Punto hits Oz at $19,990

Fiat is back. The iconic Italian brand has returned to the local market after an almost 20-year absence with a four-model offering built around the new Punto hatch.

Europe’s top-selling car, the Punto will be sold in three and five-door versions across three trim levels when it hits dealers Down Under next month. Three four-cylinder engines will be offered, two of which (including the range-topper) will be turbodiesel. The base model will be the only version offered with a petrol powerplant at this time.

The plans and pricing for the Fiat resurrection were announced at the Punto’s local launch in Sydney this week. Key is a sub-$20,000 entry point for the car. Pundits expected Fiat to land near the ‘magic’ mark. What surprised many was the level of equipment offered on the base car -- ‘Dynamic’ in Fiat speak.

Kicking off with a 57kW/115Nm 1.4-litre petrol engine matched to a six-speed manual gearbox, the Dynamic 1.4 includes aircon, cruise control, trip computer, CD player, six airbags, ABS brakes (with EBD) remote central locking, power front windows and 15-inch alloys in its $19,990 sticker price.

The Dynamic 1.3 JTD gets the same level of equipment and a 66kW/200Nm Multijet turbodiesel engine with claimed sub-4.0lt/100km consumption. It is priced from $22,990.

Further up the scale the five-door Emotion 1.9 JTD and three-door Sport 1.9 JTD top off the range, both priced at $27,990. The Emotion’s 1.9-litre turbodiesel is rated at 88kW/280Nm with the Sport’s boosted to 96kW with the same torque output.

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

All prices quoted are for manual gearboxes. Fiat’s ‘Dual Logic’ computer controlled clutchless manual will be offered on the Dynamic models only later in 2006. Pricing for the optional gearbox will be announced closer to its release date.

No performance-oriented petrol engine will be offered at this time, the marque preferring to strut its diesel credentials Down Under.

The Puntos are all rated as five-star cars under the Euro NCAP crash testing regime.

Australian distributor Ateco Automotive will ‘partner’ the cars with its Alfa Romeo franchises. Though the marque will eventually have its own dealerships and sales outlets, the lion’s share of the dealer representation will come from Ateco’s existing Alfa Romeo network. Ateco is also looking at two stand alone dealerships in Penrith (NSW) and Dandenong (Vic).

Ateco will run its Fiat operation lean and mean. The company stated at the launch its existing infrastructure will handle the brand during its initial rebuilding stages.

Describing Fiat’s brand positioning as “relaxed, friendly, low stress”, Ateco’s Fiat and Alfa Romeo chief, David Stone (pictured), said the marque would target younger buyers and would reinforce its trendy, fun image with branded merchandise and other measures.

Stone described the Punto as “the first Fiat car that enabled [the brand] to be marketed back after such a long time.”

“It had to be a great product, it had to look good, it had to perform well and had to very well priced. What we do want to have with Fiat is it has to be affordable to most. In satisfying those four key requisites, this is why we are using the Punto as the vehicle to return Fiat to this country.”

According to Ateco, the Punto will be joined by a “full range of brand new models” over the next 18 months. Included on the importer’s wishlist is the current generation Panda light car (a “50 per cent” possibility in its various guises) and the exquisite nouvo Fiat 500, a stylish super-mini not due until 2008.

With the Punto sized mid-way between VW’s Polo and Golf, expect also a larger full-Golf/Corolla sized car. This will be in the form of the replacement for the current European-only Stilo.

Available in three-door, five-door and wagon variants the Stilo is slated for replacement late in 2006 with its new model expected to arrive Down Under in 2007, though not definitely wearing the same name.

Look out for CarPoint’s launch review of the new Fiat Punto later this week.