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CAP Blog > CAP Blog > Martin's Blog
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Jan
27
Written by:
Martin Ward
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The Grande Punto now has a new name, a new improved interior, a burnished chrome finisher on the bonnet and a re-designed rear where the bumper now incorporates the number plate. It has also acquired some all new fuel efficient engines.
Fiat says that the Punto Evo sits within the B sector which competes with the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and Peugeot 207. However, this car does seem to offer more space and appears on the road to be bigger than its rivals; this may be just an optical illusion or maybe the fact that the Punto sits somewhere in between the B and C sectors. Since its launch in 1994, over 7 million Punto units have been sold worldwide and an amazing 700,000 in the UK. It truly has been a huge success for Fiat, so whatever sector it sits in, it doesn’t really matter to the customer as they have bought them in the 1000’s.
 First there was the Punto and then the Grande Punto, and now there is the Evo. All have been an evolution from one to the next and each has been just that bit better than the last. The Evo is no different. Although its styling is very similar to the Grande, it has had some subtle yet significant changes.
 The main one in my opinion is the interior, which has had a major makeover. The quality looks and feels better, there were no squeaks or rattles in any of the cars we drove; this is something that has bugged Fiat for many years, and it seems to have been resolved. It is much quieter in the cabin as much more soundproofing has been installed. It has a stiffer, more rigid body and thicker carpets, and this all goes towards delivering a much more refined car.
The exterior has also received some minor styling changes, with a revised front end. It has new lights and a new grille, and that burnished chrome grille, which felt was a bit unnecessary and seems like it was merely an after thought to make the new car look different to the previous Grande Punto. The rear has also received some changes with new ‘L’ shaped lights and a revised bumper.
The Evo is available with a choice of five engines (three petrol and two diesels): a 1.4 litre 8v 77hp petrol, a 1.4 litre MultiAir 16v 105hp petrol, 1.4 litre 16v 135hp petrol, a 1.3 litre 16v MultiJet 75hp diesel and a 1.3 litre 16v MultiJet 95hp diesel. All engines have a start/stop system and all are Euro 5 compliant. The start/stop system is not the best, quickest or smoothest I have driven, nor is it by far the worst. There is very little vibration on shutdown so it is quiet, but the start up is a little lazy. However, it does work to a sufficient standard and no doubt will save some fuel while driving in town.
 Out on the roads around Cheltenham, the Punto Evo seemed to perform well and it handles better than the previous model. The braking system is good and all models now have ESP with hill hold, which means that this is the only B sector car with this feature. I drove the 1.3 litre 75hp diesel model and I thought it to be a bit under-powered. I then drove the 1.4 litre105hp petrol and thought that this had a ‘flat spot’ on acceleration; as if it wanted to go, but something was stopping it. Under-powered and slow on take-off maybe, but the Evo offers good MPG and low CO2, with the official combined cycle figure for the 1.3 MultiJet 95hp being 68.9mpg.
Prices for the Evo start at £10,995 for an Active 1.4 3 door, going up to £15,595 for an Eleganza 1.3 MultiJet 5 door. There is a GP model priced from £12,195, but the GP must not be confused with Grande Punto; it simply means GP. The new Evo is comfortable, it seats five adults, is good on fuel and all models have a long list of standard equipment. However, the Punto is no longer the cheap and cheerful runabout. It has grown up and offers much more in terms of quality, safety and fuel economy. This new version of the Punto is a step forward and is a good all-round package.
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