Fiat Punto 2006 Review

Not so much
>> No GTI-style petrol engine for Sport
>> Dash plastics
>> A-pillars restrict vision

Known as the Grande Punto in Europe (where the outgoing model continues as a cheaper, smaller alternative), the stylish new three/five-door hatch is currently that continent’s top-selling car. Here, for the sake of simplicity, the car will be known as Punto. As you’ll read below it’ll debut in three versions and rather controversially all but one, the entry-level model, will be powered by turbodiesel engines

Punto hits dealers Down Under this month. Who is your local Fiat dealer? Chances are it’s your local Alfa Romeo establishment, but local distributor Ateco says at least two locales (Dandenong in Vic and Penrith in NSW) look set to get stand alone establishments from which the expanding range of Fiat cars will be sold.

FEATURES
Punto arrives in Oz in four distinct variants – all but one with a turbodiesel under its Giorgetto Giugiaro’s Italdesign-styled, Maserati-esque bonnet. It also arrives priced from under $20,000.

Don’t take that as a cue to whine about the standard specification though. A generously-sized small car (Ateco says it’s slap bang between VW Polo and Golf, a view with which is hard to argue – see dimensions below), the Punto is also generously equipped. Even the base car -- ‘Dynamic’ in Fiat speak – gets cruise control, ABS brakes (with EBD), front electric windows, remote central locking, power steering and a reasonably-specced sound system with steering wheel-mounted controls.

It’s this five-door Dynamic that kicks off the range. Powered by Fiat’s Starjet 57kW/115Nm 1.4-litre petrol engine matched to a five-speed manual gearbox, the Dynamic 1.4 also includes a trip computer, six airbags, 15-inch alloys, electric operated and heated door mirrors, Dualdrive electric power steering and Follow Me Home headlamps in its $19,990 sticker price.

The Dynamic 1.3 MultiJet five-door is next and gets the same level of equipment and a 66kW/200Nm Multijet turbodiesel engine with claimed sub-5.0lt/100km consumption. It is priced from $22,990.

Up the scale is the Emotion 1.9 MultiJet. The Emotion gets an 88kW/280Nm turbodiesel four and is the top-spec five-door in the Punto range. Included in its $27,990 sticker price is an upgraded interior, 15-inch alloys, front fog lamps and rear spoiler plus the latest bevy of Bosch-fettled driver aids – ie: hill holder, ASR and VDC traction and stability systems.

The the ‘hero’ car of the Punto range is the extra-stylish Sport 1.9 MultiJet. The sole three-door in the range (currently), the Sport gets a 96kW-version of the 1.9 MultiJet (with the same torque output as the Emotion’s 88kW engine) and is priced identically to the Emotion.

The Sport in particular is well-equipped boasting the Emotion’s goodies plus 17-inch wheels, sports seats and instrumentation, leather wheel, premium trim and metallic paint at no extra cost.

All prices quoted are for cars with manual gearboxes – six-speeders with the exception of the base petrol powertrain. Fiat’s ‘Dual Logic’ computer controlled clutchless manual (with selectable full auto mode) will be offered at extra cost on the Dynamic models only from September (2006). Pricing for the optional gearbox will be announced closer to its release date but expect a premium in the $2K range.

The comprehensive standard equipment means there’s a very limited options list. Just three items are listed at this stage: the dual-pane glass SkyDome electric sunroof at $1950 and metallic and ‘pastel’ paint options -- both at $750.

Obviously the three-door Sport pays some price for practicality, but thanks to long, wide opening doors access to the rear seats is no hardship – even for a 44-year-old Editor-in-Chief with a dodgy knee.

Once seated there’s reasonable space for two adults (three belts are provided but I wouldn’t want to be the one in the middle), with legroom aided by cutouts on the front seat backs. The optional Skydome roof adds substantially to the airiness of the interior. Blinds are provided if the view gets too distracting.

The Sport’s aggressively bolstered front seats are better than average too. Comfortable from the off, on the admittedly short launch drive they provided good lateral support with none of the restriction or pressure points some race-replica seats exhibit.

There’s more room in the rear of the five-door, however, the splitfold rear seat back is more upright than the Sport’s. Ironically, this combined with oddly positioned headrests make it a less comfortable place.

The five-door Dynamic 1.3 MultiJet’s front seats are much flatter than the Sports and a touch short in the cushion. Both cars front seats could be a little lower – that said seat position is a personal taste and many drivers spend their life trying to get their seats higher… At least the Punto’s height adjustable driver’s seat and rake and reach adjustable steering wheel allows a reasonable degree of personalisation.

