2007 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

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.