the excitement of slashing prices and therefore greatly increasing sales of the Fiat 500 in Australia, the new importer has reintroduced its Punto hatchback.Now that Fiat Australia is controlled by the Italian head office, rather than a private importer, the Italian marque is pushing to become a mainstream player.Punto came to Australia between 2006 and 2010, but sold in modest numbers as it was expensive and not promoted with any real vigour. That’s about to change as the ‘new’ Fiat Australia has dramatically reduced prices and is about to launch a major advertising campaign.Almost nine million Fiat Puntos have been sold globally in the past 20 years and the new president of Fiat in Australia, Veronica Johns, is confident she can play her part in helping it reach the magic figure of 10 million in the next year or so.Unlike the cute Fiat 500, and the trendsetting Fiat Panda that’s due in Australia late in 2013, Fiat Punto is aimed at relatively conservative buyers. Hence it has neat but somewhat subdued styling. While the Punto has lines that are smooth and likely to prove timeless, it certainly didn’t create any visual interest from during our introductory test drives out of Brisbane.In Europe the Punto’s chief competitors are Volkswagen Polo, another vehicle that leans in the conservative direction so there’s no doubt the Italian designers are on the right track.However, Fiat dealers carry an extensive range of customisation gear so your Punto can take its own direction in the styling stakes. More about this in a moment.The engine in the Punto is the basic version of Fiat’s 1.4-litre four-cylinder unit. With only two valves per cylinder it has a power output of just 57 kW. Peak torque is 115 Nm at 3250 revs.The recommended retail price of $16,000 driveaway for the Punto Pop five-speed manual is significantly lower than that of Polo, Yaris, Mazda2, i20, Rio and a host of other cars in an exceptionally crowded market segment. Should you want an automatic transmission, Fiat’s Dualogic, which is an automated manual not a full auto, costs $17,500 driveaway.Be aware that these driveaway prices are only for the Punto Pop, you have to factor in on-road costs in the other two models in the Punto range.Far from being a stripped down ‘get-them-into-the-showroom’ special the entry level Punto Pop has a fair bit of gear; the denim inserts in the seats make a statement, the six-speaker radio/CD/MP3 audio system has steering wheel controls, and the Fiat Blue&Me hands-free Bluetooth phone setup reduces the dangers of driver inattention.Next up the line, the Punto Easy has 15-inch alloy wheels, a fancier design of dashboard, a leather wrapped steering wheel and gear lever, a front seat armrest, and rear parking sensors.The range-topping Fiat Punto Lounge has 16-inch alloys, a pair of sports seats in the front, a soft-touch finish to the dash, climate control air conditioning, ambient lighting and automatic windscreen wipers.A huge range of accessories and custom features is on offer. Some of our favourite dress-up items are checkered-flag covers for the door mirrors, Italian national-colours decals on the B-pillars, a twin-tailpipe extension on the exhaust and Fiat embossed covers for the tyre valve caps. Not to forget a huge choice of side stripes and alloy wheels.Major active safety items are ESC and ABS and hill-hold. Passive safety is by way of seven airbags on all models with the exception of the Pop, which misses out on a driver’s knee bag.It comes as no surprise that this low-power engine is no ball of fire and requires frequent use of the gearbox to keep it working in a reasonable manner. The change action of the manual is better than average for a front-drive car and driving a car like this can be fun for those who love their manuals.The Dualogic generally changed down promptly under its own volition, and has manual overrides should you decide your driving skill need to be called upon. Having said all that, if you’re looking for a performance hatch you should probably shop elsewhere.