The Sport’s white-faced four-element gauges are racey as is the alloy-look main dash spar – just a hint of BMW Z4 here. In lesser models this major dash element is colour-coded to the body paint. Alas combined with the hard, shiny dashtop plastics, this is perhaps the least pleasing aspect of the Punto’s cabin. We weren’t overly enamoured to the seriously sculptured steering wheel either – though it did work better in leather-wrapped form in the Sport.

And can somebody explain to me why Fiat’s seen fit to only allow the rear hatch to opened via a dash-mounted button or the remote key fob… There’s no external release at all. Stupid.

SAFETY
There’s barely a brand that isn’t pushing the safety aspect of its cars these days and Fiat’s no exception. According to its maker, the new Punto’s sophisticated crash structure has benefited from 15,000 hours of computer aided design, 60 crash tests, 100 HyGe slide simulations and 200 tests on components and subsystems. The car has been granted five-star status in EuroNCAP crash testing.

Further, the Punto also gets three stars for child protection and a further three for pedestrian safety. In all, Punto recorded 33 points out of a possible 37 – the highest overall score yet recorded in its small car segment according to Fiat.

In local spec all Puntos get six airbags (driver and passenger dual stage ‘Smart 2’ front airbags, side airbags, as well as two side curtain airbags), five lap-sash belts with front pretensioners and load limiters and, as noted above, ABS brakes and in higher spec models traction and stability control are standard equipment.

Other safety notables are a fire prevention system which includes specially-designed fuel system  cut offs and flame resistant interior trim and ‘Follow Me Home headlights.’ Fiat says the latter is “a practical, safety conscious innovation designed to light the interior of a garage or the path to a front door after the car has been locked.”

Follow Me Home operates the headlamps and sidelights of the new Punto, and is activated by operation of the indicator stalk within two minutes of turning off the engine. Each time the stalk is operated, light activation is extended by 30 seconds, up to a maximum of three-and-a-half minutes.

And for the record, though the five-doors get a full-size spare tyre, the Sport gets diddly… Instead of even a space saver, there’s a compressor and a bottle of tyre sealant. As we’ve said in the past, this is a less-than ideal situation.

MECHANICAL
The Punto features a conventional transverse-engine front-wheel drive layout. Suspension is a combination of independent MacPherson strut front suspension and a torsion beam axle at the rear.

The set-up follows in the footsteps of the previous generation of Punto though track has been increased at both ends (+70 mm at the front and 75 mm at the rear) and the front geometry has been changed to include a right-angled lower link and ‘Dual-path’ double front strut mounts.

Brakes are front ventilated disc/rear drum on the smaller engined models – not exactly cutting edge. The 1.9-litre models get four discs – 284mm ventilated units at the front and 264mm solids on the rear.

As noted above, the new Punto offers a choice of three powerplants (in four versions).

The 1.4-litre petrol engine is a fuel-injected SOHC two-valve per cylinder unit that has been a mainstay of Fiat models. Freshened for the new Punto, it features a drive-by-wire throttle, variable valve timing and a higher (11:1) compression ratio and is Euro 4 compliant.

Peak power of 57kW is delivered at 6000rpm with top torque of 115Nm at exactly half that. Fiat claims a top speed of 165km/h and 0-100km/h acceleration in 13.2sec. Combined fuel economy is 6.1lt/100km

The entry-level turbodiesel engine is the 16-valve 1248cc 1.3 MultiJet. Featuring the marque’s sophisticated MultiJet multi-phase direct-injection technology, Fiat claims the engine is the “smallest and most advanced second generation Common Rail direct injection turbodiesel in the world.” It is also Euro 4 certified.

Sevice intervals, including oil changes, for the 1.3 are a petrol-like 20,000km.

The intercooled DOHC powerplant features a variable geometry turbocharger and peaks at 66Kw at 4000rpm. Torque is an impressive 200Nm at 1750rpm and so-equipped the five-door Punto’s 0-100km/h sprint is reduced to 11.9sec. Top speed is 175km/h but more impressive is the claimed combined fuel economy – just 4.6lt/100km. To our knowledge this is the first 4lt/100km car to hit the local market.

Fiat says the engine is compact enough to fit into superminis – the class below the Punto. The sort of economy such a car would deliver would make mincemeat of the current crop of econo-cars – hybrids included.

Two versions of the 1.9 MultiJet are offered – 88 and 96kW in the Emotion five-door and Sport three-door respectively.

This is the same DOHC 16-valve 1910cc four-cylinder engine as featured in the Alfa Romeo 147 JTD, the Astra turbodiesel and (in Europe) oilers from SAAB and Cadillac (yep, believe it or not).

In Fiat trim, both engines top out at 4000rpm and deliver 280Nm of torque at 2000rpm.

