Fiat Punto Evo Dynamic 1.4 14 | 08 | 2010Scotcars rating
Without any question, Punto is the Italian word for ... clean, green and all things fun
Overview
Think small cars and the name Fiat immediately springs to mind, although things have moved on since the days of the first 500 – the classic Cinquecento – and the only slightly larger 127 which was a Car of the Year in 1972 and a best-seller in Europe. Its successor, after the Uno, was the Punto which kept up the tradition by becoming Car of the Year in 1995. The latest version, the Evo, takes all the attractions of the previous models and adapts them to today’s demands for more environmentally friendly, affordable yet still stylish and fun to drive cars.
Fiat has always been pretty good at the last three and with a new range of clean, yet powerful engines, they’ve achieved terrific green results while holding on to the fun element. These ‘ecotechnology’ engines – MultiAir petrol and MultiJet diesel – squeeze as much power out as possible but have low emissions and all the latest energy-saving tricks like start&stop technology as standard.
The ‘city’ driving button makes it a great car for round town
On the road
This petrol version may have a small 1.4-litre power unit but the 105bhp, coupled with the six gears of the Dynamic version, means it’s very capable and returns a handy 50mpg. The diesel MultiJet version with 75bhp claims almost 70mpg. It’s a great car for around town, especially with its ‘city’ driving button which lightens the steering, but even out on the open road it feels quite happy to stretch its legs. On the style front, it follows the conventional Punto shape with some updated design to make it look more significant and incorporate new front bumper and radiator grille styling along with the optional adaptive cornering fog lights.
Comfort & Safety
Whatever the model, the car comes with a good range of standard equipment and there are plenty of optional extras if you want to add that little bit of a personal touch. Standard throughout the range is the start&stop technology which cuts the engine automatically for even a few seconds when you’re sitting at a junction or at lights. The engine restarts instantly as soon as you press the clutch.
What’s especially clever – it’s one of those “why did no-one else think of that?” moments – is the Blue&Me TomTom system. It’s a completely integrated infotainment system which brings together everything like phone, navigation and computer through a TomTom unit which slots into a factory-fitted connector on the dashboard; that means you don’t have any cables or wires trailing down to the power unit. Effectively, it means you get a full navigation system with all the extras for a fraction of the price of a factory fitted one. And you can take it with you when you go on holiday too.
Should I buy one?
It’s well priced, it’s clean and green, it’s got some nice new touches and if you like the Italian way of doing things, then absolutely.
Alan Douglas
| Quick Stats |
| Price OTR/As Tested |
£13,695 / £13,695 |
| Engine / Power: |
1398cc / 105bhp |
| How fast?: |
0-62mph 10.8sec, Max 115mph |
| How big/heavy?: |
H1490mm W1687mm L4065mm / 1075kg |
| How thirsty/CO2?: |
Combined 49.6mpg / CO2 134g/km |
| InsGP/Road tax: |
13 / Band E, £120 |
| Alternatives: |
Vauxhall Corsa, Ford Fiesta, Renault Clio, Peugeot 207 |