You've got to hand it to Fiat for having another crack at the Aussie market after a number of previous half-hearted attempts under private importers. They're serious this time with a factory owned local operation.First cab off the rank, the tiddler-size 500, recently came in for some "repositioning" (price reductions) and now the Italian manufacturer is re-introducing the Punto, a biggish light car now offered from a start price of $16,000 drive away for the base model Pop.Before the end of the year we'll see the practical little Panda coming in to compete against a rash of similar size small SUVs from left, right and centre. Fiat also has two light commercial vehicles in the Ducato and Scudo vans and there's also the Freemont people mover (aka Dodge Journey).But focus this month is on the rebirth of Punto, a model that's been around since 2006. The local Fiat outfit has opted for Punto in five door hatch configuration only in Pop, Easy and Lounge grades. All share the same naturally aspirated 1.4-litre petrol engine while the Pop is the only one to get a five-speed manual with optional five-speed Dualogic automated manual transmission ($1500)  standard on Easy and Lounge grades.The engine passes Euro 5 emissions regulations despite having a single camshaft and only eight valves. It's an old plonker for sure but sips 91 octane fuel lightly on the way to achieving a modest 57kW/115Nm output.This is adequate to push the one tonne Punto along at a respectable clip provided you don't expect anything remotely sporty. In Dualogic mode, it's even more relaxed and has the annoying trait of lurching between gear changes. Get the manual every day unless you want to turn into a nodding dog.Punto has auto stop/start, gear shift indicator and eco:Drive software to help drivers learn economical driving techniques.It's all adhoc stuff that skirts the real issue  a lack of powertrain technology to assist efficiency.Punto scores a five star ANCAP rating and comes with a reasonable amount of equipment in the base model including a multi-function wheel, Bluetooth phone, USB connector, decent audio, aircon, power front windows, remote headlight height adjust, daytime running lights, folding rear seats, full size spare and other stuff.But you only get plastic wheel covers for the cheap 15-inch steelies, a hard plastic dash, wind up rear windows, drum rear brakes and modest rear seat legroom.The Punto is old school hatchback, innocuous but not exciting at all. It looks a little like a Nissan Micra at the front and an earlier Ford Fiesta at the rear.  It won't offend anyone that's for sure. It's the same in the cabin -- small econobox, nothing flash but it's functional and has a pleasing appearance to the dash.We drove Punto Pop in a city environment and it proved quite a handy tool nipping through tight laneways, parking in small places and using as little as 7.4-litres/100km in the city. That drops to 5.4L on a combined city/highway circuit for the Dualogic cars.The ride is comfortable from a strut front and torsion beam suspension system and the electric steering is light and has some 'feel.' But you have to row through the gears to get it going with any purpose. With Dualogic, that means using the manual selector system.We kinda like the Punto because it's something different to the rash of Japanese and Korean cars in this segment. We'd have one over something like a (cheaper) Suzuki Alto or Mitsubishi Mirage every day because Punto has a proper four cylinder engine and doesn't look like a Noddy car. But it needs a turbodiesel engine option -- possible down the track.

The Fiat Punto is back with a fresh face and a $4000 price cut. The Italian five-door hatch now starts at $16,000 drive-away, making it one of the cheapest Europeans on the market.The Punto disappeared from Australian showrooms three years ago after slow sales. But it’s back with a revised model line-up that takes in some minor visual changes to the lights and bumpers and an updated interior.Priced from $16,000 drive-away, the Punto now comes with Bluetooth phone connectivity but still lacks wireless audio streaming. The Punto Pop comes with a USB port located in the glovebox (hidden behind a little rubber bung type protector) while the Easy and Lounge have their Aux in and USB ports exposed in the centre console. The Punto also has one of the cheapest satellite navigation upgrades in the business. The $595 optional touchscreen plugs in to the top of the dash.The 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine produces 57 kW and 115Nm. There's a choice of either a five-speed manual or five-speed robotised manual transmission.Armed with six airbags and stability control the previous generation Punto scored a five-star safety rating from ANCAP. The new one has not been tested but it’s unlikely to have gone backwards.The Punto has been around since 2006. As it approaches its eighth birthday (old age in the car world) this is its third update. It still drives well, soaks up the daily grind with ease and visibility is good all around because of the large glass area (at a time when car windows appear to be getting smaller).But the 1.4-litre petrol engine is a little underdone even in small car terms. When matched to the optional five-speed robotised manual ($1500 more) it can be downright frustrating. Unlike the more modern twin-clutch automated gearboxes, this is an older design and the shifts are slower and more pronounced.In practical terms it means the Punto is slow to grab a new gear and it can feel like an eternity, even if it does only take a few seconds to respond. Modern automated twin-clutch gearboxes shift in milliseconds. Three-point turns come with a new level of anxiety with one of these gearboxes. You have been warned.The reason the Italians are slow to embrace twin-clutch or even conventional automatic gearbox technology is because manual gearboxes still account for the majority of sales in Europe. In Australia it’s the other way around.Sharpening the purchase price makes the Punto a more attractive position than before but Fiat does not yet have capped price servicing, so be sure to shop around.Service intervals are 12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first) and the warranty is three years/150,000km (the distance sounds generous but in reality Fiat know most drivers rarely do more than 50,000km over three years).This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling

  Fiat has launched a turbocharged petrol version of its light Punto hatch that is in a word a little ripper.We can't get over the difference this power plant makes to the feel of the car, with its lively performance and sporty dynamics.The good looking Punto is the car that heralded the return of the Fiat passenger car brand to Australia two years ago.But at the time the hatchback was available only in diesel form.The three-door Sport Turbo, priced from $25,990, is essentially the same car as the 1.9-litre turbodiesel Sport, but with a different engine and transmission.Where the diesel is heavier and more expensive, the petrol version feels lighter, nippier and more fun to drive _ and it's $2000 cheaper.Weighing in at 1155kg, it is 50kg lighter than the diesel and you'd have to reckon that most of that weight would have come out of the front end.The new engine is a light pressure turbocharged version of Fiat's 1.4 litre Star-Jet engine.The low inertia turbo lifts power from 57 to 88kW and torque from 115 to 206Nm, with an amazing 200Nm of torque available from just 1700rpm.The engine is hooked up to a relatively pedestrian five-speed manual transmission.It would have been nice to see the six-speed from the diesel, but having said that the five is slick, easy to use and delivers the goods.By boosting the engine Fiat has managed to shave four seconds off the car's 0-100km/h time which is now a very respectable 8.9 seconds.At the same time it uses an average of 6.6 litres of fuel per 100km and that's not too far behind the diesel at 5.8.As the cost of fuel continues to rise motorists will start looking to smaller cars with smaller engines to save money.With petrol costing $1.60 and diesel $1.80 a litre, many motorists are finding the cost of filling up the family car topping the $100 mark.That's going to take a bit of getting used to.Punto takes 95 strength premium (although it will run on standard) and we were getting 7.6 litres/100km from the 45-litre tank, with a bit of hard stuff thrown in.Many people will take one look at the 1.4 litre capacity and dismiss the engine as too small.But you'll be surprised.The boost kicks in early with a flat torque curve that generates strong peformance across the range.Even in top gear it sales up hills and will still accelerate even if the revs are allowed to drop.Punto comes with a five-star safety rating, six airbags, anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control.It's a middle of the road car in the Fiat scheme of things and this is reflected in the plainer, more conservative styling inside.The standard of finish is also not up to the standard of the more recent Ritmo and 500 models.Also, you'll find a re-inflation kit instead of a spare or space saver under the luggage area.Still, it's a very appealing little car if you want to get away from the usual Japanese fare.

Developed by the Fiat Style Centre, the exterior design looks like a more grown-up version of the Punto hatch and has a distinctly sporty flavour, including a Maserati-style grille.As with all new European cars, the Ritmo has a long snout to pass European pedestrian safety regulations.The five-door hatch is slightly larger against its key rivals.Compared with a VW Golf, the Fiat hatch is slightly bigger in every area, including wheelbase.The Ritmo's luggage space, with the rear seats in place, is 400 litres compared to the Golf's 347 litres.Australia is expected to get two engines, the 110kW/305Nm 1.9-litre JTD and 110kW/206Nm 1.4-litre turbocharged TJET, in with Sports or Luxury specification in either six-speed manual or robotised manual guises.Fiat says the 1.4 has a 0-100km/h sprint time of 8.5sec while returning 7.1litres/100km on the combined fuel economy cycle. The 1.4 also has over boost that lifts peak torque to 230Nm.The 1.9 JTD is almost as quick as the petrol engine, reaching 100km/h in 9sec and returning 5.6litres/100km on the combined fuel economy cycle.As expected of Fiat, buyers can expect a full range to be available in Europe, including a wagon, hot Abarth models and possibly a coupe.However, Fiat's Australian importers Ateco Automotive will initially concentrate on the petrol and JTD hatches but is tipped to fill out the range with the Abarth models later.As with the Punto, the new Ritmo has a five-star Euro-NCAP safety rating. The equipment list locally is expected to be on a par with its rivals.That means cruise control, alloys, climate-control airconditioning, stability control and six airbags. Logical dash layout with large buttons. Expect prices to start about $30,000, right in the VW Golf, Mazda3 and Ford Focus arena.The performance of the 1.9 JTD was strong and even the 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol had a good burst of mid-range enthusiasm on the roads around Bologna, Italy, and felt like a strong 2-litre four. In sharp corners the car exhibits some steering rack rattle, which feeds back through the steering but the MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension is well sorted. But overall the packaging and performance is on the money.Inside the cabin has a nice Italian air about it, the layout is logical, seats comfy and there's plenty of room in the back. Most drivers will find the driving position acceptable.However, small children may whinge about not being able to see out of the rear side windows because of their shallow depth.