The Sport’s installation is faster and quicker than the Emotion (200 versus 190km/h and 9.5 versus 10.0sec) but, as you’d expect, you pay a price at the pump. Nonetheless both claim remarkable combined economy figures – 5.8 and 5.6lt/100km respectively.

Undersquare (the 1.9’s 82mm bore is smaller than 90.4mm stroke), both units deliver 90 per cent of peak torque between 1750-3250rpm.

Of note is the fact the Punto features Fiat’s Dualdrive ‘electric over hydraulic’ power steering. The speed-sensitive system, Dualdrive offers a choice of two settings via a dash-mounted switch.

While the normal mode delivers a meaty and conventional steering experience, a ‘City’ mode lightens the steering noticeably to minimise effort when parking or in tight spots. For safety reasons both settings offer identical power assistance over 30km/h.

Across the small car spectrum, however, the Punto will be shopped against the likes of Peugeot’s 206 and 307, Renaults Clio and Megane as well as a host of cars from the likes of Ford (Fiesta), Holden (Viva and Astra), Toyota (Yaris and Corolla) and the like.

In terms of pricing the $22,990 Dynamic 1.3 MultiJet is line ball with the VW Polo TDi and the $19,990 Dynamic 1.4 with the slightly more expensive Fiesta Ghia 1.6. Fiat points out that in the case of both comparisons its car outpoints the Ford and VW in terms of airbag count and equipment. The Fiats are also more economical.

Comparing the Punto Emotion 1.9 to the Golf Trendline 1.9 TDi (both are priced at $27,990), according to Fiat the bigger Golf has less power and torque and misses out on a number of the Punto’s eccoutrement including hillholder, stability control, alloys, cruise control, splitfold rear seat and front fogs.

The Punto Sport’s a harder comparison, not least because it combines sport hot-hatch  looks and chassis set-up with a turbodiesel-only drivetrain. At this stage the car is quite literally unique in the local marketplace. That could augur well for Fiat… Or maybe not…

Also limiting our ability to give you a full appreciation of the range is the fact we drove just two models – the Sport (in which we spent most of our time) and the 1.3 Multijet Dynamic.

The latter is a surprisingly spritely drive though the engine needs a few revs to give its best – it’s happiest from 3000rpm to beyond 5000. In this regard it’s a quite ‘undiesel-like’ diesel. Away from the lights it needs a few revs and some clutch slip if you’re not to be left behind by run-of-the-mill small hatches and overloaded Kia 2700 traybacks.

With a few revs onboard the delivery is better and the gearing of the five-speed manual gearbox is well matched. As long as the engine’s on-boost there’s less need to go right down the box for overtaking than its small capacity petrol equivalents but if you’re expect a muscular midrange you’ll be disappointed. It is still only 1.3 litres after all.

We had little chance to sample the Dynamic’s dynamics. The clutch proved light in stop start traffic and the City steering setting good when parking.

The Sport we can comment on. Chassis-wise it is well balanced with good turn-in and an admirable lack of understeer. Indeed, keen drivers will sense just a hint of lift-off oversteer (magnified by the turbodiesel’s engine braking) that can be used to position and point the car just so. That said ultimate grip is not in the league of say the Polo GTI or MINI Cooper.

Body roll is well controlled despite the fact that even the sportiest Punto has plenty of wheel travel. One particularly pock-marked and potholed road on the launch loop out of Akuna Bay on the upper reaches of Broken Bay showed the car to be stable and the suspension well damped. It only bottomed on the biggest bumps and at speed.

The Sport is also wholly more muscular drive with its midrange delivery impressive. This is a quicker hatch than most drivers will realize.

Unlike the 1.3, the bigger engine’s power (as opposed to torque) is packed into a fairly narrow rev range. If you choose to drive the 1.9 like a petrol hot hatch – as the look, feel and running gear tempts you to do -- you’ll be doing a lot of rowing up and down the six-speeder as the MultiJet runs out of breath quickly. Better to avoid the temptation and grab a higher gear and ride the torque.

This is a much more efficient strategy to get the most out of the engine but it is also surprisingly hard to do. Something about the Sport has you excepting a revvy, Alfa-like, 1.6 to 1.8-litre petrol engine and it’s hard to rationalize the engine’s power characteristics and aural signature with the rest of the car.

Criticisms of the car are few at this stage. Some things stick out however – for example the A-pillars are fat and restrict vision in traffic and in the twisties. There’s also a very strange offset to the ‘dead pedal’ – the footrest to the left of the clutch pedal. This is significantly closer to the driver and means your left leg is permanently bent (see crook knee above!).

What we can say is the Punto’s an undeniably handsome car in the metal. Only hope that those wide unadorned flanks look as good after a year or so of supermarket knocks.