Fiat’s comeback vehicle?

The first impression after we stepped into the Fiat Punto, right after its launch in 2008, was marred by the seat height adjustment handle breaking away from its assembly. The car just had 300 kms on the Odo and it already had a few other niggling hygiene issues. Interior fit and finish quality and material quality were not stand out elements.

But, the Punto was always a looker. Its design had those classic Fiat elements, which gave it great street presence. It was also one of the best driver’s cars in the segment with ride quality and handling that were good reasons for more buyers to visit Fiat’s showrooms.

Despite some ‘refreshments’, the Punto’s design has aged a bit, more since the competition has been active in the years since the Fiat hot hatch was launched. Fiat has also had to deal with the separation of its dealership/ marketing arrangement from Tata Motors. But the new Punto Evo continues to be made in the joint venture Ranjangaon plant.

So, Fiat has now launched the new Punto Evo and a key highlight of the car is the fact that the considerable redesign has been done exclusively for the Indian market. We Indians like to know that we are special, don’t we?

There is a general feeling of familiarity with the new Punto Evo and rightfully so, because there are a number of parts that have been retained from the outgoing Punto. But, a lot of changes to the exterior design have still been incorporated. At the front the headlamps now have a pulled back design and a new combination. The over-sized front bumper now has a more vertical-oriented, rounded edged bonnet grille with chrome-lipping. Below that the airdam and the chrome-lined fog lamp housings on either side form one unit.

Depending on the trim level, there is more chrome all around the Punto Evo, including the door handles and at the rear. The new model’s design brings more aggression into the Punto’s stance and some of the elements are ‘Evo-cative’ of the Fiat 500 and the yet to be launched Avventura. The bright ‘Exotica Red’ paint job of our test car was only adding some more to that feeling.

The rear of the new Punto Evo also gets a dash of aggression in the new chrome-lined inserts for the fog and stop-lamps. Set in the rear fender, and looking like dual sports exhausts, these are connected by a strip of chrome. The tail-lamps are shaped similarly to the outgoing model, but now sport a clear-lens construction, a new combination and use LEDs to create a new look.

The bigger improvement is in the cabin of the new Punto Evo. We are happy to note that there are none of the small, fit and finish, hygiene issues affecting the perceived quality of the car. Instead the dashboard finish quality with its soft feel plastic panels and textured finish makes it feel so much better than the predecessor.

The overlapping three layered dashboard layout in our test car came in an all-black finish, but is also available in a dual-tone beige and black finish. The centre stack is also a cascading, layered construct with the infotainment system and the auto-climate control system fitting nicely into the slots. There are lot of elements that have been taken from the new look Linea sedan.

There is also new cloth upholstery and of course, depending on the trim level, you also get Blue & Me Bluetooth connectivity, steering controls, rear aircon vents and such other features. Some of the shiny black plastic bits on the dash and the door panels are tacky, otherwise the cabin feels good. But, in terms of cabin quality and rear legroom the Hyundai i20 will still beat the Punto Evo.

But the room in the Punto Evo is acceptable, with a fairly sizeable luggage area too.

The new Punto Evo is being offered with the same engines and in the same state of tune as the previous model. So, you effectively have two petrol and two diesel powertrains to choose from. The test mule we drove was the higher powered 90bhp multijet diesel variant. But, the other options are the 1.2-litre petrol engine offering 67bhp at 6,000 rpm, the 1.4-litre petrol engine offering 89bhp at 6,000 rpm and the same 1.3-litre multijet diesel offering a lower 75bhp of peak power at 4,000 rpm.

Our test car with the 1,248cc multijet (turbocharged) diesel engine produced a peak torque of 209Nm at 2,000 rpm and feels comfortable while driving in the city. There is enough torque to pull along from even as low as about 800 rpm. But, with a bit of turbolag (pronounced when you stomp the pedal) the bulk of the torque, of course, kicks in when the needle goes past the 1,500-1,700 rpm level. On the highway, this translates into a bit of frustration when you try to overtake after slowing down. Keeping the engine on a boil, gets around the problem a bit, but will certainly affect your mileage numbers. Fiat claims that the ARAI certified fuel efficiency number for the 90bhp version is 20.5 kmpl. That is fairly impressive and should keep its critics happy.

The Punto Evo continues the model’s tradition of offering a nicely planted ride on the straights and into corners. Its suspension also doesn’t get too unsettled over bad roads. With a ground clearance of 185mm the Punto Evo manages to sail over most obstacles on the road, speed-breakers included.

With the significant refresh and the starting price sub-₹5 lakh, the Punto Evo is back in the reckoning.

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