If you see a Fiat Punto 1.4 pulled over by the constabulary it would be unlikely the driver has been nabbed for speeding.The 1.4-litre Punto is hardly going to get you into trouble even if you tried.Having said that it is quite tractable around town but has trouble keeping up with the highway pace if it has to slow down and then get back to the speed limit again.The little petrol unit is willing and the new Dualogic gearbox brings out the best in the small four-cylinder petrol.This gearbox is one of the new breed of clutchless sequential manuals with a fully automatic mode or change-yourself operation by tipping the shifter forward or back.As opposed to the 1.3-litre diesel engine, which is mated to the 6-speed Dualogic unit, this 1.4-litre petrol uses the 5-speed version.It is responsive and kicks down smartly from fifth if you need more urge to round up a slower commuter on the open road.The Punto is at its best around town.Yes, there are more zippy city cars on the market for around $20k but many are not endowed with as many standard features.What you get off the showroom floor is a long list of stuff including a nifty trip computer with trip meter, fuel consumption (average and instantaneous readouts) etc.There are electric front windows, internal boot release, central locking, follow-me-home headlights, split-fold rear seats, cruise control, full-size spare, airconditioning and the third rear seat gains a three-point seatbelt and head rest.On the safety front there are front, side and window airbags and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution. This five-door hatch gets child safety locks and the passenger airbag can be deactivated when the seat is not occupied.There is a lot of kit to support the $21,490 price tag for the Dualogic version which is $1500 more than the manual Punto.It is quite comfortable and there is good vision all around.On the open road the Punto hums along at 110km/h in fifth gear pulling 3500rpm, the little transversely mounted four potter is not getting a lot of peace here.There is a fair bit of road noise filtering through the cabin and there was a rattle from a driver-side air vent.This is no rocketship but it has a certain amount of charm and fits in well with its unconfrontational exterior design.At 57kW of power there is probably more oomph in your kitchen waste disposal and, for that matter, probably more torque than the 115Nm available.Its environment is on short darts in urban areas and you can't complain about the 5.5litres/100km we experienced on this drive.There are only three cars with less power on the new-car market in Australia at the moment: the Citroen C3 SX, the Peugeot 207 XR with 55kW, and the Smart Fortwo which is at the bottom of the class with 45kW.It might be at the bottom end of the power scale but it offers a point of difference to the mass market $20k runabouts.Diesel However, if you chose the five-door Punto with the 1.9-litre diesel engine, be prepared for a surprise.The 280Nm of torque, most of which is available just off idle up to 400rpm or so, makes this little Italian deceptively fast. There is no point waiting until it runs out of breath at 4500rpm.Change up at 3500rpm through the slick six-speed box and let the engine grunt a bit. Before you know it 110km/h is on the dial.Indeed the multi-jet diesel is so torquey it is quite capable of pulling the car along at idle in fifth gear on a flat road when it will be doing about 50km/h.You will pay a hefty $6500 more than the same car with the 1.4-litre petrol engine.But as well as the multi-talented 1.9 diesel you also get 15-inch alloy wheels, courtesy lights for the vanity mirrors on the sunshades, a more comprehensive instrument capability and fog lights.At $27,990 the 1.9 diesel Punto very definitely does not fall into the cheap car category but it is fun to drive and will surprise many other drivers at the traffic lights. Especially if they have recently come up against another Punto equipped with one of the less energetic petrol engines.    