Fiat Grande Punto

11:36am Friday 8th September 2006

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FIAT has been going through a rough patch in the last few years. The Italian giant has struggled to make up ground lost when the Stilo failed to make any impact on the Golf/Focus class and a failed partnership with General Motors didn't help.

Finally, with the Grande Punto, there are grounds for optimism, but if Fiat is to find the path to greatness again the new Grande Punto had better be good.

If looks were the only determinant, the Grande Punto (henceforth known in this road test as the Punto) would have the small-hatch class boxed off already. It is stunningly styled, brilliantly proportioned, bang up to date without looking laboured, leagues ahead of the Ford Fiesta, the VW Polo and any other rival.

So it's definitely not dull, but is it worthy?

The interior looks as thoroughly modern as the exterior, though not quite so attractive.

The swooping curves and bold shapes of the dash are pleasing.

If you look past the aesthetics the Punto does only marginally less well.

There's none of the funky styling details you'll find in the Multipla MPV but Fiat doesn't do funky in a car as important as this. A Punto has to appeal to as many buyers as possible, so funky is out and sensible is in.

The driving position holds no hidden horrors in the seating or the pedal arrangement.

A reach-adjustable steering wheel is good to have and is still something of a rarity for a car in this class.

All the minor controls are logically laid out. The instruments are clear and it's great to see a real temperature gauge in a supermini once more.

A small LCD display between the rev counter/speedo is a source of useful information including, the time, external temperature and the radio channel you are listening to.

The CD/radio sounds fine. The radio tuner had no trouble picking up weak stations that have foxed more expensive gear in the past.

The view from the driver's seat is panoramic although the thick windscreen pillars can compromise your view when edging out of busy junctions.

But what really struck me about the Punto was the space.

When the Fiat Tipo (another brilliant Italian hatch) arrived many years ago people were agog at its interior dimensions. Here we have a car that's supposed to sit in the class below offering about the same amount of space.

With more than generous headroom the Punto is a perfectly acceptable proposition for four adults, even over fairly long distances.

The boot is equally generous, although it couldn't quite manage to swallow our pushchair without a bit of fiddling. At 275 litres it certainly rivals the big hitters in this class, specifically the Renault Clio. Although the loading lip is a bit high, once you're over it the luggage area is wide, flat and unimpeded.

The secret isn't just cunning packaging. The Punto is the largest car in this class at just over 4m long.

Other superminis of about the same length are on the way (principally the Vauxhall Corsa) but, for now, the Fiat gives you the most metal for your cash.

Electric front windows, remote central locking and a CD player with steering mounted controls are standard across the entire range.

Air conditioning is available from the Dynamic trim level upwards and parking sensors are also on the options list.

Power-assisted steering is light enough without the 'city' button that lightens it up even more but robs the helm of any feel whatsoever.

The Punto is currently available with two petrol engines (a 1.2 and a 1.4) but the really interesting models are the diesels. Go for the 1.3 TD with 90 bhp and you'll have a brilliant looking little car that's fine in town and a great performer on motorways as well.

The 0-62mph time takes a shade more than 11 seconds but the in-gear acceleration is far stronger than those figures would suggest. A six-speed gearbox makes the most of every horsepower.

Fiat reckons the secret to its new engines is a variable geometry turbine that combats low revs lethargy and boosts top end power. The result is a 1.3-litre diesel that makes 200Nm of torque at just 1,750 rpm. And torque (not irrelevant horsepower) is what you need in a small hatchback for quick getaways and powering through the cut and thrust of city driving.

The larger-engined 1.9 TDs - with a choice of either 120 bhp or 130 bhp - should be little flying machines, especially the TD130 with its 9.5 seconds time to 62mph and 124mph top speed (where legal).

Despite this performance the Punto's fuel economy is outstanding: 61.4 mpg in a 1.3 TD90 and 48.7mpg in the most powerful TD130.

In my test car the clutch had a tendency to grab to the detriment of smooth progress at low speeds. Although I had the measure of this by the end of the week it still wasn't as smooth as a Japanese hatch, although this could have been a trait peculiar to the test model.

Much more impressive are the Punto's excellent safety credentials. Every version receives twin front airbags, and only the entrylevel model misses out on side and curtain airbaggery as well.

The Punto notched up a fiveout-of-five NCAP crash-protection rating, the highest ever recorded by a supermini.

Fiat has been thinking about pedestrian safety too. The bonnet and bumper have been designed to cushion fragile bones in the event of a crunch.

That's why the Punto scored a respectable three-out-of-four rating in NCAP tests.

Fiat needed a good supermini and it has made one. The new Punto is a fine car, good to drive, cheap to run, spacious and cute to look at. The trim is of excellent quality and the safety equipment is better than the class average.

If you want a supermini with a big-car look and feel then a Punto has to be on any new car short list.