Road Test
Fiat Punto 1.4 Dynamic 3dr
Test date 07 March 2006
Price as tested £9,210
For Stylish design, roomy cabin, equipment levels, value
AgainstNot as quick as some rivals
The rate at which Fiat's car-making division is losing money is slowing, but the tide of red has only just turned black. For Fiat to sustain the recovery's momentum it needs another saviour; another high-volume product with masses of instant ‘want one’ appeal. Like the 1984 Uno and 1993 Punto, the broad shoulders of the all-new Punto bear the brunt of the responsibility for putting the company permanently in profit.
Fiat’s strategy exploits what research shows people really want from their superminis: great styling and value for money. Despite a good run which generated plenty of revenue for Fiat, the old Punto – which will continue in production until 2007 as a cut-price sidekick – had clearly run out of steam on all counts. Its replacement doesn’t just restore the status quo, it resets the bar for the entire class.
Fiat needed something special to reinstate the Punto’s position as the catwalk star of the supermini class. Giugiaro – and Bertone which, word has it, did much of the early work – have whacked the ball out of the park. The Punto has travelled from conceptual sketch to the showroom in just 22 months and, as a static proposition at least, hits the target full-force.
The tail lights have been shortened and toned down for the latest design. Along with the way the numberplate is integrated into the bumper, this lends the rear a particularly clean and uncluttered appearance, which mirrors the way the low-slung nose is formed out of a single giant bumper/grille moulding.
Despite being lengthened to accommodate the crush requirements of a pedestrian impact, the Punto is not nose-heavy. The rounded corners and large, tear-drop headlights lessen the effect of the front overhang, as does the way the windscreen’s base is pulled well forward. The waistline rises steeply as it heads towards the flanks in traditional Punto style, balancing the masses. In short, the Punto looks great from every angle.
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