Fiat Punto 1.4litre Dualogic $21,490Engine: 3 starsWilling enough but isn't going to lift the heart-rate in a hurryTransmission: 4 starsOne of the best examples of clutchless manuals although there remains a degree of interruption when it changes cogs in automatic modeHandling: 3 starsCushy ride although there is some crashing through the front wheels on bad surfacesSafety: 3 starsAirbags and ABS as expected although an ESP option and its associated programs is not availableValue: 3 starsThere is practicality, charm and strong equipment levelsTech specsBody: 5-door hatchEngine: inline four-cylinder petrolTransmission: 5-speed manual/dualogic sequentialPower: 57kW @ 6000rpmTorque: 115Nm @ 3000rpmTyres: 175/65 R 15TVerdictFor: Italian kitschAgainst: May not have the poke to suit some tastesWill win admirers who don't live for performance 

Many Aussies have fond memories of the breed, but there are also some who are less enamoured with it. So, the Punto had its work cut out for it.It ended last year as one of our finalists in the CARSguide Car of The Year and with good reason. It's a well-equipped machine.We're driving the 1.9 JTD Emotion five-door, which gets cloth trim - in this case an odd greenish hue but, after all, it's European - and plenty of standard safety gear.The Punto has ABS brakes and (in the case of the 1.9 models) standard stability control, two front and side and window airbags, anti-whiplash front seats and seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters.Once in the cabin the seating is comfortable and supportive for lateral movement, but the driving position still feels like you need long arms and short legs. That's despite the inclusion of reach-and-rake wheel adjustment, but most average-height folk won't have a problem.There's airconditioning, trip computer, cruise control, remote central locking, power front windows, power mirrors, leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearshift.The Emotion model also gets a six-speaker CD sound system which produces a nice noise, with steering-wheel-mounted controls.It might be seen as a bit gimmicky, but the electric “dual-drive” power steering offers the driver two levels of assistance - one for around-town twirling and the other for open road work. You can feel the difference but only the weak-limbed are going to need to switch it to city mode to park this little Euro.Despite not even topping two-litre cubic capacity, the Punto can be whipped along at an indecent rate. The power peaks at 80kW but the 280Nm of torque does plenty when it only has to shift 1220kg from standstill. There is a moment of hesitation as the turbo huffs and puffs, but once it has boost pressure on board the little Punto can whip away, but the noise betrays its combustion system. It's not overly intrusive, but you won't be in any doubt that it's a diesel.The six-speed manual is a reasonable gearbox (there's no auto on offer), with a clean, if a little rubbery, shift, but there can be a bit of “snatch” between the gearbox and the engine if it's in the meat of torque curve and throttle use is not super smooth. Fuel use during our metropolitan stint was around 7 litres/100km, but throw even 20 per cent highway driving into the mix and the ADR figure of 5.5 litres/100km is more than believable.The highway figure of 4.4 litres/100km means 45 litres has the potential for 1000km on the highway.With an auto, the diesel would have added appeal but even as a manual the Punto diesel has plenty going for it. SMALL TOURQUEFiat Punto EmotionPrice: $27,990.Engine: 1.9-litre eight-valve common-rail intercooled direct-injection variable geometry turbocharged four-cylinder diesel.Power: 88kW at 4000rpm.Torque: 280Nm at 2000rpm.Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive, with stability control.Suspension: Independent MacPherson struts, dampers and anti-roll bar (front). Independent torsion beam axle and hydraulic dampers (rear).0-100km/h/top speed: 10 seconds/190km/h.Fuel consumption/capacity: combined 5.5 litres/100km, tank 45 litres.Dimensions: Length 4030mm, width 1687mm, height 1490mm, wheelbase 2510mm, track fr/rr 1473/1466mm, boot 275/638 litres.Weight: 1220kg.Brakes: Four wheel discs, front ventilated, with ABS and EBD.Wheels: 15in alloy.